I've always wondered why grandma puts a wooden spoon on the pot. Now I know and I do the same

Do your grandmothers, mothers, and aunts lay wooden spoons on pots while cooking? You have to know that in this inconspicuous action lies a method to avoid a kitchen disaster. It's simple, yet so effective.

Milk, soup, water with pasta - whatever "escapes" us from the pot, causes a lot of mess and significant damage. A flooded stove and difficult-to-remove stains are nothing compared to the nerves, when for the n-th time we allowed the contents of the pot to boil over. These nightmares can be effectively prevented.

Most of us, watching our moms or grandmothers in the kitchen, certainly noticed their culinary habits. My grandmother was very careful to make sure I didn't "scrape" excess dough off the spoon by hitting it against the baking sheet, because, as she thought, it threatened with a failure in the cake. The same went for mixing the ingredients for the dough in different directions or opening the oven door while baking - all this was supposed to herald a culinary disaster. And so it was, so it's always worth taking grandmother's advice to heart, especially those related to cooking.

One of my favorite grandma's tricks is keeping a wooden spoon on the pot in which something is cooking - soup, pasta, rice, anything. What is the purpose of such an unusual construction? It turns out that it is a very effective solution that will work like no other when the contents of the pot overflow, flooding the entire stove.

How can a piece of wood prevent boiling over? In this case, a spoon leaning against the rim of the pot has hydrophobic properties. This means that it repels the foam that forms as a result of boiling. During boiling, the rising air bubbles come into contact with the cool wood, causing them to burst and fall - this is how a wooden spoon leaning against the rim of the pot works. Importantly, when the spoon heats up, it loses its properties.

The spoon trick is an effective yet not the only way to combat a pot overflowing in the kitchen. Such kitchen disasters may be a daily occurrence, but they are easy to prevent. One of the methods is to grease the edges of the pot with oil or butter before cooking. The fat will form a "barrier", hence water, milk, or soup will not rise above it. Also remember, you should not completely cover a pot with pasta or beans - the lid should be slightly ajar. This will ensure proper "ventilation".