The Seasonal Gourmet

If you drink wine, you’re likely to have some corks lying around. Although many wine makers are switching to synthetic corks or even screw-top enclosures, a lot of bottles still have real corks.  Cork is produced from the cork oak  and is considered an environmentally friendly product.  It is also a useful material around the house.  

Here are a few ideas for using wine corks:

Cut a Slice of Cork to Steady a Wobbly Table

If you have a table that wobbles slightly, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slice of cork to place under the leg to steady the table. Cut to the desired thickness.  In addition, if you have a small item that is missing a leg, a cork can be used to replace it.  For example, my old microwave lost one of it’s legs and I cut a cork to size and used it in place of the missing leg.  

Use a sharp knife to slice cork for your various household needs

Put Pieces of Cork on the Back of Hanging Frames so they Don’t Mark the Wall

Sometimes a hanging picture will mark the wall if someone bumps against it, particularly in high traffic areas.  A  few small rounds of cork glued to the back of the frame will prevent this.

A few small pieces of cork will keep picture frames from marking your walls

Protect Knife Tips

A knife block is the best way to store knives but if necessary, you can protect the tips of your sharp knives by sticking them in a cork.

A knife block is best but a cork will protect tips in a pinch

Store Small Sharp Objects

Corks are a great way to organize small sharp objects such as corn cob holders, tacks or push pins.  Just stick them into a cork and you’ll be able to find them in your drawer easily, without poking yourself with the sharp ends in the process.

Organize sharp objects like corn cob holders and push pins with a cork

Protect Your Furniture

Slicing a few pieces of cork and gluing them to the bottom of items that could mark furniture is a free alternative to buying felt protectors.  Old trivets and coasters can also be saved with a few pieces of sliced cork.

One final use for a used cork: to re-cork a part bottle of wine.  However, the portion of the cork that was in the wine will swell up, making it hard to get back into the bottle.  Turn it around so the narrower (dry) end goes into the bottle and you should have no trouble.

Enjoy!

There is a new Kitchen Tip of the Week posted each week.  You can also check out the archives for more helpful tips and tricks.