Rolling Meatballs Is Mess-Free And Hands-Off When You Use This Mason Jar Hack

As any Italian grandmother would tell you, making homemade meatballs is a labor of love. Not only do you have to season your favorite meatball recipe to perfection, but you also have to undergo the not-so-fun task of shaping your meatballs by hand. There is nothing pleasant about shoving your hand into cold, wet meat to grab a fistful before rolling the balls between your palms. It gets stuck on your fingers, underneath your nails, and it's especially annoying when you have to touch (and dirty) other surfaces as you're shaping your meatballs.

But the internet, as it usually does, has a solution to this common kitchen woe. Folks have shared videos of them trying a viral meatball prep hack, which supposedly reduces the need to touch and fondle your ground meat. All you need to do is grab a glass — a wine glass or a Mason jar will both work well — spray the inside with cooking oil, and add your meatball (using a cookie scoop will allow you to easily portion them and keep your hands clean). Quickly swirl the glass with the meatball so that the shape is just right, then plop it out onto your cooking surface. It's the hands-off, mess-free meatball hack that everyone needs to try, regardless of whether you're churning out classic Italian-style meatballs or a spicy lamb variation.

There are countless other hacks for making tasty homemade meatballs besides just this one. For one, you should use plenty of cooking oil when shaping your meatballs by hand. We recommend keeping a bowl of oil nearby so you can dip your hands in it as you're shaping your meatballs. This simple tip makes meatball shaping less messy because the meat won't stick to your hands, and it's also the reason why you should add a spritz of cooking oil to your glass before plopping in your meatballs. 

Of course, you don't have to roll your meatballs at all. You can save time and just drop the balls straight onto the lined baking sheet. Not only will this eliminate the time spent shaping meatballs, but it also reduces the risk of overworking the meatballs, which can make them too rubbery. Grab an ice cream or cookie scoop to portion out similar sizes for this stress-free, low-mess meatball hack.