You’ve Been Opening Your Ketchup Packets Wrong — This Trick Makes It So Much Easier and Less Messy
Have you recently had one of those days were you just needed a quick trip to the drive-through? We’ve all been there! Nothing beats treating yourself to French fries every now and then, especially on those tough days when you don’t have time to eat. The only downside we can think of is the struggle that ensues with the ketchup packet. Creating a small rip so that the packet doesn’t split is hard enough, and squeezing the ketchup onto your fries always creates a mess.
Fortunately, TikTok and Instagram star Erica Kuiper posted a ketchup packet hack that will simplify everyone’s drive-through experience. Instead of making a small rip at the top and squeezing out the ketchup, Kuiper says to first run your fingers down the length of the packet, pushing the ketchup away from that side. Then, make a small rip and tear it down the entire side. Hold the packet with the opening facing upward, so that it forms a tiny bowl of ketchup. You’re left with the perfect dipping vessel for your fries!
In an interview with Good Morning America, Kuiper revealed that she and her friend thought of the hack back when they were in high school. “We were trying to figure out how she could drive and dip, and that’s when we discovered the packet can open as a pouch,” she said.
Naturally, Kuiper remembered the trick when she had her daughter, Morgan. “My husband Eric and I always opened the ketchup packets on the way home from McDonald’s so that our kiddo could have nice hot salty fries dipped in ketchup, and now she’s 22 and still opens ketchup that way,” Kuiper said.
Kuiper also mentioned that she couldn’t believe how quickly the post spread online. “It always seems that the most simple things blow up on social media. I create all the amazing recipes, but the ketchup packet was the one that’s exploded,” she added. Indeed, the ketchup packet hack raked in over 500,000 likes on TikTok and brought in one million followers.
Though Kuiper may not post new hacks anytime soon, we’re all grateful for her ingenious tip. Now that we have this trick up our sleeves, we don’t have to worry about the mess in the car!
