Foiling flavor fairies

Every year at this time the swarm descends upon my kitchen and bathrooms, even my office where a lot of my colleagues and I eat lunch at our desks. Gnats, fruit flies, call them what you will -- my colleague Mark prefers "flavor fairies" -- flit within my line of vision seeking something sour: drying towels, anyone?

Last fall my friend Diane Hooie, a bright, well-traveled and adventurous cook, told me how to trap 'em. This really works:

Pour a half inch of apple cider vinegar in a small glass and add two drops of dishwashing liquid. Mix well, sit it out and the flies will be drawn to the cup and gone forever.

I misremembered her instructions and added water to the glass. It doesn't seem to affect the potion's desirability as dozens of gnats have perished in a watery grave.

Comments

kplum said…
Wow! I'll try this. These gnats invade my kitchen every fall, and I've tried many things short of pesticide without success.
Your boss must be great. My supervisor told us we can't eat our lunches at our desks.
September 1, 2007 at 7:40 AM
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