Kitchen Tips
If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato, it will absorb the excess salt. Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften.
Marshmallow
To keep marshmallows from turning hard, store them in the freezer. When thawed, they're like fresh.
To keep marshmallows from sticking together in the bag, toss a little powdered sugar into the bag and mix. Wrap celery in aluminum foil before placing in the refrigerator, it will keep for weeks.
Storing Onions:
For maximum flavor and long life, wrap your prized onions (like Vidalias) individually in newspaper and store in a cool, dark place.
Cut a roll of clear plastic wrap in half to use for individually wrapping brownies, cookies and other small items. You end up with two narrow rolls of the perfect size wrap.
Bread stale?
Don't toss it out, cut it into cubes or process into crumbs; place in a freezer bag and freeze for later use in recipes.
Save money by using low-salt beef, chicken and vegetable bases, available in any supermarket, to make the broth called for in recipes instead of using canned broth.
Use the cooking water of potatoes meant for mashing, in place of milk, for lighter and fluffier mashed potatoes! Drain potatoes first and incorporate the liquid back into the potatoes a little at a time as you mash or whip them.
Pickling Tip:
When you don't have cheesecloth, tie your spices up in a coffee filter for pickling or other uses. It works just fine!
Store shelled nuts in the freezer to retain their freshness.
Clothes Pins:
Use an ordinary wooden or plastic clothespin to seal bags of chips, packets of crackers, and cereal-box liners.
Breads will stay fresher longer at room temperature or frozen. It is best not to store bread in the refrigerator.
Honey is best stored in a dry place because it tends to absorb moisture and become granulated.
Every time the door of the oven is opened, the oven temperature drops 25 to 30 degrees. Use the oven window to conserve energy.
Bread Crumbs:
Save all kinds of leftover bread bagels, baguettes, biscuits, crackers, rolls, sandwich bread and process into very fine crumbs in your food processor or blender. Store in the freezer in self- sealing plastic bags to use for stuffings and toppings.
Raisins & Currants:
Don't throw rock-hard dried raisins or currants away. Instead, reconstitute them by covering with cold water, bringing to a boil, then removing from the heat and letting stand for 5 minutes. Drain well before using.
Make your own superfine sugar by churning regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender.
You'll get more pop out of your popcorn if you store it in the freezer and pop while still frozen.
Brown Sugar Hard?
To soften brown sugar, place in a microwave-proof dish, add a slice of soft white bread or an apple wedge, cover tight and microwave at 100% power for 30 seconds. Discard the bread or apple and stir.
Cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt will stay fresh longer if the cartons are stored upside down. Just make sure the lids don't leak! Recycle the plastic containers you get at the deli or salad bar. They're great for storing leftovers or freezing small portions.
Stale Crackers:
To re-crisp stale crackers, spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 300*F (150*C) oven for 5 minutes. Cool completely and seal in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Over Baked Cakes:
Rescue an overbaked cake by drizzling with a simple sugar syrup spiked with a little Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Tia Maria or brandy.
Just for fun:
Halloween Face Paint. Here's a simple, non-toxic concoction straight from the pantry: Mix together 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon water, 1/2 teaspoon cold cream and 2 drops food coloring. Apply to face.
Cooking Tips
Casseroles: Most casseroles can be made up to 24 hours in advance and
refrigerated. Be sure and add 15 or 20 minutes to the cooking time to
compensate.
Chilling Foods: To chill foods quickly put them in your freezer for 20 to 30
minutes rather than longer in the refrigerator.
Food Stains in Plastic Storage Containers: Use a baking soda paste (baking soda and water) and rub into the stain. You can then rinse with vinegar (optional) and wash normally. Another method is to place container outside on a nice sunny day and the sun actually bleaches the stain out. To avoid stains in the first place, spray container with cooking spray before putting things in it that stain i.e. spaghetti sauce.
Fried Food Odors: Next time you fry foods, try placing a small cup of bleach nearby. The bleach absorbs much of the "fried" odor (that would otherwise linger for days!) Be sure to clearly mark the cup and keep it out of the reach of children.
Greasy Gravy: A small amount of baking soda added to gravy will eliminate excess grease.
Keep Your Cutting Board From Slipping: Place a thin layer of damp paper towels underneath to anchor the board to the work surface.
Lining Pans Means No Scrubbing: Line baking pans with aluminum foil before you cook to avoid scrubbing pans afterwards. To line pans easily, turn pan upside down and press a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil around it. Remove foil. Flip the pan over and drop foil inside. Crimp edges of foil to rim of pan.
Oil Temperature: To find out if oil is the proper temperature for frying foods: For deep-fat frying, drop a cube of white bread into the hot oil. If it browns evenly in 60 seconds the oil is 350-365 degrees, in 40 seconds, 365-382 degree, 20 seconds, 382-390 degrees. For shallow frying, the oil is hot enough if it is shimmering and rippling along the bottom of the pan. The most reliable way to gauge the temperature is to use a deep-fat thermometer.
Prevent Spattering While Sauteing: To prevent spattering and burns while
sauteing, tilt the pan away from you to pool the oil every time you add more food, then lay the pan flat again. You can also add a few sprinkles of salt to the pan to prevent spattering.
Soups: Remove some of the fat in soups by adding a lettuce leaf to the pot. Remove the leaf after fat removal. Place a raw potato in salty soup. The potato will absorb the extra salt.
Wok Cooking: Don't stir ingredients as you add them to a wok. You'll cool the wok and make the food greasy.
Thickening Soups & Sauces: To thicken soups or sauces, try one of the following methods. Reduce the soup or sauce by cooking it longer. This will result in a thicker mixture with stronger flavor. OR Add arrowroot, a tasteless powder available on the spice aisle. Arrowroot will thicken your dish, but does not perform well at high temperatures. OR Add a mixture of cornstarch and water. While this thickens well, it can produce a chalky taste. OR Add roux. Cook equal parts of butter and flour until the mixture reaches a golden brown color. Add the mixture to your soup or sauce for added richness and thickness.
Basting Shortcut ~ Fill a squeeze bottle with barbecue sauce or marinade. Sauce can be squeezed directly onto foods while grilling, reducing cleanup.
Cheese Garnish - Use a potato peeler to create cheese peels for garnishing salads, soups and more.
Chop Sticky Things - Next time you need to chop sticky ingredients (dried fruit, etc.), coat a pair of kitchen shears with nonstick cooking spray and snip away.
Prevent Cheese Mold - Put sugar cubes in cheese containers to keep the cheese free of mold.
Testing Your Kitchen Scale - Is your kitchen scale accurate? Here's a way to tell: Place 9 pennies on the scale. They should weigh exactly 1 ounce.
Flavorful Ice Cubes - When ice cubes melt, they water down your drink. Prevent dilution by making flavored ice cubes from punch, soft drinks or even milk.
Keep Track of Loose Recipes - If recipe printouts are taking over your kitchen, invest in a simple 3-ring binder. Organize the recipes into intuitive categories and store it with your cookbooks. Flag favorites with a Post-It® note and be sure to jot down comments and modifications as you experiment!
Opening Jars - Having trouble opening a jar? Slip on a pair of latex dishwashing gloves. Their nonslip surface makes it much easier!
Remove Fat from Soups - To remove fat from soups, refrigerate until the fat hardens. If you place waxed paper on top, it will peel away the hardened fat. No time to refrigerate? Try dropping a lettuce leaf in the soup. Let it collect fat, then remove it.
Removing Muffins - Having trouble removing muffins from the tin? Place a wet towel beneath the hot pan and they'll lift out easily.
Steam Foods - Steaming can be an effective way to preserve food flavor, color, and nutrients. Water is the most common liquid for steaming, but broth, beer or wine can also be used to impart extra flavor. Use a steaming basket to prevent foods from contact with the boiling liquid. CAUTION -- steam is hotter than boiling water and can cause severe burns.
Stir-frying Tips - Stir-frying requires high heat and high speed. Here are a few tips to make the process go smoothly:
Prepare all ingredients ahead of time. Add dense vegetables (carrots) first. Tender vegetables (mushrooms) and leafy greens (spinach, bok choy) require less cooking time. Meats can be stir-fried first, set aside, then reintroduced at the last minute. (This will prevent overcooking).