Ok, I’m feeling very “teaching-like” today and I’ve been meaning to share some of my wisdom with you all out there ;p At any rate, here are some kitchen tips….hopefully you’ll find at least one thing you didn’t know already!
- Store cheese in a tightly covered container with a couple sugar cubes, this keeps the cheese mold-free longer
- Cheeses should ALWAYS be served at room temperature to get the full flavor of the cheese. Refrigeration mutes the taste of cheese.
- Over-ripe bananas can be peeled and frozen in a freezer-safe container until it’s time to bake with them.
- To see if yeast is still good, add a little bit of the yeast in a mixture of warm water and a pinch of sugar. If you see bubbles, the yeast is still alive.
- Quick breads, though as tempting as it is to eat them right away, taste better the day after baking them. Cool, wrap them and store them in a cool place for the next day. They will slice easier too!
- Use instant potato flakes to thicken stews.
- If a soup or stew is too salty, add raw cut potatoes to it then discard once the food is done cooking. The potatoes will have absorbed some of the extra salt.
- Cottage cheese stays fresh longer if it’s refrigerated upside down in it’s original carton.
- When hard-boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to the water before adding the eggs to prevent cracks. Also, to peel them easier and prevent the green ring around the yolk, place eggs in cold, icy water immediately after taking them out of the boiling water.
- To make strong onions taste sweet, slice the onion and soak it in a mixture of milk and sugar.
- When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
- To quickly bake potatoes, parboil them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain and poke with fork then bake in preheated oven. You get that baked potato flavor in a fraction of the time!
- For an easy meal, grill your vegetables alongside your meat on the grill.
- For every cup of raw noodles, it will yeild roughly 1 1/2 cups of cooked noodles.
- Canola oil is great for frying! It has a high smoking point and doesn’t have a strong flavor either. Also, it is slightly cheaper than peanut oil.
- To soften hard brown sugar, add a slice of soft bread to the package of brown sugar, close bag tightly and in a few hours the sugar will be soft again.
- Never add vanilla extract or other flavoring extracts to a mixture that is on direct heat for most of the flavor will be lost. If possible, add the mixture when it is cool.
- Add an 8-ounce container of cream cheese to a 16-ounce can of prepared frosting. It will reduce the sweetness of the frosting, increase the volume of it and enhance the flavor.
- To improve a boxed cake mix, add a tablespoon of butter to the batter. It will make the cake taste richer.
- Spray tupperware with a nonstick cooking spray before storing tomato based sauces in them, no more stains!
- Wrap celery tightly in aluminum foil to store in refrigerator. This will extend the self-life and crispiness of celery dramatically.
- To extend the freshness of a cucumber once cut, wrap in a paper towel and put in vegetable drawer of refrigerator.
- To prevent spicy chilies from depositing hot oils onto your skin, rub a little cooking oil onto your hands before cutting and wash immediatly after cutting with soap and water.
Alright, I hope there is something in here that is helpful to you. If you ever wondered about something that isn’t listed here, just ask!
