This Wednesday I am just going to share some tips that I have found. I don’t take credit for any of these. I really enjoy being in the kitchen and I like to hear other people’s tips they have learned over the years. This is just a list I put together of some of the ones I think are good.
Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick
cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar,
and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again,
season it with salad oil.
Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles,
use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans.
Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice
for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.
To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels
in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.
When preparing lunches for your children (or anyone), try “drinkable” ice packs: Fill a 12-ounce plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it overnight, tilting the bottle so the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the food cool and be melted enough to drink by lunchtime.
A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast –
the bone carries the heat to the inside of the roast quicker.
For a juicer hamburger add cold water to the beef before grilling
(1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).
To keep cauliflower white while cooking –
add a little milk to the water.
Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get
before squeezing.
Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip
right off.
When slicing a hard boiled egg, try wetting the knife just before
cutting. If that doesn’t do the trick, try applying a bit of
cooking spray to the edge.
When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won’t
stick to your knife or cutting board.
If your cake recipe calls for nuts, heat them first in the oven,
then dust with flour before adding to the batter to keep them from
settling to the bottom of the pan.
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to
prevent ice cream drips.
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes.
Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them.
The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.
When tossing a salad with a basic vinaigrette, always make the
vinaigrette at least 1/2 hour ahead of time and let the mixture
sit to allow the flavors to marry. Pour the vinaigrette down
the side of the bowl, not directly on the greens, for a more
evenly dressed salad.
Chefs pound meat not to tenderize the meat, but to help
even the meat so it cooks evenly.
Save butter wrappers in the freezer to use for greasing pans when baking.
To keep salt from clogging in the shaker, add 1/2 teaspoon of uncooked rice.
Egg whites should always be at room temperature before whipping.
Be certain there is no yolk in the whites and that the bowl and
beaters are perfectly clean. Cream, on the other hand, should be
well-chilled. For the largest volume, chill the bowl and beaters
before whipping.
Before opening a package of bacon, roll it. This helps separate
the slices for easy removal of individual slices.
Whenever possible, warm your dinner plates slightly in the oven
before serving so the meal stays a little bit hotter.
Cookies will spread if your dough is too pliable by allowing butter
to get too soft. If your cookies are spreading too much, try
refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours before baking.
Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in an airtight
container or refrigerated three to four days.
I hope this list has a little something to help everyone. I know lots of these were helpful to me! For more great tips check out Rocks in My Dryer.
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