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Put peeled apples in water with lemon juice or ascorbic acid color keeper to stop them from turning brown.
Make a quick stock flavoring for soups or stews by combining onion, garlic, and carrots in a blender with a small amount of water.
Use cooking water from vegetables or beans to make a vegetarian broth or to add to soups or stews.
A bird will be easier to carve if it is taken out of the oven and allowed to rest - about 15 to 20 minutes for a turkey, less for smaller birds.
For evenly rounded tops on nut breads and muffins, grease baking pans or muffin cups on the bottom and only 1/2 inch up the sides. Do this and your batter will cling to the sides of the pan instead of sliding back down.
If a dish lacks flavor, try adding a little mustard, hot pepper sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. An herb or spice such as curry powder can help too.
Prevent lumps in cornstarch or flour thickened sauces by stirring constantly. If lumps do form, beat the sauce briskly with a wire whisk or rotary beater.
To unstick dried dates, figs, cranberries, or raisins, place them in a low-temperature oven for a few minutes.
To keep cookie dough from spreading too much, allow cookie sheets to cool thoroughly between batches.
For soft, shiny crust on bread, brush loaves with margarine or butter before baking. For glossy, crispy crust, brush before baking with milk, water, or beaten egg.
After baking a pie, cool it on a wire rack. This allows air to circulate under it and keeps the crust from becoming soggy.
When making sliced cookies, the slices will be more perfect and uniform if you chill the dough in the freezer until firm, but not frozen, before slicing.
Don't simmer old potatoes too vigorously or they will fall apart. Put them unpeeled in cold water and cook them gently with the cover on.
If you plan to beat egg whites, separate the whites from the yolks about a half hour before you plan to use them. Bringing the whites to room temperature will help them whip up to greater volume.
When cooking with cheese, the main thing to remember is that excessive heat and overcooking turn it stringy and leathery.
Let avocados ripen outside the refrigerator. When still firm but with a slight give when gently squeezed, they are ripe. Brown streaks within are perfectly fine.
Choose poultry and game with pliable meat that is not dry-looking; the breast should be plump and lightly colored.
Berries should be firm and colorful. Because they spoil rapidly, eat them as soon as possible after purchase.
Bananas are ripe when the skin is bright yellow. They are underripe when green, and overripe when brown and mushy.
Fresh nuts have glossy shells and should not rattle when shaken. They are easily shelled and free of the bitter taste common to stale nuts.
Fresh fish have clear, shining, slippery skins, bright bulging eyes, and distinct color and markings.
Food in cans with deeply dented seams or swollen ends should not be eaten. They may be load with bacterial toxins that can cause severe illness.
Raw or cooked meatballs can be frozen on a cookie sheet then transferred to a container, sealed, and out back in the freezer. This way they stay separate, and you can use as many as you want at any one time.
When freezing liquids, leave a one-half inch headspace at the top of the container to allow for expansion.
USDA classifications of eggs refer only to size and appearance, not the quality of the eggs. The three classifications are Grade AA, Grade A, and Grade B.
A fresh egg should sink at once in a bowl of salted water and lie at the bottom; a bad egg will float.
Thaw meat or fish in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Never leave raw or cooked fish or meat at room temperature for more than two hours.
For a pie or crust that will be baked, choose a glass pie plate or dull metal pie pan. Use shiny metal pans, which keep crusts from browning properly, only for crumb crusts that are not baked.
To make celery crisper, put it in a bowl of water and add ice. Leave it in the refrigerator a few hours.
Grease on soup or sauces can be soaked up with a paper towel laid on the top or can be carefully spooned off. If you have time, chill the soup, then remove the congealed fat.
Sesame seeds gain wonderful nut-like flavor when toasted. Just sprinkle a thin layer of seeds in a skillet and shake or stir over low heat until they are a toasty golden color.
When pureeing solid food, like chicken livers, in the blender it is important to puree in small batches. Use enough of the liquid from the recipe to get the food down into the blades of the blender so it can do its job.
To clean leeks, trim root ends and any bruised parts parts of the green leaves. Starting at the green end, split each leek in half, with the knife stopping about an inch short of the root end. Spread leaves and white root end apart and wash thoroughly under cold running water.
For biscuits with softer sides, place them in a baking pan with sides barely touching. for firmer sides leave space in between them.
To shell shrimp, hold the fan end of the tail and give it a slight twist to release the meat but not break it off. Holding the tail by the narrow part, unwind the shell starting at the widest part and pulling when you get to the tail to remove the shell.
Too much salt in a soup or stew? Add cut raw potatoes and discard
them once they've cooked and absorbed the salt.
Too much garlic in a soup or stew? Place parsley flakes in a
cheesecloth bag and add to the pot until it soaks up the excess
garlic.
Too sweet? Add salt or 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar.
Cut drinking straws into short lengths and insert through slits
in pie crusts to prevent juice from running over in oven.
Store cookies in an airtight box or tin to keep them crisp.
Separate layers with sheets of wax paper or aluminum foil. If
crisp cookies soften, place in oven at 300 degrees for a few
minutes to make them crisp again.
Store soft cookies and crisp cookies separately. To keep soft
cookies soft, place a slice of apple in the container to prevent
them from drying out.
To have fresh herbs in the winter months, tear off leaves and
place in ice cub trays with water. After water freezes totally,
remove cubes, place in plastic bags and freeze. Use in soups,
stews, and sauces.
To make sugared grapes for garnish: Brush clusters of grapes with
slightly beaten egg white. Dip in granulated sugar, turning to
coat all sides. Dry on cake rack.
When a recipe calls for a small amount of grated or minced onion,
cut a slice off the top of the onion, then cross-hatch the onion
with a paring knife in very thin straight-down cuts, first one
way, then the other, cutting about 1/8-inch deep. Slice off this
part of the onion to use, and wrap the rest to use another time.
Dental floss cuts perfect rolls. Place a long piece of dental
floss under rolled dough and cross the ends of the floss. Pull
through and you have a perfect roll without it becoming crushed.
Moisten the rim of the bowl or pan, and plastic wrap will cling
better when covering it.
Cover work surface with flattened grocery bags or old newspaper.
Trim and peel produce or shellfish directly over paper. When
you're done, gather up paper and trimmings and discard.
Strain soup stock through a coffee filter to make it clear and
debris free.
For no-wilt whipped cream, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon unflavored
gelatin into 1 tablespoon cold water and stir over low heat to
dissolve. Let cool. Then add to 1 cup heavy cream in a chilled
bowl and whip until stiff.
To get rid of onion, garlic, or fish odor on a cutting board -
rub the board with a cut lemon or lime half. Then wash in soapy
water.
To break lumpy brown sugar and make it easier to cream into
butter, run it in a food processor or blender until it becomes
soft.
Baking powder loses its leavening power with age. To test and see
if it is still fresh, put 1/2 teaspoon baking powder into 1/4 cup
hot water. If the water bubbles lots, the baking powder is fresh.
Store active dry yeast at cool room temperature or in the
refrigerator and use before the expiration date printed on the
package. Yeast can be frozen to extend its life for several
months beyond the expiration date. Defrost at room temperature
before using.
Crumble stale, hard cookies and save them in a jar. Use them
for toppings on coffee cakes or for pie crust instead of graham
crackers.
When a recipe calls for browning eggplant or other foods in oil,
let your broiler save you time and calories. Brush the pieces
lightly with oil and let brown in the broiler. You'll use less
than half the fat than if you pan-browned.
Bamboo skewers won't burn if you soak them in water for an hour or
so before threading the food to be cooked on them.
Lightly rinse and drain canned beans to remove excess salt
before using.
Why are chile peppers hot? The heat is generated by a substance in
the interior ribs or strings of the chiles, rather than in the
seeds. Since the seeds are in such proximity with the veins, they
carry the essence of hotness. In general, the smaller the pepper,
the more potent its "bite". Peppers which are harvested have
often reached their maximum degree of hotness; peppers left on the
vine to dry become somewhat sweeter, rather than hotter.
Steaks, chicken, chops, and seafood marinated for a few hours in
salad dressing have a wonderful broiled or grilled taste - and
take less time to cook.
When buying garlic look for large, plump, firm bulbs; older
shriveled garlic can be disagreeably strong. Store garlic at
room temperature in a ventilated container.
Most soups freeze well, except those containing cheese, cream,
or other dairy products since they may separate and curdle when
thawed and reheated. Freeze soups without these particular
ingredients, then add when gently reheating. Freeze soups in individual microwave-proof containers for a quick microwaveable lunch or snack.
To squeeze the most juice from a lemon, lime, or orange, first
roll the fruit on a hard surface, pressing with your hand. Or
submerge the fruit in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can
also heat the fruit in the microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds.
Cooking pasta al dente, or firm to the bite, preserves some of
the vitamins and minerals that are lost into the cooking water
with longer cooking times.
Place a few pieces of dry bread in the broiler pan when broiling
meats to soak up dripping fat. This can eliminate smoking fat
as well as reduce the chance that the fat will catch fire.
When measuring molasses, corn syrup, or other syrups lightly
butter the measuring cup first. Syrup will pour out nicely - with
no waste.
Purchase dried beans that are bright in color, which is an
indication of freshness, and uniform in size and shape so
they'll cook evenly.
Milled white rices keep almost indefinitely on the shelf. Store
opened rice in a tightly covered container. It's best to store
brown rice and wild rice in the refrigerator since the oils can
turn rancid.
Milk and cream can be frozen but will separate when thawed. Heavy
cream will not whip when thawed. Freeze milk up to 1 month and
cream up to 2 months.
To reduce your fat intake, saute foods in wine, fruit juice, non-fat
cooking spray, or broth rather than in oil.
To test whether a dish is microwave safe or not, place it in the
microwave next to a glass measuring cup half full of water. Heat
on HIGH (100%) for 1 minute. If the dish is hot it should not be
used in the microwave. If it is warm it should be used only for
reheating. If the dish is at room temperature, it is safe to use
for all microwave cooking.
Nuts and fruits will not sink to the bottom of a cake if they
are lightly coated with flour before they are added to the
batter.
Whenever you have extra broth, pour it into a plastic ice cube tray
and freeze. Once frozen they can be removed and stored in the
freezer in a plastic bag. They can be added to soups or used to
saute foods.
Egg size is based on a minimum weight in ounces of a dozen eggs.
A dozen jumbo eggs weighs 30 ounces, while a dozen small eggs
weigh 18 ounces. Most recipes are designed for large eggs, so for
best results in home cooking stick to large eggs, particularly in
baking.
Uncooked chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
in its original packaging, depending on label date. To freeze,
overwrap original packaging with more plastic wrap or aluminum
foil for double protection. Use within 2 months to maintain best
quality.
If you run out of tomato sauce, you can substitute 3/4 cup of
tomato paste plus 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of tomato sauce.
When breading chicken pieces before frying, take the time to
refrigerate the coated chicken for at least 30 minutes. The
chilling sets the crust and keeps it on the chicken.
To toast nuts, place about 1 cup (pine nuts, almonds, pecans,
sesame seeds) in a pie pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree
oven, turning occasionally, until nuts are golden brown (about
5 minutes). Do not burn!
Flouring sausage patties on both sides before cooking gives them a
crunchy crust and helps keep them from splattering.
Peel hot potatoes the easy way. Score raw potatoes around center
with point of knife. Cook. Spear each potato with fork tines in
the score mark and start peeling there.
To prepare vegetables in advance: blanch, drain, and rinse under
cold water to stop further cooking. Wrap and refrigerate. At
serving time, drop blanched vegetables into boiling water for 30
seconds to reheat, then toss with flavored butter.
Place aluminum foil under the napkin in your roll basket and the
rolls will stay hot longer.
Potatoes will roast in half the time if they are boiled for five
minutes, then put into a hot oven.
Use up leftover rice in thrifty ways. Add to waffle or pancake
batter, use in place of bread in meatloaf, make a rice pudding,
use to stuff eggplant or zucchini, or add to soups or stews.
The easiest way to remove corn from a cob is to use a shoe horn.
To remove corn silk: Dampen a toothbrush and brush downward.
Storing cakes: Cover cut surfaces with plastic wrap to keep moist.
Store in covered cake keeper or invert a large bowl over the cake
plate. Cakes with cream, butter, cream cheese, or custard fillings
or frostings should be stored in the refrigerator. Cakes with sugar
frostings can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To make your own croutons cut day-old white bread into small
cubes. Saute' in a little olive oil and butter in a skillet over
medium heat, tossing frequently until crisp and golden, about 5
minutes. For extra flavor, add a little finely chopped garlic or
chopped fresh herbs.
Strawberries can be kept firm for several days if you store them
in a colander where air can circulate around them.
Pineapples do not ripen after they are picked, so don't buy them
if they are underripe and expect them to ripen when you get home.
As a rule of thumb for baking or broiling fish, measure
thickness of fish at thickest part and cook 10 minutes for
every inch measured. For baking, oven temperature should be
400 degrees.
Add a little milk while cooking cauliflower if you want to keep
it bright white.
To ripen tomatoes, place them in a shallow box or basket and slip
them into a brown paper bag. Close the end and leave at room
temperature. The gas released by the tomato ripens the fruit
naturally. Never store unripened tomatoes in the refrigerator --
it makes the pulp soft and cottony.
To divide cake batter evenly between layer baking pans, use a
ladle or large spoon. Put an even number of ladles of batter in
each pan.
If you soak oysters in club soda for five minutes, they usually
come out of their shells more easily.
For a quick cake or dessert decoration, fill a plastic sandwich
bag with frosting, whipped topping, or whipped cream; snip off
a tiny corner and squeeze out icing in decorative swirls.
Zucchini, yellow crookneck, and straightneck squash share many of
the same qualities and may be interchanged in most recipes.
Keep yolks in center of eggs by gently stirring water while
cooking hard boiled eggs. Makes beautiful deviled eggs.
To keep cocoa and chocolate cakes brown on the outside, grease
pans and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder instead of flour.
To add variety to salad dressing, make your favorite oil and
vinegar dressing by the quart. At meal time, measure the amount
you'll need and add blue cheese, onion, garlic, or a favorite
herb.
Before scaling, rub the entire fish with vinegar and the scales
will come off more easily.
Prevent banana slices from browning by brushing lightly with
ascorbic acid color keeper or lemon juice.
Sweeten store-bought mustards with maple syrup, honey, or fruit
spread, or add a savory touch with grated horseradish or citrus
peel, crushed peppercorns and dried herbs. Refrigerate for at
least a few days for flavors to develop before using.
Steak, roast, or poultry bones can be frozen until needed for soup stock.
Pour pan drippings into a tall jar. The grease will rise to the top in minutes and can be removed for grease free gravy.
Baking fish on a bed of celery and onions will add to the taste as well as keep the fish from sticking.
Storing cheese in a tightly covered container with a few sugar cubes will retard mold.
Your frosting will look more professional if you frost first with a thin layer and let it set. Then apply a second coat of frosting.
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water used to cook rice. The grains will stay white and separated.
An excellent thickener for soup is a little oatmeal. It will add flavor and richness to almost any soup.
Don't add sugar to stewed fruits until they have boiled for 10 minutes. They need less sugar then.
For a thinner, crispier rolled cookie try rolling the dough directly onto a greased and floured cookie sheet. Cut the cookies out then pick up the scrap dough.
An easy way to form drop cookies is to drop them onto the cookie sheet and then press them with the bottom of a water glass that has been dipped in sugar.
Mushrooms can be stuffed, covered, and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking.
Squeeze juice from lemons when you have time and freeze the juice so it's ready to use when you need it.
Carefully wipe your knife blade with vegetable oil before chopping raisins, dates, or other sticky dried fruit to prevent sticking.
To make a quick glaze for cakes or muffins: Place 1/2 cup ready-to-spread frosting in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high about 15 seconds or until it can be stirred smooth and is thin enough to drizzle.
To measure one cup you need 4 to 6 eggs; 8 to 10 egg whites; or 12 to 14 egg yolks.
If you add eggs, milk, cream, or yogurt to soups or stews do so near the end of cooking to keep them from curdling.
Use yogurt and ricotta cheese as low-fat alternatives to sour cream and regular cottage cheese.
Steaming takes longer than boiling but it is a healthier way to cook.
Keep casseroles in a low-temperature oven. Don't turn the oven off; the residual heat can encourage bacteria.
Use 4 ounces for every cup of shredded or cubed cheese called for in a recipe.
Let avocados ripen outside the refrigerator. When they are still firm but have a slight give when gently squeezed they are ripe.
It's best not to refreeze foods that have been frozen already and thawed, as this increases the risk of contamination by harmful bacteria.
To freeze a frosted cake, put it in the freezer without any wrapping. Once it has frozen, wrap it and replace. This keeps the frosting from sticking to the wrapping.
Cooking time in a microwave oven is directly related to the amount of food in the oven. The more food cooking at one time, the longer it takes because the microwaves have to be shared.
Store fruit pies at room temperature for up to one day. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Don't buy frozen foods covered with frost; they have probably been defrosted and refrozen.
Allow fruits, especially grapes, plum, and pears, to ripen at room temperature before refrigerating to inprove the flavor.
When you defrost your freezer, wipe the sides with glycerin (available at drug stores). The ice will come off easier next time you defrost.
To julienne food cut it into slices about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Stack the slices, then cut lengthwise again to make thin, matchlike sticks.
Marinating is easy if you use a plastic bag. The meat stays in the marinade and it's easy to rearrange and turn. Just throw away the bag when done for an easy clean up.
When boiling, a mixture should have bubbles rising constantly to the top and breaking on the surface. When simmering, a mixture should have smaller bubbles forming more slowly and collapsing below the surface.
Use water to measure the volume of casserole dishes. Fill a casserole with a measured amount of water to determine its size.
Use two flatware knives or a pastry blender to cut in shortening, butter, margarine, or lard into dry ingredients. The recipe will state how small the particles should be in the end.
To poach food, place them in seasoned liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer so small bubbles form and break below the surface of the liquid.
To saute food, heat a small amount of fat in a skillet until a drop of water sizzles in it. Add food and cook over medium-high heat, turning part way through, until cooked.
If your coffee tastes bitter, put two or three cardamom pods into the pot while it is brewing.
To moisten a cake that is slightly dry, pierce it all over and slowly pour fruit juice or brandy into it.
Keep a bunch of fresh herbs in the refrigerator so you can snip some for garnishing dishes.
Test loaves of bread by tapping the top of them with your finger. A hollow sound means the loaf is perfectly baked.
If you use 100% corn oil margarine in your cookies, keep in mind that your dough will be softer than doughs made with regular margarine or butter.
Get a head start on main-dish salads by storing cans of fruits, vegetables, and meats in your refrigerator. That way they're already chilled when you're ready to use them.
Cut 10 to 15 minutes of meal preparation by buying chicken breast halves that are already boned and skinned. For recipes that call for bite-size chicken pieces, save even more time by buying precut boneless, skinless chicken pieces.
Croutons, pastry cutouts, yogurt, or sour cream liven up any soup. Use crumbled bacon in vegetable soups.
Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the thickest portion of the meat. The thermometer should not touch any fat or bone or the bottom of the pan.
Before frying onions, pour boiling water over them then pat dry; they fry faster this way.
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