Cooking Hints & Tips Archive 14
Cooking Tip: To make whipped butter, beat a softened stick of butter in a food processor for several minutes until fluffy, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cooking Tip: You can usually substitute fruit juice in equal quantities in a recipe that calls for a liqueur without an appreciable change in taste.
Cooking Tip: It is a good practice to whip heavy cream over ice and water, and it is especially desirable in the warm summer months when cream can curdle so easily.
Cooking Tip: Fresh, unpeeled gingerroot, tightly wrapped, can be refrigerated for up to a week. For longer storage, peel, wrap, and freeze the gingerroot.
Cooking Tip: A meat thermometer is inserted into meat at the beginning of cooking and left in until the meat reaches the desired temperature. For a more accurate reading, insert Thermometer as near to the center of meat as possible, avoiding bone and fatty areas.
Cooking Tip: Let avocados ripen outside the refrigerator. When they are still firm but have a slight give when gently squeezed they are ripe.
Cooking Tip: Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water used to cook rice. The grains will stay white and separated.
Cooking Tip: Lentils and split peas do not need to be soaked and should never be cooked in a pressure cooker or slow cooker, as they foam up and can clog the pressure valves.
Cooking Tip: Dried herbs and spices will keep for months when they're tightly covered and stored in a cool, dry place.
Cooking Tip: To store gingerroot cut it up and place it in a small jar. Fill the jar with dry sherry or wine and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 months.
Cooking Tip: Yeast bread dough rises more rapidly at higher altitudes and can over rise easily. Allow dough to rise for a shorter time.
Cooking Tip: An easy way to form drop cookies is to drop them onto the cookie sheet and them press them with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar.
Cooking Tip: Over-percolating does not make coffee stronger. It makes the flavor more bitter and very harsh.
Cooking Tip: Once opened, cans should not be used to store food. Lead may leach from the cans into the contents, especially if the food contains acid.
Cooking Tip: Make ice cubes from brewed coffee to be used in iced coffee drinks. This keeps the melting ice from diluting the coffee drink.
Cooking Tip: To prevent marshmallows from drying out store them in the freezer as marshmallows will not dry out when frozen.
Cooking Tip: To revive day old tortillas, place tortillas on a large piece of waxed paper, fold the open edges to make a packet and microwave on high for 15-35 seconds.
Cooking Tip: 2 egg whites can be substituted for 1 whole egg in most recipes to make recipe lower in fat.
Cooking Tip: Instead of greasing or oiling pans for baking, use parchment paper. The food won't stick to the pan, and there's little mess and no unwanted fat or calories.
Cooking Tip: Use chicken stock instead of butter or milk when making mashed potatoes to reduce the fat and calories in a recipe.
Cooking Tip: When adding an egg to a hot liquid, beat the egg in a little dish first, then add just a little of the hot liquid to the egg and stir in. Then add the egg mixture into the pan.
Cooking Tip: To make clarified butter, melt butter slowly over medium heat or in a microwave oven. Skim off and discard the foam that forms. Pour the melted butter into a bowl and chill. When butter hardens, remove and discard the milky residue on the bottom.
Cooking Tip: It is best to use canola oil for frying. Canola oil has a high burning point, and does not have a strong flavor to detract from the flavor of the food you are frying.
Cooking Tip: To keep a mixing bowl from sliding around when you're whisking something in it, set it on a damp kitchen towel.
Cooking Tip: Keep a small plastic bag in your can of vegetable shortening. When it comes time to grease a pan, just slip your hand in the bag, scoop out what you need and spread it on the pan.
Cooking Tip: To make juicing a lemon easier, halve or quarter it. Heat on 100% power 20 to 30 seconds. Squeeze out juice.
Cooking Tip: To soften cream cheese in a microwave, heat 3 ounces of it in a bowl at 100%, uncovered, for 15 to 30 seconds.
Cooking Tip: To heat pancake syrup in a microwave, put 1/2 cup in a microwave-safe container and heat it at 100% power, uncovered, for 20 to 30 seconds.
Cooking Tip: To soften butter in a microwave, heat 1/2 cup of it, uncovered, on 10% power for 45 seconds or till softened.
Cooking Tip: To melt chocolate in the microwave, heat 1 ounce in a bowl on 100% power, uncovered, for 1 minute.
Cooking Tip: Sweetened condensed milk is milk that has had about 50 percent of its water removed and, like evaporated milk, is sold in cans and can be stored at room temperature until opened. Because sweetened condensed milk has about 40 percent added sugar, it is not a suitable substitute for other milks.
Cooking Tip: Antipasto is an Italian word that means "before the meal." It is a selection of hors d'oeuvres such as salami, marinated mushrooms, tuna, or anchovies.
Cooking Tip: Buttermilk is lowfat or skim milk to which a bacterial culture has been added. It is low in fat, thick, and creamy with a mildly acidic taste. Sour milk, made from milk and lemon juice or vinegar, can be substituted for buttermilk.
Cooking Tip: To soften hard brown sugar, place an open bag of sugar in the microwave with a cup of water next to it. Microwave on high (100%) for 2-3 minutes, turning the bag after each minute.
Cooking Tip: White chocolate is not a true chocolate. It contains some cocoa butter but no cocoa or chocolate liquor.
Cooking Tip: Cold temperatures can destroy the flavor and texture of tomatoes. Store them at room temperature and use them within a few days.
Cooking Tip: It's best to place a cookie or baking sheet under the baking pan of a fruit dessert while in the oven. This will catch any spills and make clean up easier.
Cooking Tip: To determine the freshness of baking powder, add 1 teaspoon to 1/3 cup of hot water. If the water bubbles vigorously, the baking powder is fresh.
Cooking Tip: Light-colored sesame oil has a mild flavor that's nice for salads and sauteing. Dark sesame oil has a robust flavor and aroma and should be used for flavoring.
Cooking Tip: To peel hard-cooked eggs, crack them by tapping them gently in two or three places and place them in a pan of cold water.
Cooking Tip: The color of chicken skin does not indicate quality. Skin color ranges from yellow to white, depending on the breed of chicken and what it was fed.
Cooking Tip: Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to yeast when stirring it into water to dissolve. If it foams and bubbles in ten minutes you know the yeast is alive and active.
Cooking Tip: Never fill a pressure cooker with more food than half its capacity if the contents are mainly liquid, or two-thirds if the contents are mainly solid.
Cooking Tip: To keep rice white when cooking in hard water, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar to cooking water.
Cooking Tip: Whole spices stay fresh about 2 years while ground ones usually only last about 6 months. You should refrigerate red spices, such as paprika, to preserve their flavor and color.
Cooking Tip: A baked, unfrosted cake can be kept in the freezer up to three months wrapped in heavy-duty foil. Be sure to thaw it completely before frosting it.
Cooking Tip: If you bake in dark, nonstick baking pans you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 25F degrees to keep food from overbrowning.
Cooking Tip: White chocolate is not a true chocolate. It contains some cocoa butter but no cocoa or chocolate liquor.
Cooking Tip: When a yeast dough has been kneaded to develop elasticity, it will fight the rolling pin when you want to roll it out. Allow it to relax for 10 to 15 minutes and it will be stretchy again.
Cooking Tip: To mince fresh ginger, pound the peeled ginger with the back of a knife blade until the pulp separates, leaving the threads behind. Then mince as any vegetable.
Cooking Tip: Store potatoes in a well-ventilated, dark place that is cool and slightly humid, but not wet.
Cooking Tip: To make a baked recipe lower in fat, substitute buttermilk for sour cream. It is as tangy flavored with much less fat and calories.
Cooking Tip: Refrigerate eggs in their original carton. Don't wash them; they contain a natural film that protects against spoilage. Use fresh eggs within five weeks of purchase.
Cooking Tip: For biscuits with soft sides, place them in the baking pan with their sides barely touching.
Cooking Tip: Baking fish on a bed of celery and onions will add to the taste as well as keep the fish from sticking.
Cooking Tip: To remove corn silk from corn, dampen a paper towel or terry cloth and brush downward on the cob of corn.
Cooking Tip: To toast coconut, bake it at 375F degrees for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.
Cooking Tip: Dried fruit will chop much easier if you place it in the freezer one hour before you plan to start chopping.
Cooking Tip: 1 cup whipping cream equals 2 cups when whipped.
Cooking Tip: here are 4 tablespoons or 12 teaspoons in 1/4 cup.
Cooking Tip: To substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons.
Cooking Tip: One tablespoon of regular active dry yeast is the equivalent to one cake of yeast when used in recipes.
Cooking Tip: To accurately measure flour, spoon it lightly into a dry measuring cup and level it gently with a spatula.
Cooking Tip: Self rising flour is a mixture of 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup flour.
Cooking Tip: To tint coconut for garnish, add a few drops of liquid food coloring to coconut in a jar or plastic bag. Shake until evenly tinted.
Cooking Tip: 3 pounds of fresh pumpkin will make approximately 1 quart canned pumpkin.
Cooking Tip: It takes about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of peaches to make one canned quart of peaches.
Cooking Tip: It takes about 6 to 8 cups of cherries to make one quart of canned cherries.
Cooking Tip: It takes about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of carrots to make one canned quart of canned carrots.
Cooking Tip: 2 1/2 - 3 pounds of fresh apples will make about one quart when canned. 1 bushel will make about 16-20 quarts when canned.
Cooking Tip: When your recipe calls for 1 ounce baking chocolate you can substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon shortening or oil with no noticeable change in the taste.
Cooking Tip: When your recipe calls for 1 cup buttermilk you can substitute cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with no noticeable change in the taste.
Cooking Tip: When your recipe calls for 1 cup brown sugar you can substitute 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses with no noticeable change in the taste.
Cooking Tip: When your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking powder you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar with no noticeable change in the taste.
Cooking Tip: When your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon allspice you can use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cloves with no noticeable change in the taste.
Cooking Tip: When boiling pasta for a casserole add the frozen vegetables for the dish to the water along with the pasta, making less dishes to wash.
Cooking Tip: Never use water to put out a grease fire because it will spread the fire. Smother a grease fire with baking soda to extinguish it thoroughly.
Cooking Tip: There are 2 1/4 cups of granulated sugar per pound of sugar.
Cooking Tip: There are about 11 large marshmallows in a cup. There are about 10 mini-marshallows in 1 large marshmallow.
Cooking Tip: One medium onion chopped equals about 1/2 cup.
Cooking Tip: Before squeezing juice from a lemon, grate off the zest and put it into a freezer bag and freeze for use later when a recipe calls for it.
Cooking Tip: To freeze berries, spread them out on a cookie sheet in a single layer, making sure the individual berries are not touching, and freeze until firm. When berries are completely frozen, remove from the pan and place in freezer bags until ready to use.
Cooking Tip: Herbs and spices will keep fresh for a year if you store them in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dark place.
Cooking Tip: It is best to use canola oil for frying as it has a high burning point and does not have a strong flavor.
Cooking Tip: When preparing pasta as a main dish, plan for two to four ounces of pasta per person.
Cooking Tip: Don't put cooked meats in the same dish that held the meat\marinade when it was raw. The bacteria from raw meat can contaminate cooked food.
Cooking Tip: Store uncooked pasta in a tightly sealed package or container in a cool, dry place. Store and use non-egg pasta for up to three years and egg pasta for up to two years.
Cooking Tip: You can save ripe bananas for baking later, just mash them and freeze in the amounts needed for your recipes.
Cooking Tip: Put a teaspoon of baking soda in your container of grated cheese. Shake well before freezing and your cheese will not stick together.
Cooking Tip: To extend the life of a cucumber once it has been cut open, wrap it in a paper towel and keep it in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
Cooking Tip: To make Herbes de Provence for a recipe, mix together 4 parts thyme, 4 parts savory, 2 parts lavender and 1 part rosemary.
Cooking Tip: It is best to use canola oil for frying. Canola oil has a high burning point, and does not have a strong flavor to detract from the flavor of the food you are frying.
Cooking Tip: When substituting honey for sugar, you should add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey used, use slightly less honey than you would sugar, and bake at a temperature of 25 degrees lower than that for which The recipe calls.
Cooking Tip: When adding eggs to a hot liquid, temper the eggs by beating them first, then add just a little of the hot liquid to the egg, stirring constantly. Keep adding hot liquid until the eggs have been warmed, then add the egg mixture into the pan.
Cooking Tip: To cool a loaf of yeast bread, remove from pan immediately and place on a wire rack. To have a softer crust, brush the loaf with butter and cover with a cloth for a few minutes.
Cooking Tip: To determine how long to cook fish, measure it at the thickest point and allow 10 minutes per inch. This works for all methods of cooking, including broiling, frying, grilling, poaching, and steaming.
Cooking Tip: Always chill pastry dough before rolling and cutting, and always chill it again afterwards, before baking, to further relax the gluten.
Cooking Tip: Always line baking pans with parchment paper, and grease or not as called for in the recipe, to prevent sticking and simplify clean-up.
Cooking Tip: When making biscuits or pastry, to test whether you've cut the butter into the flour completely shake the bowl. If clumps larger than pea-sized remain, continue to cut a little longer.
Cooking Tip: Spray nonstick cooking spray inside of a bowl to be used for raising yeast dough, then spray the top of the dough itself instead of using oil to make things neater.
