Cooking Hints & Tips Archive 16
Cooking Tip: Chopping garlic should be a quick process to ensure that it doesn't oxidize and take on bitter flavors.
Cooking Tip: Before cooking or adding to a recipe, brush off dirt from mushroom with a new 1-inch paint brush. No need to use water and mushroom consistency will not break down.
Cooking Tip: When cooking your baked potato in your microwave oven, if you put it in a brown bag, it will come out very moist instead of dry.
Cooking Tip: Use a potato masher to crumble ground beef and sausage links for recipes. You can do this as it is cooking. It makes this task quick, easy and evenly crumble.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for herbs that do not dissolve; for example bay leaves and garlic cloves, place them into a metal tea ball. Hook the chain over side of pot. This makes it easier to remove seasonings during or after cooking. After using, empty and then swish the tea ball in warm, soapy water to clean.
Cooking Tip: Store shelled walnuts in the refrigerator on the upper shelf for up to a year or in the freezer for up to two years.
Cooking Tip: Toast nuts on a cookie sheet in a preheated 375F degree oven to a light golden color, about 6 to 8 minutes. To ensure all pieces are toasted, do not pack them too tightly on the sheet. For hazelnuts, cool slightly, then place in a towel and rub vigorously. The skins will remain on the towel.
Cooking Tip: To speed up the process of soaking dried beans , place washed beans in a large covered bowl with water (they will absorb lots) and microwave until it comes to a full boil. Let sit in the micro for about 1 hour and you have pre-soaked beans; then cook as desired.
Cooking Tip: When flouring a cake pan, take into consideration the flavor of the cake. If you plan to serve the cake dusted with powdered sugar, a white ring on the side of a chocolate cake takes away from the appeal. For light cakes, use white flour to flour your pans. When making a dark cake, use powdered cocoa. The cocoa works in the same manner as the flour with regard to release and it doesn't leave a white ring around the edge or on top of the cake.
Cooking Tip: Use unflavored dental floss to slice evenly and cleanly through a cake or torte. Simply stretch a length of the floss taut and press down through the cake.
Cooking Tip: To reduce the tears when peeling or slicing onions, chill them first.
Cooking Tip: Freeze leftover coffee and tea in ice cube trays. Use cubes to cool down complimentary iced beverages without diluting them.
Cooking Tip: Cheese melts and blends better if you shred it or cut it into small pieces.
Cooking Tip: When cooking beans, any additional ingredients, such as acidic substances, such as lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, ketchup or wine, should be added at the end of the cooking time, since acid makes the beans firm.
Cooking Tip: Put garlic cloves in the microwave on high for 15 seconds and the skins will slide right off.
Cooking Tip: On a cold day butter may be too hard to spread easily. Invert a heated bowl or pan over the butter dish for a few minutes. This will soften the butter but not melt it.
Cooking Tip: If your stew or gravy is too salty, cut pieces of raw potato and add to the mix. Remove after a few minutes. The potato will absorb the salt.
Cooking Tip: When popping corn, you'll get better results if you store the corn in the freezer beforehand.
Cooking Tip: To keep marshmallows from burning dip them in water before holding them over the flame.
Cooking Tip: Cover the ice in a picnic cooler with foil to help it last longer. Keep the water in your canteen cooler by wrapping the canteen in foil.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 cup honey, you may substitute 1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid for it with very little effect upon the food.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 cup corn syrup, you may substitute 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water for it with very little effect upon the food.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 cup cake flour, you may substitute 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons for it with very little effect upon the food.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking powder, you may substitute 1/2 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for it with very little effect upon the food.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, you may substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon shortening, butter, or margarine for it with very little effect upon the food.
Cooking Tip: Quick breads usually taste and slice better the day after baking. Cool; then wrap and store in a cool place.
Cooking Tip: Here's a quick and easy way to clean the grill when barbecuing. While the fire is still going, place a sheet of aluminum foil, shiny side down, on the grate. Leave it on for 5 minutes, then remove the foil. The remaining food particles will brush right off!
Cooking Tip: Your fresh tomatoes will last longer if you store them in a warm, dry place with their stems pointing downward.
Cooking Tip: A good way to keep your potatoes from sprouting as quickly is to place a whole apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Cooking Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon arrowroot and you do not have any, an emergency substitution is 2 1/4 teaspoons of cornstarch or 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
Cooking Tip: Before frying onions, pour boiling water over them then pat dry; they fry faster this way.
Cooking Tip: Rubbing shortening or oil around the top of a pot before cooking in it will help prevent things from boiling over.
Cooking Tip: A new, clean 1-inch paint brush makes a gentle tool for brushing dough with an egg wash or butter before baking. Wash with soap and water after using.
Cooking Tip: Store highly perishable foods, such as milk, in the main part of the refrigerator. The door does not stay as cold as the rest of the refrigerator. Use the door for condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, which are more stable.
Cooking Tip: When a recipe doesn't specify type but calls for sugar, use the white granulated kind. Measure it by spooning it into a cup and leveling it off.
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: To measure soft bread crumbs, pile them lightly into a cup. Do not pack them down unless the recipe calls for soaking them in water, milk, or stock.
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: To measure flour, stir it in the bag or canister to lighten it. Gently spoon flour into a dry measuring cup or measuring spoon. Level it off with the straight side of a knife.
Cooking Tip: Storing cheese in a tightly covered container with a few sugar cubes will keep it from molding as quickly.
Cooking Tip: To ensure whipped cream stays whipped and fluffy longer, dissolve 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup hot milk and beat it into a cup of already whipped cream.
Cooking Tip: To easily peel an avocados, insert a knife into the tip end of a whole avocado until the knife reaches the pit. Rotate the knife around the pit until avocado is cut in half. Gently pull apart by twisting the two halves. Score avocado skin in thirds, cutting just to, but not into, the flesh of the avocado. Using a paring knife, pull back the center strip of the avocado peel, then pull back the two side strips of peel.
Cooking Tip: To grate lemon peel, move a whole lemon up and down on a grater side with small holes to remove ONLY the yellow part of skin, as the white part is bitter. Rotate and grate lemon until you have enough grated peel specified in recipe. You may also use this technique for grating oranges and limes.
Cooking Tip: To make green onion brushes, remove roots and trim green tops from green onions. With sharp knife cut white bulb ends and green tops lengthwise into thin slices, keeping center portions intact. Drop sliced green onions into ice water. Let stand until ends curl.
Cooking Tip: To peel and section oranges, slice the end section off the orange. Peel away orange skin. Cut down against either side of membranes with paring knife and lift out orange section. Do this over a bowl to catch the juice. Use this method for sectioning other citrus fruits such as grapefruit.
Cooking Tip: To peel garlic, lay the clove on its side, use the flat side of a knife to press firmly on the clove and crush it, which will loosen the skin for easy removal.
Cooking Tip: You can crisp soggy cereal and crackers by placing them onto a cookie sheet and heating them for a few minutes on low in the oven.
Cooking Tip: If your vegetables are looking soggy, sprinkle them with cool water, wrap in a towel, and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Cooking Tip: To extend the life of a cucumber once it has been cut, wrap it in a paper towel and keep it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.
Cooking Tip: If you don't have a rolling pin, fill a jar with cold water and use it to roll your dough.
Cooking Tip: Use a tablespoon to remove the skin from fresh ginger. Scrape the spoon down the length of the ginger and the skin will come off easily.
Cooking Tip: To score food for cooking, cut its surface about 1/4" deep to facilitate cooking, flavoring, or appearance.
Cooking Tip: If you wrap aluminum foil around fresh celery before you put it into the refrigerator it will stay crisp and fresh longer.
Cooking Tip: To measure brown sugar, firmly pack it into the measuring cup and level it with a straight edge. It should hold its shape when emptied from the cup.
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: Ideal chocolate storage temperature is 78F degrees. If chocolate is stored at higher temperatures it will develop a grayish color that will not affect the taste.
Cooking Tip: To seed an avocado cut the avocado in half. Hit the seed with the sharp edge of a knife. Grasp the fruit, then twist the knife to loosen and remove the seed.
Cooking Tip: Eggplant discolors quickly when cut and should be sprinkled or rubbed with lemon juice.
Cooking Tip: Over-percolating does not make coffee stronger. It makes the flavor more bitter and very harsh.
Cooking Tip: If powdered sugar is sprinkled on top of each layer of a cake before filling or frosting, this will keep the filling from soaking through the cake.
Cooking Tip: Cottage cheese will keep fresh longer if it's refrigerated upside down in its original carton.
Cooking Tip: If you accidently add too much salt to a soup or stew, add peeled raw potatoes to the pot and they will help absorb some of the salt as they cook. You can remove them before serving or just leave them as one of the ingredients.
Cooking Tip: A wire-type egg slicer will give you neat, evenly sliced mushrooms in just a matter of moments.
Cooking Tip: Soften cream cheese by removing foil wrapper and microwaving on medium (50 percent) until softened. A 3-ounce package takes about 30 to 45 seconds and an 8-ounce package takes 60 to 90 seconds.
Cooking Tip: To test the potency of baking soda, add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a pinch of baking soda. If it bubbles, the baking soda is still effective.
