35 Useful Cooking & Household Hints
1- 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoons of dried herbs = 1 tablespoon fresh herbs.
2- Rub 1/2 lime on your hands or cutting board to remove onion, garlic or fish odors.
3- To avoid trouble with weevils, keep flour or cornmeal in a glass jar or plastic container in the refrigerator.
4- 1 tablespoon oil in water for boiling pastas (macaroni etc.) prevents it from sticking together.
5- 1 pound of coffee brews 40 cups.
6- For a tender pie crust use less water than is called for.
7- Dip knife in hot water to slice hard boiled eggs.
8- 1 cup macaroni makes 2 cups of cooked macaroni.
9- Freeze left over coffee in icecube tray. When used to chill iced coffee, the cubes will not dilute the coffee.
10- Parsley rinsed in hot water instead of cold retains more flavor.
11- Brown sugar will not become lumpy if stored in a jar with a piece of blotting paper fitted to the inside of the jar lid.
12- If food boils over in the oven, cover with salt to prevent smoking and excessive odor.
13- Add diced crisp bacon and a dash of nutmeg to cauliflower or cabbage for a gourmet touch.
14- Before baking, have ingredients at room temperature.
15- To chop sticky dried fruits, heat knife before using.
16- Parsley freezes well. Cut stems and place bunch in a plastic bag. Thaws easily.
17- Tear lettuce into pieces instead of cutting to prevent browning.
18- It is a good idea to make stock from left over bones and keep in freezer to enhance soups and sauces.
19- Sour milk can be made by adding two teaspoons of lime juice to a cup of warm milk, which will curdle.
20- As soon as vegetables are tender drain and plunge into cold water. This sets the colour. Vegetables may be stored and reheated when needed.
21- Whip cream in a large bowl set in ice. If no cream is available, place a tin of evaporated in the freezer for about one hour and then proceed to whip as for cream. To sweeten, use icing sugar, which is preferable to granulated sugar.
22- Molds should be oiled before they are filled. Custards baked in hot water should be removed and left to stand for 5 minutes to settle before unmolding. Run knife around the edge. Place a plate over the mold, invert the plate and mold and lift off.
23- To prepare nuts, first blanch. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Let soak until skin wrinkles then slip the skin off between the fingers.
24- To keep kettles clean, fill with cold water, add some ammonia and bring to a boil. Rinse well.
25- Gas ovens must be wiped clean before oven is cold. Racks and shelves must be washed with hot water and backing soda.
26- Wash pewter with hot water and soap, polish will scratch the surface.
27- Mildew stains can be removed by soaking overnight in sour milk. Dry in the sun without rinsing. Repeat process if necessary.
28- To remove scorch, spread a paste of starch and cold water over the mark. Dry in sun and brush off.
29- Wash glass windows with crumbled newspaper dipped in cold water, to which has been added a few drops of ammonia.
30- For wood worms - apply kerosene oil with a brush to the infected area daily for 10 days.
31- To stop doors creaking, rub hinges with soap.
32- Rust marks can be removed from steel by rubbing with a cut onion.
33- When washing thermo flasks, add a little vinegar to the water. It removes the musty smell. Do not cork flasks when storing.
34- To remove stains from china use a rag dipped in cold water and salt.
35- Soak tarnished silver in hot water and ammonia - 1 tablespoon ammonia to 1 quart water.
|
|
member logon
