In Our Kitchen: Kitchen Hints You May Not Know About

cooking No matter how long we've been cooking or puttering around in the kitchen, we never really know everything that goes on in the kitchen. Here are a few more hints that maybe you didn't know about or have forgotten (This isn't the whole list, I only took what I've tried and know to work or something that I would do myself):

EGGS
To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh~if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease! And hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip!

To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling!

Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish!

PRODUCE
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking~no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies).

To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing. Microwaving them for 10 seconds also works.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks!

To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 2-3 days!

Fruit Freshener - Use 2 vitamin C tablets in a big bowl of water...let them dissolve and stir...dunk any veggie or fruit and it will stay fresh for a couple of weeks and vitamin C won't hurt you either! Try it out on a potato... dunk the potato and leave it out on the sink..it won't discolor... It's the short version of "fruit fresh ".

TECHNIQUES
Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle~ perfect shaped pancakes every time!

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips!

Use a pastry blender OR potato masher to cut ground beef into small pieces after/during browning. The potato masher is also great for mixing meatloaf.

Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar~it will stay fluffy and hold it's shape better!

If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1 tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots...this helps preserve the life of your pans

To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with nonstick cooking spray. Or just slide off with your fingers and lick :)

Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan~the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!

To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher~no need to wait for it to thaw!

Spray your tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces~no more stains!

Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle~no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!

Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices.

Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs or bread pudding. For use later, store them in the freezer.

Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up OR microwave for 10 seconds. Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

If you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy!

Don't panic if your soup's too salty: Add cut raw potatoes and throw them away once they are cooked and have absorbed the salt. Your soup's saved!

Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls. These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls. They look pretty and keep your drinks or food cold longer.

Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.

Ice cream container sealed in a plastic bag will stop ice crystals from forming when it is in the freezer.

Regarding tomato paste, it seems a whole can of tomato paste is many times too much for some recipes. Suggestion: take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper -- another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste. OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when I need them.