What is your favorite cooking or kitchen tip?

Question

Want to share?

Mine are: If you over-salt soup or stew, put a whole, raw, peeled potato in while the soup or stew simmers. It will absorb some of the salt.

And, If you want to get candle wax out of a decorative glass container, put it in the freezer for an hour or two. The wax will slide right out.

I have tried these, and they really work.

What are your favorites?

Answer 1

If you start a fire in your kitchen and you don't have a fire estinguisher on hand, throw baking soda on it and you can put out any kitchen fire - seriously.

Answer 2

1.To keep your brown sugar from turning hard after opening put it in a Ziploc container then add a piece of slice bread then seal it tightly and put it in a airtight canister, the bread will absorb the moisture and keep the sugar from turning hard. Change the bread every week.
2.To prevent those nasty black bugs from appearing in your flour, after purchasing the flour put it in your freezer for a couple or hours overnight is best. This will kill the eggs in the flour and prevent it from hatching.
3.When you bring your produce home wash them immediately, it will save you time when your ready to use it.
4.To save time in the morning when everybody is in a rush, prep everything at night, get the coffee maker ready so that all you have to do is turn it on, crack the eggs and put it Ina plastic container(don't add any seasonings) make the pancake batter so that you just have fluff and pour in the pan.
5. To prevent your candle from sticking to the holder, spray some oil in the holder and it will easily come off.
6. To make you tub/shower cleaning easier, Spray the tub and stall with your cleaner then let it sit for a few minutes or leave it all day and when you come back turn your shower on and put it in the hottest setting and let the shower run for about 5 minutes and all the scum will easily come off.
7. When you get a burn put toothpaste and leave it there for awhile I read that somewhere on the net along time ago and it works for me.

Answer 3

Using a stick of uncooked spaghetti is good for checking to see if your cake is done when you don't have a toothpick.

Freezing cakes makes them much easier to frost for little ones to help with without losong the top layer of the cake.

Adding a splash of 7-Up to slightly scorched veggies and meats you were pan frying will take out the burnt taste.

Salting cucumbers and letting them release their moisture , then draining will keep your salad longer.

Cutting off the very end and making slices down the shaft on green onion bulbs and soaking them in water in the fridge will make them bloom into flowers

Baking Soda applied in a paste on a bee sting will help.

Vinegar poured over a sunburn will help remove the heat from the burn..

I found this site with great tips as well..

http://www.penandfork.com/past_tips.htm

Answer 4

To prevent soggy sandwiches, slice your tomato ahead of time & sprinkle salt over the slices. It draws out most of the water.

Answer 5

clean as you go along and if you have some one to wash up as you put out dinner then there is no washing up afterwards
if you put too much chilli powder in your curry add some natural yoghurt it will cool it down
if you eat a curry that is too spicy drink milk to take away the burning sensation

Answer 6

General Cooking Tips
Prepare what you need before you start. It’s how the pros do it and it simplifies the process when you are scrambling to put it all together.
When using a broiler to cook steaks, pre-heat oven until it's really hot. This will sear the outside of the meat and keep the juices in. And don’t use a fork to turn the steaks, use thongs or a spatula to prevent juices from leaking out.
Buy yourself a potato ricer for mashed potatoes. It a great gadget to have in your kitchen, it looks like a giant garlic press, costs about six bucks, but there’s nothing better for smooth airy mashed potatoes.
A folding steamer platform that sits in almost any pot works great for your steamed veggies. Important, be careful not to overcook the broccoli, you want it to be crisp but tender.
Invest in a salad spinner. They’re inexpensive and work great. There’s nothing more unappealing than soggy lettuce. And speaking of lettuce, you may have grown up on iceberg, but try some red or green leaf lettuce for a little diversity.
Never cook with any wine you wouldn't drink!
You can substitute 1 tbl. of fresh rosemary leaves with 1 tsp. of dried, but fresh is better.
Try using a spray olive oil to coat your roasting pan.
Any brine-cured black olives can be substituted for Kalmata and remember to tell your guests there are pits so they don't break a tooth.
To roast garlic, sprinkle the bulb with a little olive oil and white wine, salt and pepper, wrap it in tin foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for approximately one hour.
Try using a hand blender to puree the soup....it's easier than transferring to food processor.
Mushrooms should be wiped off with a damp cloth and not washed under the faucet since they are like sponges and will absorb the water.
Make sure your roasting pan is the correct size and is placed on the middle rack.
When roasting, save the pan juices for your gravy.
Leeks are full of hard to get at sand and dirt, chop them first, then give them a bath in cold water and drain in a colander.
Try using carrots instead of sugar to sweeten your sauces.
Cracked pepper corns: I opt for putting the peppercorns in a zip lock bag and cracking them on my cutting board with a hammer. Noisy, but it worked. Otherwise, set your pepper mill to course grain instead.
When buying cabbage, look for heads that appear heavier than their size with crisp leaves.

Grilling:
Be sure your grill is hot enough before starting.
Grill meat and veggies about 4 inches from heat source and chicken about 6-8 inches away.
To add more flavor, try adding pre soaked chunks of natural hardwoods like Hickory.
Make sure grill is clean before cooking.
To prevent sticking, brush or spray a light coating of oil on grid.
If your grill has a top, close it to allow smoke to add it's flavor.
To keep poultry from drying out, grill with bone in and baste continuously.
Poultry dark meat takes longer than white meat so start it sooner.
Sear chicken on the skin side first.

Baking Potatoes:
Use a potato with a high starch content ...it makes for a puffier baked potato. Good starchy potatoes are: russet and Idaho.
Look for potatoes that have a smooth skin and no sprouts. Stay away from those with wrinkly skin or soft spots.
Store your potatoes in a cool dark spot away from your onions.
And don't store them for months on end. A couple of weeks is what you should plan for.

Answer 7

i think that the best tip would be...

if you get a burn dont put cold water on it just don't because warm water then slowly let it get cooler.. just do it it wont be as drastic.

thats the best tip i have because ive gotten tons of burns and they are horrible so wear your oven mitts

Answer 8

Mine is to be prepared ,read the recipe if you are using one and try to take the time you need. After that it's all detail.

Answer 9

well, i don't have a page of them. i like "you must season everything" and " if i had a dollar for every time my friend ate chicken, i'd be a millionaire". yeah, those are mine made up. and seriously, she cooks at least 2 chickens a week