Helpful Hints and Tips In Cooking

The sisterhood spend many hours in the kitchen cooking. Sometimes it is helpful to know of ideas and suggestions that help aid in cooking a dish. Through trial and error and experience we are able to create a delicious healthy meal. The sisterhood hope these tips will be helpful to you in cooking and other kitchen duties.

Tips and Hints

Put salt into the water when you boil eggs, the egg shells will come off easier.
Keep eggs at room temperature for greater volume when whipping eggs whites to make meringue.
When making decorative pie edges, use a spoon for a scalloped edge. Use a fork to make crosshatched and herringbone patterns.
Achieve professionally decorated cakes with a silky, molten look by blow-drying the frosting with a hair dryer until the frosting melts slightly.
When a recipe calls for packed brown sugar, fill the correct size measuring cup with sugar, and then use one cup size smaller to pack the brown sugar into its cup.
Never overcook foods that are to be frozen. foods will finish cooking when reheated.
Fresh lemon juice will remove onion scent from hands.
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 cutting and squeezing.
Add raw rice to the salt shaker to keep the salt free flowing.
Sea salt tends to taste saltier as you cook the food so be careful with the amount you add when you start. You may think you do not have enough in the beginning, but when it is done it may be over salted.
One pound of boneless chicken equals approximately 3 cups of cubed chicken.
Instant potatoes help to thicken soups and stews.
A leaf of lettuce dropped in a pot of soup absorbs grease from the top. Remove the lettuce and serve.
Chill the serving plates to keep the salad crisp.
When making fresh orange juice or lemonade, one lemon yields about 1/4 cup juice, and one orange yields about 1/3 cup juice.
Never boil coffee; it brings out acids and causes a bitter taste. Store ground coffee in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh.
To add flavor to tea, dissolve old-fashioned lemon drops or hard mint candies in tea. They melt quickly and keep the tea brisk.
Never soak vegetables after slicing; they will lose much of their nutritional value.
To keep hot oil from splattering, sprinkle a little salt or flour in the pan before frying.
When preparing a casserole, make an additional batch to freeze for when you're short on time. Use within 2 months.
Green pepper may change the flavor of frozen casseroles. Clove garlic, and pepper flavors get stronger when frozen, while sage onion, and salt become more mild.
To make self-rising flour, mix 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 tablespoons baking powder. Store in a tightly covered container.
One scant tablespoon of bulk yeast is equal to one packet of yeast.
Hot water kills yeast. One way to tell the correct temperature is to pour the water over your forearm. If you cannot feel hot or cold, the temperature is just right.
For successful quick breads, do not over mix the dough. Mix only until combined. An over mixed batter creates tough and rubbery muffins, biscuits, and quick breads.
The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water; if they float, do not use them.
Enhance the flavor of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans, by toasting them before using in recipes. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 300° for 5-8 minutes or until slightly browned.
Dust a bread pan or work surface with flour by filling an empty salt shaker with flour.
Over riped bananas can be frozen, and later used in a smoothie.
Boil noodles with salt in the water to enhance the flavor.
When making potatoes salad boil the potatoes with salt and garlic powder in the water to enhance the flavor in the potatoes salad.