Shenanchie's Cooking & Kitchen Tips

Cooking & Kitchen Tips

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This page contains some cooking and kitchen tips I have learned and used over the years. They really work! Some of the tips are my own, and others have been provided by readers, as well as Jenna Rose ("Household Hints"), Pamela Gross ("How to Clean Anything!"), and other print or online sources (which are noted). The tips are broken down by categories, hopefully making them easier to navigate.

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Cleaning:

Clean Hard Water Build-Up: To clean hard water build-up in appliances such as a steamer or a drip coffee pot, use vinegar and water. Run this combination through it's cycle in each appliance at least two or three times. Then run the cycle with clean water to remove any vinegar residue. The ratio of water to vinegar is about half and half, depending on how much you want to use.
Cleaning Blenders: The easiest way to clean a blender is to fill it half-way with hot water, add a few drops of detergent and blend on high for a few seconds. Rinse and dry.
Cleaning Can Openers: Force a folded sheet of paper towel through the can opener and twist the handle as if opening a can. The towel will clean both the blade and the gear; remove towel after finished.
Cleaning Mushrooms: To clean mushrooms, wipe them with a damp cloth rather than washing them under running water; they are like sponges and will absorb the water. Tip from Virago.
Cleaning Porcelain Sinks: Line a porcelain sink with a layer of paper towels and saturate them with household bleach. Let sit for an hour, remove the paper towels, and rinse clean.
Cleaning Stove Tops: Use white vinegar to clean stove tops for a streak-free shine. Note: The vinegar odor will disappear quickly.
Cleaning Toilets: To clean a toilet, pour a can of coca-cola into the toilet bowl. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour; then flush clean. The citric acid in the cola removes stains from vitreous China.
Cleaning Vases: To get rid of the slimy build-up at the bottom of a vase, add a few drops of automatic dishwasher detergent and fill with hot water. Soak overnight, and then rinse.
Dryer Sheet Uses: Use a dryer sheet to clean foods from a cooking pan. To do so, place a dryer sheet in the dirty pan, fill with water and let it sit overnight. The next day, sponge the pan clean. The anti-static agent weakens the bond between the food. Tip from Audrey De LaMartre.
Kitchen Cleanser: For cleaning up light spills without using expensive cleaners, make your own by combining ½ C each of ammonia and vinegar, ¼ C baking soda and one gallon of warm water. For heavier cleaning, such as grease spills, apply a paste of baking soda and bleach on the affected area and scrub with a stiff brush. Make sure the surface is sturdy enough first and won't be scratched or damaged by the chemicals. Rinse. Note: Never mix ammonia and bleach together.
Removing Baked-On Foods: Foods burnt onto glass baking dishes can be removed by spraying dish with oven cleaner and letting it soak for thirty minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.
Removing Beet Stains: To help remove beet stains, sprinkle the stained area with salt; rinse and then scrub with soap. The salt aids in lifting the beet juices away.
Restoring Shine to Aluminum: To restore the shine and color to an aluminum pan, boil apple peels in the pan for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.
Scalded Pan: To make your saucepan easier to clean when scalding milk, rinse with cold water before heating.

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Cooking & Preparation:

Cabbage Cooking Odors: To minimize odors while cooking cabbage, put half-a-lemon in the water while boiling to keep the smell from filling the kitchen. Overcooking also makes cabbage smell stronger, so try and keep the vegetable crisp.
Clear Coffee: For clear coffee, put egg shells in the brewing basket while perking.
Coffee Without the Coffee Pot: If your coffee pot ever quite working and it's not convenient to go and purchase a new one, never fear. You can still make coffee the old fashioned way - or what my Father refers to as "Sheepherder's Coffee." Simply place a cracked egg shell in a large cooking pot with about one gallon of water. Spoon in the amount of coffee to your taste. Boil and brew your coffee this way, and the grounds will sink to the bottom. The brew might be a bit stout, but it will do nicely in an emergency. You'll also learn how to adjust the amounts of ground coffee into the water to suit your taste eventually.
Cooking Beets: If beets lose their color when boiled, add a little lemon juice to the water.
Cooking Burgers Fast: To cook hamburgers quickly, poke a hole in the middle of the burger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and evenly, and the holes disappear when the meat cooks.
Cooking Cauliflower: To keep cauliflower white while cooking, add a little milk to the water.
Cooking Ground Beef Small: When cooking ground beef, use a hand-held potato masher while simmering the meat. This will break up the large pieces and create "smooth" hamburger.
Cooking Pasta: To keep the pasta water from boiling over, spray the inside edge of the cooking pot with a bit of nonstick cooking spray. Tip from Mr. Food.
Cooking Pasta #2: Cover the pot of water in order for it to reach the boiling point quickly. Tip from Mr. Food.
Cooking Pasta #3: Add salt to the cooking water just before adding pasta; it will enhance its flavor and enable it to absorb sauce. Tip from Mr. Food.
Cooking Pasta #4: Only rinse cooked pasta if it's not being sauced and served immediately. Rinsing it washes away its natural taste and texture. Tip from Mr. Food.
Cooking Vegetables Fast: Onions, broccoli and Brussels Sprouts will cook faster if you carve an "X" shape in the base of the vegetable.
Creamier Mashed Potatoes: When making homemade mashed potatoes, substitute the milk with liquid Coffee Mate. You'll notice a big difference in the taste. It's much creamier. Lactose-intolerant people can enjoy it as well, as Coffee Mate is lactose-free.
Fluffier Rice: For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per one quart of water during the cooking process.
Iced Tea Tip: Add a bit of hot water to instant tea before adding the cold water. This will dissolve the crystals completely.
Keep Bacon From Curling: To keep bacon from curling while frying, snip the middle section of each raw bacon slice with a knife or scissors before adding to the frying pan to cook.
Keep Onions Fresh: After an onion has been cut in half, rub the cut side with butter or margarine to keep it fresher longer.
Keep Sausage From Breaking: To prevent sausage from breaking up while frying, boil the meat in water first (for about 10 minutes). The sausage will shrink less and not break-up. Also try rolling the sausage in flour before cooking to prevent breakage.
Keep Strawberries Fresh: Strawberries will stay fresher longer when kept in a colander in the refrigerator. Don't wash until just before using.
Make Your Own Celery Flakes: Cut and wash leaves from the celery stalks; place them in the oven on low heat or in the hot sun until thoroughly dry. Crumble and store in an air-tight container.
Moist Baking: To make baked food more moist, place a separate pan on a lower rack underneath the item being baked. Fill the pan half-way with water just before closing the oven door. For longer baking times, re-fill the pan with boiling water as needed. This method works very well when baking roasts. Use extreme caution when pouring boiling water into a hot oven. From "The Joy of Cooking, 90's Edition" via Gene Ha.
Moist Ham: To bake a moist ham, empty a can of coca-cola into the baking pan and wrap the ham in aluminum foil. Bake for about thirty minutes, and before the ham is finished remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for a wonderful brown gravy.
More Lemon Juice: To get more juice out of a fresh lemon, submerge the lemon in hot water for about 15 minutes before squeezing, or warm the lemons in an oven for a few minutes.
Non-Greasy Gravy: To eliminate most of the grease from gravy, add a bit of baking soda.
Non-Stick Meat Loaf: Meat loaf will not stick if you place a slice of bacon on the bottom of the pan before baking.
Onions & Weeping: To avoid "weepy onion eyes," try peeling the onions under cold water, or freeze them slightly before chopping.
Oven Hint: Never line the oven with aluminum foil. If you do, the heat will not circulate.
Peeling Garlic: Microwave garlic cloves for fifteen seconds and the skins should pull off easily.
Peeling Garlic II: Tap the outside of a garlic clove with the handle of a knife (preferably one with a heavy handle). The skins should peel off easier. Tapping the clove on a countertop also has the same effect.
Perfect Noodles: For perfect noodles, add the uncooked pasta to boiling water, then turn off the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes. Noodles won't stick to the pan, they won't overcook, and you won't have to stir the noodles in the pot.
Perk-Up Soggy Lettuce: To perk-up soggy lettuce, add lemon juice to a bowl of cold water. Soak the lettuce in the water for an hour in the refrigerator.
Prevent Clogged Salt Shaker: To prevent a clogged salt shaker, place a few grains of raw white rice in the shaker with the salt.
Prevent Spattering While Frying: Sprinkle a bit of salt into the frying pan to prevent spattering while cooking.
Preventing Boilovers: To prevent boilover's, add a lump of butter, or a few teaspoons of cooking oil to the water. Rice or pasta will not boil over, or stick together.
Reheating Squash: When re-heating squash, add some maple syrup before warming to improve the taste.
Remove Excess Fat: Refrigerate excess fat in a large container, and then after it hardens, skim the fat off from the top and discard.
Remove Excess Fat #2: Remove fat from soups and stews by dropping ice cubes into the pot. As you stir, the fat will cling to the cubes.
Remove Rind From Ham: To remove the rind on a ham, slit the rind lengthwise on the underside before placing the ham in a roasting pan. As the ham cooks, the rind will pull away for easy removal without having to lift the ham.
Restoring Overcooked Potatoes: If you add too much milk to mashed potatoes, they can become soggy and have a consistency akin to soup. To restore your spuds, sprinkle on some dried powdered milk, or instant potato flakes, and mix well. They will become fluffier, and not as runny.
Ripen Avocados: To ripen avocados, bury them in a large bowl of flour.
Salty Stew: If your stew seems too salty, add raw-cut potatoes to the mix. Discard the potatoes after they have cooked and absorbed the salt.
Scalded Milk: Add a bit of sugar (without stirring) to milk in a pan to prevent it from scorching.
Soften Butter Quickly: To soften butter quickly, try grating it first.
Softening Brown Sugar: To soften up brown sugar, add a slice of bread to the package and re-seal it tightly. In about two hours, the brown sugar will be soft again.
Softening Brown Sugar #2: To soften brown sugar quickly, microwave more than you need for about ten or 20 seconds. Repeat if necessary. Tip from Gene Ha.
Soggy Chips: Heat soggy chips under a broiler for a few minutes and they will crisp back up.
Smooth Potato Salad: When making potato salad, instead of cubing the cooked potato, use a potato masher instead. If you run the masher through the cooked potato a few times, this will break up the big pieces and leave a creamier texture. This method will also allow any spices you add to absorb into the potatoes quicker, bringing out their flavors. Tip from Claudene Stahle, Bountiful, Utah.
Stop Food From Sticking to Pan: Boil vinegar in a brand-new frying pan to prevent food from sticking during cooking.
Tastier Fried Chicken: For a better-tasting fried chicken that turns a golden brown, roll the raw chicken pieces in powdered milk instead of flour before frying.
Tenderizing Cube Steak: To tenderize cube steak, place the meat between wax paper or plastic wrap, and pound out with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin. Brown the meat until it is very dark but not burnt. Then add a can of either mushroom soup, beefy mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup to the pan to make a gravy. Cook very slowly on simmer. When the meat is done, it should be very tender and tasty to boot. Tip from Claudene Stahle, Bountiful, Utah.
Yellow Corn: To keep corn-on-the-cob yellow, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the cooking water about one minute before taking it off the stove.

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Eggs:

Beating Egg Whites: An egg white is easiest to beat at room temperature. Take the egg out of the refrigerator about thirty minutes before using.
Egg Wash: Egg wash can be used in a variety of different dishes such as on scones, the tops of meat pies, etc. To make the wash, combine one egg and one tablespoon of water in a small bowl and lightly beat together. Brush onto pertinent foods before baking.
Determining Mystery Eggs: To determine if an egg is hard-boiled, spin it. If it spins, it's hard-boiled, If it wobbles, it's still raw.
Fluffier Omelet's: For fluffier omelet's, add a pinch of cornstarch before beating the eggs.
Freezing Egg Whites: Frozen egg whites will keep for up to one year. Put several egg whites into a plastic container or a large freezer bag, and place in your freezer. The egg whites can be used as needed for angel food cakes and meringues. One cup typically equals 7 or 8 egg whites. Defrosted egg whites can also be re-frozen.
Fresh Eggs: Fresh egg shells are rough and chalky; old egg shells are smooth and shiny. Another way to tell if an egg is fresh is to place it in a sink or pan full of water - if it sinks, it's fresh. Stale eggs will float.
Peeling Hard-Boiled Eggs: To easily peel hard-boiled eggs, let them sit in the pan with the lid on after boiling them for about five minutes. The steam will build up under the shells, and they will come off easier during peeling.
Piercing Eggs: Pierce the end of an egg with a pin and it won't break when placed in boiling water.
Quick-Diced Eggs: For quick-diced eggs, use your potato masher on a hard-boiled egg.
Slicing Hard-Boiled Eggs: When slicing a hard boiled egg, wet the knife just before cutting. If this doesn't work, try applying a shot of cooking spray to the knife-edge.
Slicing Deviled Eggs: If you want to slice deviled eggs in perfect formation, dip the knife in water first. The slice will be smooth and no yolk will stick to the blade.
Stop Boiled Eggs From Cracking: When boiling eggs, wrap each egg individually in aluminum foil before putting into the water. The shells will not crack.

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Food Storage:

Keep Garlic Butter: I always have a tub of garlic butter on hand. To do this, slightly let a cube of butter in a pan or microwave-safe dish. Finely mince fresh garlic cloves (about seven cloves per cube of butter), or use a garlic press. Mix the minced garlic in with the softened butter. Keep the container in the fridge, and add to it as needed. It spreads very well on bread for broiling, and if you love garlic, the more the better.
Keep Lettuce Fresh: To keep lettuce fresh for a long time, promptly clean, drain dry and chop your lettuce right after you buy it. Dispose of the parts you don't need (the core and curled leaves). Use an old plastic container to store the chopped lettuce. My choice is the large tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter after it's been used up and cleaned. It will keep for up to four weeks, and stay fresh and crispy. The first time I did this, the lettuce remained fresh from Memorial Day straight through the end of June.
Keeping Lettuce Fresh II: Lettuce will also keep better if stored in the refrigerator without washing first so that the leaves remain dry; wash the lettuce the day you are going to use it.
Keeping Bean Sprouts Fresh: Place the sprouts in a Tupperware container of cold water, and then refrigerate covered. The sprouts will remain crisp for up to five days.
Plastic Wrap in the Fridge: Keep your unused plastic wrap in the fridge - this will prevent the infernal sticking when you go to use it the next time.
Storing Celery: To store celery so that it will keep for weeks, wrap fresh stalk bundles in aluminum foil and put in the refrigerator.
Storing Cottage Cheese: After buying cottage cheese, store the container upside down in the refrigerator. The cottage cheese will stay fresh longer.
Storing Onions & Potatoes Together: Never store onions and potatoes together; each has different storage needs. Potatoes keep best in a relatively moist environment (90% to 95% humidity), with a temperature range of 41 to 48 degrees F. Onions prefer somewhat drier conditions (50% to 70% humidity) and cooler temperatures (30 to 40 degrees F). Additionally, stored in close quarters potatoes will acquire an unpleasant onion odor. Keep onions and potatoes separated and cool, and they should keep well for weeks. Tip from the Food Network.
Storing Tomatoes: To keep tomatoes fresher longer, store them with the stems pointing down.

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Freezing:

Foods That Do Not Freeze Well: Cake icings made with egg whites can become foamy; pies made with custard or cream can become watery or lumpy; cooked egg whites can become tough and rubbery; fried foods may lose their crispness and become soggy; fruit jelly in sandwiches can soak into the bread; soft cheese (such as cream cheese) can become watery with an unappetizing texture; mayonnaise can separate during freezing; sour cream can become thin and watery; cooked potatoes will become mushy and may darken.
Freezing Fish: Double wrap fish before freezing to avoid freezer burn and the formation of ice crystals.
Freezing Leftovers: Cool foods to room temperature before freezing. Cooled food freezes faster.
Freezing Meat: In order to freeze meat, and then un-thaw it without having it stick together, freeze pieces or portions of meat on a cookie sheet first. For example, if you want to freeze hamburger patties, place the patties on a cookie sheet or a pie plate so that the meat is not touching, and freeze them as they are. When they are completely frozen, take them off the cookie sheet and place as many as you might use into a re-sealable freezer bag or container. Return the meat to your freezer until you are ready to use it. Tip from Claudene Stahle, Bountiful, Utah.
Freezing Salsa: Salsa does not have a long refrigerator life unlike ketchup and mustard; freeze any unused portions a few days after opening.
Thawing Food: The ideal way to thaw foods is overnight in the refrigerator. However, another method is to place frozen items in a waterproof plastic bag; them immerse the bag in a bowl of water.
Thawing Frozen Bread: Put frozen bread loaves in a brown paper bag, and warm in the oven at 325 degrees for about five minutes. The bread will thaw completely.

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Fruits & Nuts:

Juice From Citrus Fruits: To get more juice form citrus fruits, roll and knead them once before slicing them open. Tip from the "Splendid Table" via Gene Ha.
More Juice from Lemons: Microwave lemons for fifteen seconds and double the juice yield when squeezing.
Opening A Coconut: To open a coconut, puncture the eye with an ice pick and drain out the milk. Place the coconut in a shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until the shell begins to crack. Let cool, then tap with a hammer and the shell will open easily.
Peeling Fruit: Put thin-skinned fruits in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand for about one minute, and then peel easily with a paring knife.
Section a Grapefruit: Use a small, sharp knife to cut the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, cut between the membranes to release segments and juice into the bowl. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer the segments; save the juice for breakfast or use it in place of lemon juice in vinaigrettes. Tip from Bon Appetit Magazine.
Shelling Nuts: To crack open a lot of nuts, put them in a paper bag and gently hammer until all of the nuts are open. Remove the nut meats with a pick.
Shelling Walnuts: To shell walnuts, soak overnight in salt water before cracking gently. This will remove the nut meat intact.
Storing Nuts & Seeds: Store nuts and seeds in the freezer; they will keep longer.

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Grilling Tips:

Basting: Brush sugary sauces on food near the end of cooking time to prevent burning.
Caramelizing: The high heat of the grill caramelizes the natural sugars in fruits, concentrating their flavors. Grilled fruits can be delicious additions to summer desserts, like pound cake or ice cream. Tip from Bon Appetit Magazine.
Caramelizing #2: Caramelizing can also be used with meats, with tasty results. Coat your meat with a bit of sugar (honey, sprinkled table sugar) just before cooking is complete. Turn up the oven temperature to sear the surface of the meat; this will result in a crunchy and sweet exterior. Tip from Gene Ha.
Crunchy Grilling: A generous sprinkling of kosher or coarse sea salt draws water-soluble proteins to the surface of meats to help form a crunchy, grilled crust. For maximum flavor, bring meats to room temperature for grilling. Tip from Bon Appetit Magazine.
Flame Control: Control fire flare-up's by moving food away from the flames on a grill. Close the grill cover to help cut off the oxygen supply.
Get A Gas Grill: Using a gas grill is as easy as using your stove – simply turn it on and it heats up in about fifteen minutes.
Greasing the Grill: Coat the grill rack with non-stick cooking spray before turning on the grill. This will eliminate a lengthy clean-up later.
Heating Grill: Gas Grill (pre-heat the gas grill for about ten minutes); or fire-up a large measure of charcoal and allow 20 to 30 minutes for the coals to turn a light gray ash.
Marinate: Whichever spices and liquids you choose, ten minutes of marinating is enough time to infuse food with plenty of flavor.
Pre-Heating the Grill: Always pre-heat the grill and never add cold charcoal to the fire. Use a chimney starter to get the coals burning. Tip from Bon Appetit Magazine.
Seasoning: Massage the meat, poultry or fish with a dry rub before cooking. No piercing.
Seasoning II: Season the hot grill with a rolled-and-tied oiled rag – it cleans the grate and prevents food from sticking. Tip from Bon Appetit Magazine.
Self-Cleaning: After cooking, close the lid to the grill and leave the heat on for a few minutes to burn off any foods sticking to the racks. It is also a good idea to scrub the grill grates with a wire brush or spatula before and after cooking.
Speed Up Grilling Time: Partially pre-cook slow-cooking foods like chicken in the oven or microwave.
Thin Cuts: Thinner cuts of meat, poultry or vegetables always take less time to cook.
Turning Food: For impressive grill marks, turn food only once. Also, use long-handled tongs or a spatula to turn the food. Piercing with a fork will let all of the precious juices out.
Using Skewers: Cut food into chunks that re too large to fall through the grate. Or, grill foods whole then cut them before serving.
Using Skewers #2: To make meat juicier, soak skewers before roasting shish kabobs. Tip from Gene Ha.

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General Tips:

Improve Cheap Tomato Juice: To improve the taste of inexpensive tomato juice, pour the can into a pitcher and add one chopped green onion, and a cut-up stalk of celery.
Leak-Proof Ice Cream Cones: Before scooping ice cream into a cone, try placing a mini-marshmallow or upside down Hershey’s kiss in the bottom to prevent leaking when ice cream starts to melt.
Prolonging Spatula Use: To rejuvenate your old spatula, trim off the tattered rubber edges. This should be good for a few more rounds in the frying pan.
Removing Silk from Corn Cobs: A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove strands of corn silk.
Sharpen Garbage Disposal Blades: To sharpen the blades of a garbage disposal, simply run the disposal with a few ice cubes thrown in.
Silky Cake Frosting: To give the frosting on cake a silken look, spread the frosting as you normally would and then use a hair dryer to blow dry the frosted surface of the cake. The slight melt of the frosting gives a smooth, lustrous appearance.
Using a Melon Baller: You obviously use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh from melons, but you can also use it to make cookies or shape meat balls. When making cookies, use the melon baller to form your cookie dough instead of using a cookie cutter, and drop the dough from the melon baller onto your cookie sheet. The melon baller also shapes cute mini-meatballs.
Using a Melon Baller #2: A melon baller can also be used when coring and slicing apples; use the baller to scoop out the seeds. Tip from Gene Ha.
Uses for Baking Soda: Baking soda is inexpensive, but it has a convenient array of uses. Brush your teeth with it; set an open box of baking soda in your fridge to absorb odors; use it to scrub counters, microwaves, ovens, pots and pans; wipe down your cutting board, coffee pot and tea pot; pour baking soda down drains and disposals to help with the smells.
Uses for Coffee Can Lids: If you live where it snows, you can use the plastic lid from a coffee can as a car window scraper to remove winter frost.
Uses for Leftover Wine: Don't discard leftover wine - freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

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