Helpful Kitchen Tips

[Guest guest]

Helpful Kitchen Tips

 

When opening a new bottle of sauce, place a straw into

the bottle, turn

it clockwise and counter-clockwise, and then remove

the straw. After

removing the straw, the sauce should pour freely from

the bottle.

 

To keep covers from sticky ingredients, such as honey,

syrup, and

molasses, open with ease by coating the threads with

oil the first time

the bottle is opened. Apply a little vegetable oil to

a paper towel and

wipe the threads of the bottle with the oil.

 

For soft cookies that have started to dry out,

re-soften by adding a

piece of bread or a slice of apple to the container

they are stored in.

 

For crispy cookies that have started to get soggy,

make them crispy

again by placing them on a cookie sheet and heating in

the oven at 300°

for 3 or 4 minutes.

 

To keep the cut edge of a cake from drying out, place

half of an apple

at the end where the cake has been cut in the cake

pan.

 

Use a hot, wet knife to cut cakes with sticky frosting

and cheesecakes.

Dip the knife in hot water and wipe with a paper towel

after each cut.

 

Freeze a frosted cake first by placing it in the

freezer unwrapped.

Once the cake is frozen, take it out and wrap it with

plastic wrap or

aluminum foil and then return to the freezer. When

ready to thaw, let

it thaw slightly, remove the wrap and then finish

thawing.

 

Cut both ends out of a can and use the can as a cookie

cutter or to cut

biscuits.

 

To warm bread before serving, place the bread in a

paper bag, seal it,

and moisten a portion of the outside of the bag. Place

it in a 350°F

oven for 5 or 6 minutes. Bread will be warmed and

ready to serve.

 

To prevent meringue from sticking to the knife when

you are slicing a

meringue pie, lightly butter both sides of the knife.

 

When having to remove that first piece of pie or cake,

the piece will

slid out easier if you cut an additional slice. Before

trying to remove

the first piece, make a cut as if you were cutting a

second piece.

 

To prevent ice crystals from forming on ice cream,

cover the surface of

the ice cream with a piece of plastic wrap or wax

paper before closing

the container.

 

Crumbled brownies or cookies make a great topping for

ice cream.

 

 

Use thin pretzel sticks to spear hors d' oeuvres

instead of toothpicks.

 

Salads that are soft or in liquid form when prepared

and then

refrigerated to firm, can be remolded after they have

been partially

eaten to give them a fresh look.

Microwave just enough to liquefy the salad and then

pour into a smaller

bowl and place back into the refrigerator.

 

If a baked dish needs to be covered with aluminum foil

while it is

cooking or is going be covered to transport somewhere,

spray the foil

with cooking spray to help prevent the food from

sticking to the foil.

 

When reheating leftovers in the oven, check to see if

it is heated

throughout by sticking a table knife in the center of

the dish. Leave

it inserted for 15 to 30 seconds. Pull out and test on

the back of your

hand. If the knife is hot, the leftovers are hot.

 

When heating items in a dish in the microwave, cover

the dish with a

damp paper towel rather than plastic wrap. The paper

towel absorbs

splatters, does not collapse and will not melt.

 

To dispose of used cooking oil, open up 4 or 5 plastic

grocery bags,

place them inside of each other, and when oil has

cooled, pour it into

the center of the layered grocery bags. Tie the bags

shut and dispose of

properly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kenia! I didn't know many of these

tricks, and you should see me cutting the

first piece of pie! I have to eat that one because

nobody wants the mess I make of it.*lol*

Now I know what I was doing wrong.

PT stands for " pie terrorist " no more!

 

~ PT ~

 

A grass-blade's no easier to make than an oak.

~ James Russell Lowell, poet, editor, and diplomat

(1819-1891)

~~~*~~~*~~~>

, kenia <mistressofthedishes

wrote:

>

> Helpful Kitchen Tips

>

> When opening a new bottle of sauce,

>

> To keep covers from sticky ingredients,

>

> For soft cookies that have started to dry out,

> For crispy cookies that have started to get soggy,

>

> To keep the cut edge of a cake from drying out,

>

> Use a hot, wet knife to cut cakes with sticky frosting

> and cheesecakes.

>

> Freeze a frosted cake first by placing it in the

> freezer unwrapped.

>

> Cut both ends out of a can and use the can as a cookie

> cutter or to cut

> biscuits.

>

> To warm bread before serving,

> To prevent meringue from sticking to the knife when

> you are slicing a

> meringue pie, lightly butter both sides of the knife.

>

> When having to remove that first piece of pie or cake,

> the piece will

> slid out easier if you cut an additional slice. Before

> trying to remove

> the first piece, make a cut as if you were cutting a

> second piece.