Add Flavor With Food Waste: Save the loose skin on onions and garlic to toss into
the fire just before grilling meats or vegetables. And throw dry fennel tops on
the fire when grilling fish.
Apples: Refrigerated apples last up to 10 times longer than
those left at room temperature. To prevent apples from speeding up the ripening
process of other items in your produce drawer, store them in a plastic or brown
paper bag.
Asparagus: For tender asparagus, gently bend a spear until it
breaks. The natural breaking point should separate the tender spear from the
tough end. Dispose of the end pieces and steam to
perfection!
Cabbage: Instead of blanching cabbage leaves to wilt them for
stuffing, simply leave the whole head in the freezer
overnight.
Celery: Wrap
celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator, and it will keep for
weeks.
Chopped Onions & Green Peppers: You can buy frozen chopped onion or green peppers for a
quick recipe shortcut, or since they freeze so well, chop a whole bunch at once
and freeze them in single servings.
Chopping Onions & Grating Horseradish:
Hate how your eyes water? Tear off a section of a
slice of bread (I prefer to use the heel, as I don't eat it) and place it
between your lips, allowing it to protrude from your mouth while
cutting.
Citrus Fruit Juice: To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, limes and
oranges, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against
the kitchen counter before squeezing. Another method is to microwave fruit on
high for 30 seconds, let stand a couple of minutes before cutting and squeezing
them. Rolling it between your counter and hand also does the
trick.
Citrus Zest: Before you squeeze juice from a lemon, grate off the
rind into a freezer bag and freeze. Then when a recipe calls for lemon zest or
rind, just pull it from the freezer. Sprinkle a little sugar over citrus zest or
fresh ginger before chopping. The sugar not only dissolves and absorbs the
juices but also helps spread the flavor.
Corn: When
boiling corn, cooking for 3 minutes is all that's necessary; any more time will
only boil out the flavor. Instead of adding salt to the boiling water, add a
pinch of sugar to bring out the natural sweetness of the
corn.
Crisper Drawer: Line the bottom with a paper towel to absorb liquids
that make veggies wilt.
Frozen Vegetables: These are an important staple, a quick way to separate
them is to pour boiling water over them in a colander and then add them to your
casserole or stove-top dish to finish cooking.
Garlic: To
mince a garlic clove quickly, rub it over the tines of the back side of a fork.
Save yourself lots of time by always using jarred minced garlic that can be
found in the produce or condiment section of the supermarket. Peel garlic by
using the heel of your hand, press the flat side of a chef's knife onto an
entire clove of garlic. You can then slip the slightly crushed garlic from its
skin. Hands smell after peeling garlic? Rub hands with the rounded side of a
stainless steel spoon under running water.
Hot Peppers: When working with fresh chilies and peppers, wear
disposable gloves. Don't handle the peppers under water (it extracts painful
vapors).
Leafy Greens: The sooner you consume lettuce, spinach and other
greens after they are picked, the crisper they will be. Rinse not-so-fresh
greens under cool water to "revive" them. Dry by running the greens through a
salad spinner or wrapping them in dry towels. Place in a loosely closed bag and
refrigerate 1 hour. Leafy greens are packed with vitamins and minerals. When
buying fresh greens, remember that they cook down considerably. One pound of
spinach or mustard greens will yield a cup or two of cooked greens. Serve
iceberg lettuce wedges instead of torn salad greens to save time making a salad.
Also, before refrigerating iceberg lettuce, wash and remove the core so each
time you need some for salad it's clean and ready.
Leeks: To
clean leeks: Cut off dark green top and discard or save for stock. Trim root
end, leaving base intact so that leek remains in one piece. Starting 1/2" from
base, slit leek through the other end; give it a quarter turn and repeat, so the
leek is quartered and the root end is intact. Soak the leek in cold water or
rinse it under running water, gently spreading the leaves to remove any grit and
dirt.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge, then release it
later while cooking (which can change the consistency of recipes). Try "dry
cleaning" your favorite fungi. You can find a "mushroom brush" with soft
bristles at most kitchen stores. Lightly moisten the brush (or a rag) with
water, and gently wipe the mushrooms clean.
Onion Leftovers: If you need only 1/2 an onion, save the root half. It
will last longer.
Onion & Garlic Odors: To deodorize a plastic storage container in which
onions or garlic were stored, wash thoroughly, then stuff a crumpled piece of
newspaper in the container, and snap on the lid. In a few days the smell will
disappear.
Parsley: Fresh parsley can be dried or frozen for later use. For
either method, wash and dry parsley then chop. To freeze, simply pace in a
plastic zipper bag and freeze. To dry, spread chopped parsley evenly on a baking
sheet and place in a 200 degree oven with the door slightly ajar. Check
occasionally and remove from oven with completely dry. Store dried parsley in an
airtight container. When selecting parsley, remember that the curly-leaf variety
has a milder taste and the flat-leaf has a bold
taste.
Peeling Fruits and Vegetables: Vegetable peelers are good for more than just carrots
and potatoes. Use them to peel avocados, kiwi fruit, and many more produce
items. Try it out next time you need to peel something difficult. To peel
tomatoes, peaches, and pears, scald them in boiling water before peeling will
allow you to peel their skins right off.
Peppers: When
buying fresh peppers, choose those that are a little wrinkled but still
unblemished. Wrinkling indicates mellowness.
Potatoes: To
keep them from budding, place an apple in the bag with
potatoes.
Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Many fruits and vegetables found in supermarkets today
look ripe, but are hard as a rock. Soften them up by placing them in a brown
paper bag and hiding the bag away in a dark cabinet for a day or two. This is
great for items such as avocados, kiwi fruit, peaches, nectarines, and more.
Once ripe, refrigerate the produce to preserve
vitamins.
Saving Herbs For Winter: To preserve summer herbs for winter soups and stews,
make herb cubes in the freezer. Chop up your herbs and place them in ice cube
trays, then cover with water and freeze. To preserve the color and flavor, use
boiling water to fill the tray (this blanches the herbs). Some herbs, like
cilantro, keep better when frozen in oil. Mince the herb in a food processor,
then introduce olive oil until you produce a fine puree. Pour into ice cube
trays or bags and freeze. When introducing the frozen herbs to recipes, remember
that they contain water or oil. If this will throw off the recipe's consistency,
thaw and drain the cubes first.
Tomatoes: Never refrigerate a tomato that is not fully ripe. Most
tomatoes sold in stores are still ripening, and would benefit from a few days on
the counter. Cold temperatures alter the fruit's flavor and stop the ripening
process. Once ripe, a tomato can be refrigerated for several days. To ripen a
tomato fast, put it with an apple in a perforated bag. To peel and seed
tomatoes, cut out the core and score an "X" on the bottom. Immerse in boiling
water for 10 seconds. Remove the tomato and plunge into cold water. Remove the
skin, cut in half and squeeze out seeds.
