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Additional Cooking Tips
Soften “hard as a rock” brown sugar by placing a slice of soft bread or ½ an apple in the
package and closing tightly. In a couple hours the brown sugar will be soft again.
Too much sugar in a recipe? Add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
The more egg yolks in a doughnut dough, the less grease they will absorb when fried.
A few potato slices added to the oil will keep doughnuts from burning.
Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are entirely different products & cannot be
used interchangeably in recipes. Sweetened condensed milk is fresh, whole milk with 60%
of the water removed & 45% cane sugar added. Evaporated milk is whole milk from which
water is removed but no sugar is added. Sweetened condensed milk has a much thicker
consistency & is great for desserts because it will not get “sugary” when heated.
If you are melting chocolate in a double boiler or a custard cup set in a pan of water, do not
boil the water as this will only thicken or curdle the chocolate.
Before measuring honey or other syrup, oil the cup with cooking oil and rinse in hot water.
For soup or stew that is too salty, add a raw potato & discard after cooking. The potato
absorbs the salt.
Thickeners for soup can be either flour or cornstarch. It is a good idea to add the thickener
with the pan off the heat to avoid the danger of lumping. Flour is good for soups to be
served hot. Cornstarch is better for cold soups.
For crunchy cole slaw, cut cabbage in ½ & soak in salted water for an hour. Drain well, then
proceed with recipe.
Bake potatoes in ½ the time by letting stand in boiling water for 15 minutes before putting
them into a very hot oven.
Overcooked potatoes can become soggy when the milk is added. Sprinkle with dry powdered
milk for the fluffiest mashed potatoes ever.
You’ll shed less tears if you cut the root end of the onion off last; or, freeze or refrigerate
before chopping.
Lettuce leaves absorb fat. Place a few into a pot and watch the fat cling to them.
A squirt of lemon in the water when cooking cauliflower will keep the cauliflower from
discoloring.
Never immerse mushrooms in water when cleaning. They will absorb too much liquid. For
prime mushrooms, buy only those with closed caps. The gills should not be showing.
Garlic helps prevent cholesterol buildup. It helps prevent heart diseases by slashing
cholesterol levels in the blood and lowering dangerous blood fat levels.
To cut dried fruits, marshmallows or gumdrops, dip kitchen scissors frequently into hot water.
A medium-size clove of garlic equals 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
You get twice the amount of orange juice from an orange, if you hold it under hot water
before you squeeze.
Brew your coffee with bottled spring water, you will have better tasting coffee and no
mineral deposits.
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