- When pumpkins are in season (during fall) peal and dice them and store it in ziploc bags in the freezer. It will last for a long time. You can use this each time you make Sambar, Avial, Soups, Stews etc.
- Use a damp paper towel to cover your food while reheating it in the microwave (esp Rice, Idli, Dosa, Appam etc.). This prevents the food from drying out.
- Buy a knife sharpener instead of spending too much money to buy a knife each time it becomes dull.
- Use a glass dish with cover for baking a cake. This way you can store the cake in the same container.I have a Pyrex 13*9 and 8*8 dish which I use for baking cakes.
- Put your dish brush and dish sponge in the dishwasher with the other dishes. This will sanitise and remove odor and will help it last longer.
- A lemon or lime taken straight from the refrigerator is harder to juice than one left at room temperature or warmed slightly. To get the most juice, microwave citrus fruits for 20 seconds before squeezing.
- How to store chappati dough in fridge? To avoid chappati dough from getting black on the outer layer, wrap it with plastic wrap and store it an an air tight container.
- To clean straws, use Q-Tips with hot water and Soap.
- A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the grains separate.
- A simple way to sharpen kitchen shears is to cut a piece of steel wool
- Egg shells can be easily removed from hard-boiled eggs if they are boiled in salty water and quickly rinsed in cold water.
- If you need only 1/2 an onion, save the root half. It will last longer.
- Thaw frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter where bacteria can grow.
- The best way to store fresh celery is to wrap it in aluminum foil or brown bag and put it in the refrigerator ... it will keep them for weeks.
- If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.
- To clean cast iron cookwear, don’t use detergents. Just scrub them with salt and a clean, dry paper towel.
- Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer
- After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.
- Brush some beaten egg white over your pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
- When defrosting meat from the freezer, pour some vinegar over it. Not only does it tenderize the meat; it will also bring down the freezing temperature of the meat and cause it to thaw quicker
- When making pasta with vegetables, throw the vegetables in with the pasta for the last four minutes of cooking time.
- Home made cleaners are safe and healthy.
- Vinegar : It can be used as an all-purpose cleaner. Make a solution with 1 part water and 1 part vinegar and fill it up in a spray bottle. Never use vinegar on marble surfaces
- Baking soda : It can be used to scrub surfaces in the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action.
- Healthy Cooking
- You can use Evaporated Milk, Whole Milk or 2% Milk or even fat free milk to substitute for coconut milk while making indian curries.
- Instead of frying the fish you can bake it with the same masala. Just bake the fish at 375F until done.The best fish for this method are Salmon, Steelhead Trout.Check out the Baked Nadan Fish fry recipe.
- Microwave pappad for 30 sec to puff it up. This way you can avoid frying it in oil.
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