|
|
Fruit
& Vegetable Tips
<< Previous
| 1 | 2
| 3 | 4 | 5
| 6 | Next
>>
- Try this little trick the next
time you serve onions raw either as a garnish or in a recipe.
After chopping or slicing the onion, place prepared onion in
a bowl and fill with water to cover the onions. Toss in a few
ice cubes and allow to soak for about 15 to 20 minutes, or up
to 1 hour. Drain well before serving. You will have the crispiest,
sweetest, best tasting onion ever.
- There's more than one way to
get the most juice from a lemon or lime. Roll them under the
palm of your hand on the counter, heat for a few seconds in the
microwave are two. The best way I have found is to simply cut
the fruit in half and using the tines of a dinner fork, ream
the inside while squeezing. You will be amazed at the amount
of juice you get with very little work.
- To peel garlic easily, you have
several choices. One is to place a large butcher-type knife (flat
side of blade down) on top of the clove and then whack the flat
surface of blade as hard as you can. Not only does the peel
release but you have partially crushed the clove. You can microwave
the cloves for a few seconds until the peel is loose. Another
method is the rubber tube product that can be purchased almost
anywhere and is very inexpensive. You can put several cloves
of similar size in at one time, roll with the palm of your hand,
and the peels are off. A garlic crusher will remove the peel,
but is messy and you will always lose a bit of the garlic that
becomes trapped in the contraption!
- Store lemon, orange and grapefruit
rinds in the freezer; grate as needed for pies, cakes and cookies.
- Wash salad greens in cold water
and pat dry with paper or cloth towels. Place in a covered container
or large self-closing plastic bag lined with a paper towel and
store in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
- Corn, beans, peas and other
vegetables will lose sweetness as sugar in their tissues turns
to starch. Store dry and unwashed in plastic bags in the refrigerator.
- Winter squash is mature when
you cannot pierce the skin with your thumbnail. If the squash
has a soft skin, it means the squash is old and past its peak.
- Cutting salad greens with a
knife may cause discoloration and bruising. Gently tearing the
leaves is better and makes a more attractive salad.
- To retain the white color of
fresh mushrooms, slice just before using or dip in lemon juice.
- To always have fresh ginger
on hand for a recipe, you can freeze it either peeled or unpeeled.
An added plus -- thawing releases the juices and makes it easier
to crush.
- You should not cook mushrooms
in aluminum pans because the mushrooms will darken.
- You can revive wilted celery
sticks by placing them in a bowl of ice water for an hour.
<< Previous
| 1 | 2
| 3 | 4 | 5
| 6 | Next
>>
|
Return to Cooking & Recipe How-To's
& Tips
|
|
|
