12 Kitchen Tip Quickies

Haven’t had one of these lists for awhile! Here’s a mix of vintage and newer tips from my collection of kitchen tips:

Shakers Are Handy For Flour And Powdered Sugar

1. You can use water and lemons to steam clean a microwave easily, why not an oven too? Place a shallow pan of water and fresh lemon juice on the middle rack of the oven. Heat at 450°F. for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and wipe down the walls. This is good for light cleaning jobs.
2. To bring out the flavor in older spices, try heating them in a frying pan first (no oil or other ingredients added).
3. Crusty casserole dish that just won’t come clean? Try filling the dish with boiling water and 2 or 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Let sit until the water has cooled and you should be able to scrub the dish clean with no problem. More cookware cleaning tips can be found here: Cookware Cleaning & Stain Removal Tips.
4. Use the root half of the onion last, it will last longer when stored. You can plant the roots of green onions to grow your own (see Never Pay For Onions Again: How To).
5. To avoid waste in measuring shortening, use the water-level method. If you need 1/2 cup shortening fill a measuring cup to 1/2 mark with water. Drop in shortening, push it under the water; continue until water reaches 1-cup mark. Drain off the water. For 3/4 cup of shortening, start with 1/4 cup water; for 1/3 cup, start with 2/3 cup of water, and so on.
6. Keep a toothbrush in your kitchen gadget arsenal, they’re great for cleaning holes in graters and a garlic press.
7. When frying with butter, don’t cook with high heat since butter has a low smoking/burning point.
8. Using hot tea instead of water when cooking roasts or stewing meat is a good way to add flavor and tenderize the meats.
9. Spark up the flavor of ripe olives by soaking them overnight in olive oil to which as been added a very small clove of garlic.
10. If shredded coconut gets dry, make extra delicious by toasting. Sprinkle it on a baking sheet and heat in moderate oven, shaking occasionally to brown evenly.
11. You can use your fats over and over by straining them after each use. Fry slices of potato in fat to remove the odors of fish, onion or other highly flavored foods.
12. When celery loses its crispness, place it in a pan of cold water. Slice a raw potato and put it in the pan. Let stand for a few hours. Remove the celery from the water and you will find that it has regained its original crispness.

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