25 Vintage Kitchen Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection

These tips are from a vintage booklet published in the 1930’s. The Timeless Wisdom collection is a regular feature on Tipnut where we take a look back at the shortcuts and advice shared from decades ago.

Vintage Kitchenware Items

1. Fat can be removed from hot soup by straining broth through a cloth wrung from cold water. All the fat will remain in cloth except just enough to enrich soup. Heat soup again before serving.
2. Fish or onion odor can be removed from utensils and dishes by adding a teaspoonful of baking soda to the dish water.
3. Gravy thickening, sauces, etc., can be made smooth by using a small jar with a tight lid. Put the mixture of milk or water and flour into the jar and shake well until all lumps disappear.
4. Grease drippings can be clarified for further use by straining to remove large particles and then cutting up an Irish potato and frying it in the grease. All the small particles will cling to the potato.
5. Iced tea requires only one-half as much sugar if sweetened when hot than when cold. After tea is strained and ready to serve, freeze a portion of it in the electric refrigerator and add this to glasses for cooling instead of plain ice.
6. Gelatine in individual form can be handled easier if a muffin pan is used instead of small molds. Pan can be placed in a refrigerator without danger of over-turning and much time is saved.
7. Milk, in being boiled, frequently sticks to the pan. To prevent this, rinse the pan in hot water before using.
8. Onion odor can be removed from the hands by rubbing them with dry salt.
9. Pancakes can be cooked without smoke or odor by rubbing the gridiron with a small bag of salt, which will also prevent the cakes from sticking to the iron. This is equally effective on waffle iron.
10. Potato water, when used in making gravies, greatly improves the flavor. *Tipnut note: this is what my grandmother always did with her gravies.
11. Salad dressing, boiled, will not curdle if the beaten eggs are stirred into cold vinegar before boiling.
12. Salty tastes in gravies, soups, etc., can be eliminated by dropping a piece of raw potato into the liquid for a few minutes before removing from the fire.
13. Spaghetti or macaroni frequently boil over when cooking. This can be prevented by adding a tablespoon of cooking oil or lard to the water.
14. Spicing of fruits, pickles, relishes, etc., is made easier by putting the spices in a tea ball. It can be removed from the hot syrup at any time without trouble.
15. Bananas for salads will keep their natural color if sprinkled with powdered sugar or lemon juice.
16. Grapefruit or oranges can be peeled easily if permitted to stand in boiling water for ten minutes.
17. Peaches will not discolor if immersed in solution of half milk and half water after peeling.
18. Bacon should be soaked in cold water three or four minutes before frying. This prevents grease from running and gives the bacon a much finer flavor.
19. Fish scales can be removed quickly and easily by first dipping the fish in boiling water.
20. Meats for boiling and roasting should be plunged into cold water first as this hardens the film on the outside, encasing and retaining the juices. No salt should be added until meat is nearly done, as it releases juices of the meat if added too soon.
21. Scrambling eggs: Add a tablespoonful of cream for each egg. It makes them light and they will go farther.
22. Carrots for salads or general cooking should first be dropping in boiling water for two or three minutes. The skins will then come off easily.
23. Cabbage odor can be avoided by dropping two English walnuts (uncracked) into the kettle while cooking.
24. Cabbage is much sweeter if cooked in open kettle 8 minutes.
25. Cauliflower will remain white and give off no odor while cooking in half milk and half water. Use liquid for soup or cream sauce.

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