Whether you are a rank amateur or a seasoned professional, these kitchen tips and techniques can benefit anyone interested in cooking.
Do you consider yourself a domestic disaster when it comes to culinary skills? Are you always drying out the steaks or boiling something over onto the stove? Here are ten simple, common sense, triple-tested, bomb-proof cooking tips that will elevate you to the status of gastronomic god or goddess.
- To avoid a soggy bottom in your juicy berry and fruit pies, add sugar to your fillings at the last possible moment before baking. Sugar draws out the juices from fruit fillings, which can create a soggy bottom crust. For non-juicy fruit fillings, you can add the sugar earlier in the assembly process.
- To easily remove coconut meat from the shell, warm the coconut in the oven before breaking the shell. Pre-warming the coconut will allow you to scoop out the meat with ease.
- The secret to achieving succulent red meat is knowing when to add the salt. Salt draws out the moisture in meat, which can cause the meat to become dry during cooking. If you sear meat before seasoning with salt, you'll keep the meat juicy and tender.
- Does your rice or pasta always boil over? You can solve that problem by adding a small amount of butter to your saucepan before covering with a lid.
- The “Veggie Rule” is an easy-to-remember tip for cooking perfect vegetables. When cooking vegetables that grow underground—such as carrots, beets and potatoes—cover your saucepan with a lid during cooking. For vegetables that grow above ground, keep the lid off the saucepan for the best results.
- Recipes that list eggs in the ingredients are usually referring to large eggs. If you use medium, small or extra-large eggs in your cooking, you can distort the results of your measurements, which may affect the quality of your finished dish.
- The best way to get the most juice from a lemon, lime or orange is to roll it on the counter, pressing down slightly, before juicing. This rolling action will soften the fruits and maximize the amount of juice you can extract from the fruits.
- In order to turn extra-large pancakes without breaking them, lift or slide them onto a large lid with your spatula, then use the lid to flip them back into the pan.
- Did you know that you can pan broil without fat by sprinkling salt on the bottom of your skillet? This coating of salt will keep meat and eggs from sticking to the bottom of the skillet and prevent unwanted fat from sticking to you.
- Do not fry bacon naked—that is, by itself in a skillet—has always been excellent advice. However, if you do, add a few cubes of potato to the skillet to keep the grease from splattering during cooking.
By following these ten bomb-proof cooking tips, you will soon look like a pro in the kitchen, saving time and money in the process.
Copyright Ramona Hartley. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Ramona Hartley - When not busy writing, painting or researching I like to spend my time as an amateur experimental archeologist recreating lost arts ...
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