Too Much Salt
If you've added too much salt to a recipe, there are several solutions, 1) add a
little sugar. 2) in soups or stews, a raw potato slice added to the mixture will
absorb the salt, and 3) a second batch can be made, omitting the salt, and added
to the first batch. Combine the two mixtures and freeze half for later.
Too Sweet
Add some salt, or, if the recipe is a vegetable or main dish, a teaspoon of
vinegar.
Gravy Too Pale
First to be sure to brown the flour well before adding any liquid, which will
also prevent lumps. If the gravy is still too pale, add a few drops of gravy
base or soy sauce.
Gravy Too Thick
If your gravy is too thick then add a little more liquid.
Gravy Too Thin
Potato flakes may be added instead of flour to gravy, sauces and stews
Wilting Vegetables
Remove brown edges of vegetables and sprinkle with water. Wrap in a towel and
pop into the refrigerator for about an hour. Or, dip quickly in hot water, then
ice water with a small amount of cider vinegar added.
Overdone Vegetables
Put the pot in an pan of cold water. Let it stand from 15 minutes to 1/2 hour
without scraping pan.
Whipping Cream Problems
If whipping cream won't whip, check to see that the cream, bowl and beaters are
chilled. Put the bowl of cream over a pan of ice while whipping. Or, add an egg
white, chill, then whip. If that fails, try slowly adding 3 or 4 drops of lemon
juice while whipping.
Soggy Spuds
Soggy mashed potatoes are caused when the milk is added. Use dry powered milk
for fluffy mashed potatoes.
Rock Hard Brown Sugar
Add a slice of soft bread to the package of brown sugar, close the bag tightly,
and in a few hours the sugar will be soft again.
Thawing Frozen Meat
Seal the frozen meat in a plastic bag and place in a bowl of very warm water.
Caked Salt
Tightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the salt shaker. This will keep the
dampness out of the salt.
Hurry-Up Baked Potatoes
Boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes, then place in a very hot oven.
Chopped Onions
Peel and quarter. Place one layer deep in a small pan and freeze. Quickly pack
in bags or containers while frozen Use as needed, chopping onions while frozen,
with a sharp knife.
Pancake Syrup
To make an inexpensive syrup for pancakes, save small amounts of leftover jams
and jellies in a jar. Or fruit flavored syrup can be made by adding 2 cups of
sugar to one cup of any kind of fruit juice and cooking until it boils.
Easy Topping
A good topping for gingerbread, coffee cake, etc. can easily be made by freezing
the syrup from canned fruit and adding 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon
of lemon juice to 2 cups of syrup. Heat until bubbly, and thicken with 2
tablespoons of flour
All Purpose Relish
Mix together mayonnaise, mustard, leftover relish, catsup, and chopped pickles
and onions to make an easy relish for the whole family.
Tasty Cheese Sandwiches
Toast cheese sandwiches in a frying pan lightly greased with bacon fat for a
delightful new flavor.
Jelly Jars
Before discarding jam and jelly jars, fill with hot water and shake. Use the
water when making gelatin desserts.
No Spattering
Another way to keep frying food from spattering is to invert a metal colander
over the pan, allowing steam to escape.
Coffee Tip
Before adding ground coffee to the percolator, drop a thimble over the center
tube in the top-this prevents the coffee from spilling into the water.
Hurry Up Hamburgers
Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The
burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.
Shrink-less Links
Boil sausage for about 8 minutes before frying and they will shrink less and not
break at all.
Eliminating Corn Silk
Brush downward on the cob of corn with a moist paper towel to remove every
strand of corn silk.
Frozen Bread
Put frozen bread loves in a clean brown paper bag and place for 5 minutes in a
325-degree oven to thaw completely.
Removing Ham Rind
Before placing ham in the roasting pan, slit rind lengthwise on the underside.
The rind will peel away as the ham cooks, and can be easily removed.
Cracking Nuts
To quickly crack open a large amount of nuts, put in a bag and gently hammer
until they all are cracked open. Then remove nutmeats with a pick.
Allergic to Nuts
If you or a member of your family are allergic to nuts, use Chinese noodles as a
substitute in recipes
Creamier Tasting Foods
Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of powdered creamer to such items as pumpkin pie, pancake
batter, etc. for a creamier taste.
Spattering and Sticking Foods
Always heat the frying pan before adding oil or butter. This will keep things
from sticking to the pan. Boil vinegar in a brand new frying pan to keep things
from sticking to it. Spattering can be prevented by sprinkling a little salt
into the pan.
Stopping Boil-over
Spaghetti will not boil over or stick together if you add a small piece of
butter or a few teaspoons of oil to the water. The same holds true for rice.
Scalded Milk
Add a bit of sugar (without stirring) to milk to prevent it from scorching.
Rinse the pan in cold water before scalding milk, and it will be much easier to
clean.
Soft Butter
Soften butter by grating it. Or, heat a small pan and place it upside down over
the butter dish for several minutes.
Sticky Liquids
To measure honey or other sticky syrups, oil the measuring cup with cooking oil
and rinse under hot water first.
Sluggish Catsup
Push a drinking straw to the bottom of the bottle and remove. This admits enough
air to start the catsup flowing.
Un-molding Gelatin
Rinse the mold pan in cold water and coat with salad oil. The oil will give the
gelatin a nice luster and it will easily fall out of the mold.
Dried Onions
For sandwiches to go in lunchboxes, sprinkle with dried onion.. They will have
turned into crisp pieces of onion by lunchtime
Quick Cooking Veggies
Onions, broccoli and Brussels sprouts will cook faster if you make an X-shaped
cut at the base of the vegetable.