wovenfare™ Tips
Storage
Fruit and Vegetables
Onions and Garlic
Eggs and Dairy
Kitchen Tricks
Meat
Baking
Salt
Cleaning
Storing Dried Goods
Dried goods left in their original packaging should be checked for bugs when they remain in storage for a long time. One way to reduce the chance of infestation by food pests is to repackage them by funneling them into jars that can be tightly sealed.
Storing shelled nuts and whole grains
Shelled nuts and whole grains should be stored in the refrigerator unless you have a cold room (which is less than 10°C or 50°F).
Storing oils
Oils should be stored in tightly closed containers away from light. Nut oils should be stored in the refrigerator.
Storing onions and potatoes
Potatoes and onions will spoil quickly if stored together. SImply store them in separate containers, preferably in a cool spot. (top)
Storing carrots
When storing carrots remember to remove the green tops as these will withdraw the moisture and vitamins from the root. (top)
Fruit Flies a Nuisance?
Place a piece of ripe banana in a container. Seal the container with plastic wrap and puncture toothpick size holes in the wrap. Place the container beside your fruit bowl and be amazed at how the fruit flies will disappear! (top)
Ripening bananas
To ripen a banana, wrap it in a wet dishtowel for 10 minutes then place the banana in a paper bag. You will have a ripe banana in a day. (top)
Canned asparagus
Canned asparagus should be opened from the bottom to avoid damaging the tops. (top)
Peppers - red, yellow or green
The bigger the pepper the milder the taste. Red peppers have a tendency to be sweeter as do yellow peppers with the green ones having a slightly more bitter taste. (top)
Making squash easier to work with
When preparing acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash, heat the whole squash uncovered, in the microwave, cooking for 2 minutes on its highest setting. Remove, let it cool slightly and follow your recipe for preparation. You will find it much easier to work with. (top)
Acorn and butternut squash - ripe?
Acorn and butternut squash should have a dull skin when ripe, if the skin appears shiny then they are not ripe yet. (top)
Foods that should not be frozen
Because ice crystals can cause breakage of cell membranes in some foods, freezing them should be avoided. Mushrooms, soft fruits, and salad vegetables tend to lose crispness and firmness when frozen. Raw grapes and apples become mushy. Tomatoes become watery and limp. (top)
Soaking onions
Soak cut raw onions in cold water for up to an hour before adding to a salad. This will soften the intensity without taking away from its flavour. (top)
Shed fewer tears when cutting onions
Refrigerate your onion before slicing & you will shed fewer tears. (top)
Different color of eggs
There is no nutritional difference between a brown egg and a white egg. The colour of the egg is a result of the type or colour of the hen that laid it - a white feathered hen usually lays only white eggs whereas a brown hen normally lays brown eggs. (top)
(Alberta Egg Producers)
Hard to peel hard boiled egg
If a hard boiled egg is hard to peel then it is likely that that egg is very fresh. (top)
Is the egg cooked?
If you aren't sure whether or not an egg is cooked spin it on your countertop. If it spins, be assured that it is cooked and if it wobbles it is not. (top)
Are the Eggs Fresh?
If you want to know if an egg is fresh, place it in cold water, if it floats it is fresh. (top)
Grating Cheese
Grating cheese? Pop the cheese in your freezer for 30 minutes and then grate. It is easier to grate firmer cheese and it reduces the amount that melts on your grater.
Sandra W. of Regina (top)
Are your glasses stuck together?
If two glasses have been stacked and are now stuck together try this to remove them easily. Fill the top glass with cold water and set the bottom gass in hot water, let them sit for a few seconds then twist them apart gently. (top)
Increase prep space
Increase your preparation space by placing a cutting board over the top of your sink cavity. Make sure the board is solidly in place before starting your work however, an unstable board may slip out from under you while you chop. (top)
Frying bacon
For the crispest, crunchiest, tastiest bacon ever, flour it before frying. It won't shrink and it won't curl, but OH is it good.
Tonya T. of Calgary (top)
Preparing home made stock
When you're making soup with meat in the stock pot and need to add more water, add cold water, not hot water. Hot water can toughen the meat. (top)
Cook a roast from frozen
You can cook a roast from frozen, cook it for 50% longer then you would if it were thawed.
Beef Information Centre www.beefinfo.org (top)
Has your cake sunk in the middle?
If cake sinks in the middle, cut out center and fill with fruit or level centre with icing. (top)
An easy way to reduce your salt intake
Much of your daily salt intake comes from canned goods. Try substituting fresh fruit and vegetables for canned or processed foods. (top)
An alternative to salt
If you are trying to cut back on your salt intake, season, vegetables, poultry and fish with lemon juice. (top)
Cutting back on salt?
Draining or rinsing canned vegetables or beans before preparing will cut back on the sodium but retain some of the salty flavour. (top)
Cleaning your stainless steel sink
To get the stains up out of a stainless steal sink without scubbing and thus scratching your sink. Pour boiling water over the spill to loosen the food then sprinkle baking soda on it and let sit for two minutes. Lightly scrub with a cloth and your stain should come up. (top)
Smelly garbage can?
Drop a dryer sheet into the bottom of a garbage can before you add a fresh bag. As you pull out a full bag the dryer sheet will cover any odors left behind. (top)
How to clean your can opener
Clean your can opener with a toothbrush and baking soda then pour boiling water over it. Remember to keep turning the wheel while you clean so you scrub the whole blade. This will not only clean the bacteria off the opener but it will also restore it to a sharper condition. (top)
