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To squeeze lemons easily: tie lemons in muslin (thin cotton cloth) with a
tie or bow, then squeeze to keep out pulp and seeds
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To keep fruits and vegetables for use year-round (especially
home-growns, extras, and berries), freeze them. Cut larger items into
pieces and place in freezer/zip bags. Before sealing, press the air out of
the bag (by rolling or pressing towards the seal with your fingers). Close
and store in freezer. Many will keep several months
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To ripen fruits like peaches and bananas (and many others), place in a
brown paper bag and leave on counter a few days
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Before boiling potatoes, add a pat of butter to the pot to prevent water
spilling over (normally this creates a mess you have to clean up later)
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Use your grill to cook meals: warm garlic bread wrapped in aluminum foil
on the back of the grill, grill corn on the cob in the husks (leave corn in
husks and soak ears in water 30 minutes then put on a hot grill, turning
frequently to keep the husks from burning. It will be ready to eat in
15-25 minutes)
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Don't add thickener to the portion of soups and stews you intend to
freeze. If you do, your dishes will thicken too much when thawed. Add
in corn starch or flour when you reheat so the stew is the desired
consistency
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If chips and pretzels are limp or soft, to make them crisp again put small
amounts (1-2 cups) in a bowl lined with a paper towel. Microwave on
high 20 to 60 seconds or until they are warmed
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To keep potatoes from drowning in dressing, sprinkle with vinegar,
which adds flavor and makes them moist. Mayonnaise or oil added later
will coat but not excessively
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Coconut: Look for a heavy one with lots of liquid. High in calories but no
cholesterol. Drink milk straight or mix with other tropical juices. Add to
curry dishes, fruit salads, or slaws. Meat can be eaten straight or grated.
Children usually love to crack one open, drink the milk and eat the soft
flesh inside. To open: remove the milk by puncturing a hole in two of the
eyes, then put it either in the oven at 300F for ? hr or in the freezer for
several hours or try a combination of both - oven at 350F for 15 min,
then freezer until it cracks. A hammer helps to crack the shell, or you can
hit it hard against a cement stair, but keep eyes and body covered and tell
everyone else to stay away, just in case
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Melons: Cantaloupes: select one with no green behind netting. If not
quite ripe enough, let ripen in fridge a couple of days. Rich in fiber, high
in vitamins A and C, 136 calories per fruit, 1139mg of potassium. Also
has beta-carotene, calcium and phosphorus, plus 54mg sodium (so don't
salt!) Honeydew melons: select one that is smooth and white or creamy
yellow. Especially look for the dime-size mark where the stem used to be
- if that spot smells musky and sweet, it's good. Press by the stem end to
check for softness - stem should give under gentle pressure. Learn the
sound from melons with a fragrant resilient stem end. Look for melons
with no shrivelled portions nor cracked skins. If not quite ripe enough,
honeydews should ripen at room temperature. Melon wedges are good on
trays, but halves can also serve to hold cottage cheese, blueberries, ice
cream or port. Honeydews are rich in fiber and has a few more calories
than cantaloupe. One pound of fruit has about twice the daily
requirement of vitamin C.
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Eggplant: Many cooks advocate salting and draining its flesh an hour
before cooking to remove juice which may be bitter to some. Always
thoroughly cook before eating, but it can be eaten hot or cold. It absorbs
oil when cooking - for some flavorful aromas. Some dishes are better the
next day. Moderate source of potassium, iron, niacin and thiamine. Low
in calories. Use to replace meat in lasagna. Select fruits that are heavy for
their size and do not store more than 2 days, wrapped in plastic in
vegetable crisper in the fridge. Have salty water or a lemon half handy to
keep it from browning in the air as you peel or cut
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Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. Can be eaten plain, with
cereal, in compote, cooked in tarts and pies. Low in fat and sodium.
70-90 calories per cup. Black raspberries and strawberries also have
calcium and 10g fiber per cup. Blueberries can be included in cake,
pancake, corn-muffin mixes, etc. Select berries of good color. Beware of
mold or packing that injures the fruit. They should not be dull or leaking.
Use within a day or two, while at peak flavor. Don't put in unventilated
containers unless washed and drizzled on sugar, honey or brandy to
prevent molding. If first chilled, are less likely to become mushy. TO
freeze them, drizzle honey (one part honey, one part water, chilled) over
the fruit and toss to coat. Spread on layers of wax paper and place in the
freezer. When all are frozen, scrape into resealable bags or boxes and use a
little at a time. Partially defrost to eat alone, or defrost for cereal, ice
cream, in drinks (lemonade to champagne)
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If you're out of brown sugar, imporvise with this: measure out granulated
sugar for the amount of brown sugar needed. Add molasses to make either
light or dark brown. Mix gently to prevent the molasses from getting
runny
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To open a jar, place a thick rubberband around the lid before you turn.
It'll keep friction and the jar will open
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Get a bottle of curry powder or dried basil (or a basil plant). Use either to
season vegetables, rice, pasta, etc. for quick meals
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Food stuck on your dishes comes off easily five minutes later if you soak
it in steaming hot water, covering the stuck-on food. Keep soaked longer
for more stubborn food
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Strawberries: don't rinse until ready to use. Keep stem on. Remove stems
only after washing berries to use. Use ripest first
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To freeze sweet Strawberries: wash and drain, remove stems and slice as
you stem. Sweeten with ? cup sugar to 4 cups sliced berries. Stir and let
stand until sugar dissolves (a few min), put into freezer containers with ?
inch head space for expansion. Put into freezer immediately. You can also
crush, sweeten and then freeze. Work with only a few quarts at a time
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To freeze whole strawberries: wash large select berries and drain well on
paper towels. Don't remove stems. Place in freezer on cookie sheet only
one layer at a time. After frozen, place in freezer bags and seal
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To remove long-encrusted grease and oil from brass and other metal items
(pots, pans, utensils), rub with plain lemon juice or soak in a solution of
lemon juice and water. Add baking soda for scrubbing. Tamarind will also
help scrub brass clean because of its sour (and hence acidic) nature.
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