Cheaper, Better, Faster (9 page)

Fish—better smelling hands

Before handling fish, rinse your hands in cold water and they won't smell so fishy later.

Fish—cooking time

General rule: Fish should be cooked 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Measure the thickest part of the fillet or steak; turn over the fish at the halfway point. Example: Cook a 1-inch-thick fish 5 minutes per side. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque. If a fish steak is unusually thick, check the center with a knife.

Fish—deboning

Tweezers are perfect for removing fine bones from cooked fish.

Flour—puff

Keep a powder puff in your flour container and use it for dusting cake pans before you pour in the batter.

Flour—shaker

Put flour in an old saltshaker and leave it in the freezer.
When you need to flour a pan or dust a pastry board, the shaker will save you from wrestling with a big bag and spilling flour everywhere.

Flour—sifter

A kitchen strainer works just as well as a flour sifter. Lightly press flour or powdered sugar through with the back of a wooden spoon or gently shake the strainer back and forth until the product has worked its way through.

Foil liners in pans

It sounds so simple, but it's not always that easy. Here's a way to make lining any pan with foil a cinch. Turn the pan to be lined over and lay a piece of foil over it, molding it to the exact shape of the pan. Now turn the pan right-side up and set the perfectly molded foil into it. Perfect fit every time.

Food—expiration dates

Mark a rotation date on any food container that does not already have an expiration date on the package. Store the food in airtight, pest-resistant containers in a cool, dark place. Most canned foods can safely be stored for at least 18 months. Low-acid canned foods like meat products, fruits, or vegetables will normally last at least 2 years. Use dry products, like boxed cereal, crackers, cookies, dried milk, or dried fruit within 6 months.

Food—inventory

Place a chalkboard on the refrigerator. List what snacks or leftovers are available inside. This will prevent family members from eating things you're planning to have for dinner. And it will keep them from opening the refrigerator to search for snacks that may or may not be there while all the cold air leaks out.

Food
—list on display

If your supermarket receipt clearly lists every item you purchased by name, post it
on the refrigerator door. It lets everyone know what you bought so they can decide quickly what they want.

Freezer—labeling

Label and date new items for the freezer, and place them in the back. Doing this brings the older items to the front so they can be used first.

Freezer—list

Keep a current freezer inventory list posted to the outside of the freezer door. The longer you leave the door open while you look to see what's in there, the more cold air escapes and the harder the freezer has to work.

Freezer—storage

Heavy-duty freezer bags can be reused, but if you've written on them, it can get confusing. Instead, write the contents and also instructions for heating on a separate piece of paper that you can slip inside the bag. You can see through with no problem, and the bag stays blank for its future jobs.

Freezing—cakes

Freeze frosted cakes uncovered until hard, then lightly wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store unfrosted cakes and cheesecakes in plastic wrap, and freeze. Thaw all cakes with the wrapping in place to minimize condensation.

Freezing—chicken

Freeze skinless, boneless chicken breasts uncovered in a single layer, then wrap them individually and stack in resealable plastic bags. Thaw in the refrigerator, or if you're in a hurry, submerge them in the airtight bag in a bowl of cold water.

Freezing—eggs

If you have more eggs than you can use in the near future, crack them open and place them individually in an ice cube tray. Once they're frozen,
remove them and store in a resealable plastic freezer bag in the freezer. Frozen eggs should always be thawed in the refrigerator and used in recipes in which they will be thoroughly cooked.

Freezing—fish in
milk cartons

Freeze cleaned fish by packing them loosely in clean milk cartons and filling the cartons with water. When you defrost, save the water to use as fertilizer for your houseplants.

Freezing—fish with high fat content

Fish with a relatively high fat content, like salmon and trout, freeze best. Thaw, without unwrapping, at room temperature in a bowl of cold water or in the refrigerator. Before you freeze a fish, it should be cleaned, gutted, rinsed, and dried.

Freezing—ground meat

Freeze 1 pound of ground meat in a 1-gallon resealable plastic freezer bag. Flatten the meat inside the bag and you'll have a package that takes up very little space when you stand it on end in your freezer. When you want to use the meat, simply whack the package on the side of your counter to break it up; it will thaw very quickly once broken into pieces.

Freezing—heavy cream

Heavy cream can be frozen if you intend to use it for cooking, but it won't whip once it has thawed.

Freezing
—herbs

Place fresh herbs in tightly sealed plastic bags and freeze. Their color will fade slightly, but their flavor will remain true. Another method is to mince the herbs, place them into ice cube trays, and add water to freeze them in cubes.

Freezing—lemon juice

If you have an overabundance of lemons, you can squeeze the juice into ice cube trays,
freeze, and then keep cubes in a plastic bag for future use.

Freezing—liquids

Allow at least
½
inch of space for expansion when freezing liquids.

Freezing
—onions

To freeze onions, chop them and then spread the pieces out in one layer on a cookie sheet. Immediately place the cookie sheet in the freezer. When the onions are frozen, transfer them to a resealable plastic bag or container and seal.

Freezing—snack foods

Keep marshmallows, potato chips, pretzels, and crackers in the freezer. They are best if frozen in their original unopened containers.

Freezing—soups

Freeze soup or casseroles in a loaf pan. When they are hard, remove, wrap, label, and return them to the freezer. You'll have use of your pan again immediately, and the product will easily stack in the freezer.

Freezing—soups not
to freeze

Don't freeze soups containing milk, cream, or coconut milk, which can separate or curdle.

Freezing—vegetables

Blanch vegetables before freezing. They contain enzymes that, if the action is not stopped, will cause vegetables to become coarse and flavorless. To blanch, drop fresh vegetables into boiling water, followed by a complete immersion into ice water. Work with small batches. Blanching time depends on the type of vegetable. For example, boiling time for green beans is 2
½
minutes while asparagus should boil for 3 minutes. Find a handy blanching times chart at
http://www.ochef.com/617.htm
.

Freezing—whipped cream in dollops

Whipped cream can be frozen in dollops on a flat sheet. Once the dollops are hard, store them in resealable plastic freezer bags.

Freezing—whipped
cream in milk carton

Fill a milk carton with whipped cream and freeze. When you need some, cut the required amount off the top with a carving knife, carton and all. Recap the carton with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, secure with tape or a rubber band, and return to the freezer.

Fresher—asparagus

Asparagus will stay fresher longer if you set the spears upright in a container in the refrigerator with the cut ends sitting in an inch of water.

Fresher—bananas, plastic bag

If you store bananas in a closed plastic bag, they will keep at least 2 weeks on your counter.

Fresher—bananas, tree

A banana tree is a great invention that prevents bananas from bruising so they will last longer. Purchase a big cup hook and screw it into the underside of an upper cabinet. Your bananas can hang properly and be up and out of the way.

Fresher—berries

Berries keep for several days in the refrigerator if stored unwashed in a colander or in their original container with airflow. Wash right before eating.

Fresher—cookie dough

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated for at least a week, and frozen for up to a year if it has been wrapped in airtight resealable plastic freezer bags or in aluminum foil.

Fresher—cookies

Put a slice of bread in the cookie jar to absorb the moisture that causes cookies to become stale.

Fresher—cucumbers

To extend the life of a cucumber once it has been cut, wrap it in a paper towel. The cucumber will not get soggy for up to 2 weeks.

Fresher—eggs

Eggs will stay fresh all month in the refrigerator if you keep them on the shelf in their original cartons instead of putting them in the egg holder on the refrigerator door. The temperature variations from opening and closing the door cause eggs to spoil more quickly.

Fresher—lettuce

Remove the core from the lettuce head with a nonmetal utensil, fill the cavity with cold water, and drain well. Wrap the head in a clean damp towel and refrigerate. As long as you keep the towel damp, your lettuce will stay fresh and crisp.

Fresher—milk

To keep milk fresh longer, add a pinch of salt when you open it. This will greatly increase its useful shelf life and does not affect the taste in any way.

Fresher—nuts

Keep nuts in the freezer to retard spoilage. Nuts left in the pantry can become rancid.

Fresher—onions, potatoes

Cut off a leg of an old, clean pair of pantyhose, drop onions or potatoes into it, and hang it in a cool, dark place. The hose lets air circulate, which helps keep the onions or potatoes fresh longer.

Fresher—popcorn kernels

Keep popcorn kernels in the freezer. They will stay fresh much longer, and freezing will encourage every kernel to pop.

Fresher—raisins

Raisins stay fresh longer when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If they become hard, pour very hot water over them. Drain immediately, then spread them on a paper towel to dry.

Fresher—salt

Add a few rice kernels to a saltshaker in humid weather to keep the salt fresh.

Frosting—spreader

Use a 6-inch scraper or putty knife, which you can buy in hardware stores or home improvement stores, as a spreader for icing the side and top of a layer cake. It's smaller than a spatula and much easier to hold straight. Position the scraper perpendicular to the side of the cake that you've placed on a lazy Susan; hold it gently, and rotate the cake's turntable. The scraper also will maintain an even amount of frosting on the cake sides.

Frosting—
to go

To keep plastic wrap from sticking to cupcakes (and other frosted treats), spray the plastic wrap with some cooking spray. The cupcakes will arrive at their destination with the frosting intact.

Fruit—citrus peeling

When grating or cutting citrus peel, use fruit straight from the refrigerator. The fruit will be firmer and easier to handle.

Fruit—repel fruit
flies

Garnish fruit bowls with fresh basil, which repels fruit flies.

Fruit—slices without browning

Fill a spray bottle with lemon-lime soft drink to spray on apple and banana slices to prevent them from turning brown.

Fruit juice—extend
with water

Stretch concentrated fruit juice. Add more water than
instructions recommend. You will be pleasantly surprised when you detect little difference, if any. Start by adding half a can of water extra. Work up to one full can of water beyond the amount recommended.

Fruit juice—leftovers

Use the leftover juice from canned fruits to sweeten your iced tea or lemonade. This gives both the tea and the lemonade an excellent tropical flavor, and you won't waste that juice.

Fruit juice—lemon juice with no seeds

For seedless lemon juice, wrap half a lemon in a piece of cheesecloth before squeezing.

Frying—draining

When deep-frying, use only one paper towel with a thick section of newspaper under, and place food on it to drain.

Frying—grease removal

Use a turkey baster to remove grease from the frying pan as you're browning ground beef.

Frying—splatters

When frying foods, invert a metal colander over the frying pan to prevent hard-to-clean oil splatters.

Frying—sticking

Heat the frying pan before adding oil or butter. It's guaranteed to keep food from sticking.

Funnel—substitute

Make an emergency funnel out of aluminum foil, or cut the corner from a plastic bag.

Garlic—quick roasted

Trim the top of one whole head of garlic. Place in a 1-cup measuring cup with 3 tablespoons chicken broth. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave on high for about
10 minutes, until tender. Let stand 5 minutes. This is good spread on toasted French bread.

Garlic—substitute

Use
⅛
teaspoon of garlic powder in place of a clove of garlic.