12.31.07
Helpful Kitchen Tips
These are some of the tips I learned from my Mama, Great-Grandmother and mother. They have come in handy more times than I can remember. They are tried and true. Some are very old fashioned in this day and time, but they still work.
Kitchen Tips:
1) Always have an unused clean toothbrush in the kitchen sink. It is very useful for cleaning fresh vegetables. Have a second one of different color for cleaning graters, beaters, choppers and other kitchen appliances that might need alittle extra scrubbing.(I even keep an old one around for cleaning around the sink and stove top.) It is far less expensive than the scrubbers you can buy at the store.
2) To clean aluminum pans that have darkened. Boil 1 quart of water in them and add 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar, boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, cool then wash as usual.
3) Wash old powder puffs in soapy water,rinse well, dry thoroughly. Then use to polish silverware,silver tea sets, brass, or copper items. (this has worked wonders for me)
4) If a dish has a crack in it boil it in sweet milk for 45 minutes and the crack will weld itself and hardly be visible and be as strong as before. (I have never tried this but it could work. Who knows ?)
5) Always preheat the oven for 10 minutes prior to using it.
6)Always have an oven thermometer. As oven temperatures vary.
7)Always keep a damp rag or sponge around for cleaning up spills. Get a new dish cloth daily. If you have a dishwasher put the sponge in nighty when you run the dishwasher for the final time to keep it disinfected.
When doing dishes by hand always add alittle bleach to kill all germs. ( I do this and I know the amount of colds in my household has dropped by half since I started doing this.)
9)Before I cook fish or any other odorous foods I always light a vanilla scented candle to remove the odors from the air. I burn the candle as close to the stove as possible.
10) Before I chop an onion I place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes. This way I chop tear free.
11) After chopping onions or garlic I always wash my hand with either lemon juice,and soap and a butter knife in my soapy hands. Or I use lemon scent dish detergent and the knife. This sounds stupid I know but it works.
12)Keep spices for about only nine months in a cool dry place. I keep mine in the freezer.
13) Always keep coffee in an airtight container in the freezer. This will keep it at it’s freshest.
14) Place rice in your salt shakers during the humid months to keep it from clumping.
15) My Mama always kept a stick of spearmint gum in her flour to keep out bugs. (I do this also. I do not know if it works but I have never had a bug of any kind in my flour.)
16) Keep storage bags of varying sizes around for storing leftovers, the last few slices of bread , ect. in.
17)If you must you can freeze egg whites. I freeze mine when I need to in Ice cube trays. Once they are frozen, I remove them and store them in freezer bags.
18) Freeze your SOS/Brillo pads in the freezer after each use and you will extend the usages you will get out of them as they wont rusk. I keep mine in an old butter tub in the freezer.
19) Place your cooking oil in a spray bottle. This way you will use less and save money. It is also healthier since you are using far less than if you poured it straight from the bottle.
20) If you have a garbage disposal place a few ice cubes and pour lemon juice in it while its running to sharpen and clean the blades and to remove odors.
21) If the kitchen sink is draining slowly add some baking soda and vinegar to the drain.Once it stops bubbling pour boiling water down the drain. It should drain quicker and smell fresh.
Don’t forget to check out Mamas Country Bookstore. Just click the link in the lower right hand corner of this page. We have lots of great Southern,Country,and Amish cookbooks available. So check us out and let us know what you think.
See ya’ll again soon.
Patti