Miscellaneous

Unless you know what you're doing, do not substitute or leave ingredients out of a recipe.

To quickly make juice from concentrate that is still frozen, follow directions on can, but mix with a wire whisk.

To open a jar, turn upside down and hit squarely on counter top or floor�this releases the vacuum.

To more easily pour Heinz 57 catsup, turn the bottle upside down and hit firmly on the 57 on the neck of the bottle.

Before whipping cream, place the bowl and beaters in the freezer.

Roll meatballs and cookie dough in wet hands to prevent mixture from sticking to your hands.

Paprika, chili powder, and red pepper are prone to bugs, but remain bug free when stored in the refrigerator.

To keep ground coffee fresher tasting, store unused portion in refrigerator.

Shake coffee grinder while grinding whole beans to produce a more even grind.

To measure shortening, fill measuring cup with 1 cup cold water and add shortening until level reaches the desired amount plus 1 cup.

To measure honey, molasses or syrup, coat the measuring spoon with oil. The oil prevents the sticky substance from sticking to the spoon.

Use ½ cup baking soda in an open container in the refrigerator to absorb unpleasant odors.

Store opened cookies or crackers in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator to maximize freshness.

Generally when making sauces or gravies, add ½ teaspoon salt per cup of liquid.

Generally, casseroles cooked in the oven are done when you can smell them.

To make richer gravies from a mix, substitute beef or chicken broth for water.

When scalding milk, rinse the pan in cold water before adding the milk and heating to prevent sticking.

If too much salt has been added to soup or stew, add a few peeled and cut up potatoes�potatoes absorb salt.

Always smell ingredients before using. If something smells bad, don't use it�bad smells translate to bad tastes.

To remove as much air as possible from ziploc bags, insert a straw into a bag that is almost totally closed, and suck the air out. Quickly remove the straw and close the bag.