More Helpful Hints

Through the years I have collected various helpful hints which you may or may not know about. I shared hints in an earlier article and received some positive feedback on them. I guess it's time to share more hints with you.

MORE HELPFUL HINTS:

Fresh lemon juice will remove onion scent from your hands

To save money, pour all leftover vegetables and the water in which they are cooked into a freezer container. When the container is full, thaw it out, add tomato juice and seasonings to create "free" soup.

Instant potatoes are a good thickener for stew.

Three large stalks of celery, chopped and added to about two cups of beans (navy, kidney, pinto, etc.) will make them easier to digest.

When cooking vegetables that grow above ground, the rule of thumb is to boil them without a cover.

A teaspoon of sugar added to water when cooking greens helps vegetables retain their fresh color.

Never soak vegetables after slicing; they will lose much of their nutritional value.

Fresh vegetables require little seasoning or cooking. If the vegetable is old, dress it up with sauces or seasonings.

To cut down on odors when cooking cabbage, cauliflower, etc.....add a little vinegar to the cooking water.

To avoid tears when cutting onions, try cutting them under cold running water or briefly placing them in the freezer before cutting. (I also know people who wear swimming goggles when they dice onions. It works!)

Perk up soggy lettuce by soaking it in a mixture of lemon juice and cold water.

Vinegar can remove spots caused by tomatoes. Soak the spot with vinegar and wash as usual.

Egg shells can be easily removed from hard-boiled eggs if they are quickly rinsed in cold water after they are boiled. Also, add a drop or two of food coloring to the boiling water to help tell the cooked eggs from the raw eggs in the refrigerator.

Keep bean sprouts and jicama fresh and crisp up to five days by submerging them in a container of water, and refrigerating them.

Fruit salads will look perfect when you use an egg slicer to make perfect slices of strawberries, kiwi or bananas.