If you are short on time or have ever gotten too far into a recipe that isn’t turning out, you’ll definitely want to read my 12 recipe-saving kitchen secrets.
- Need ripe bananas in a hurry? Place green bananas in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato overnight to speed up the process.
- If you like the flavor of jalapenos but are sensitive to the heat, remove not only the seeds, but the white membranes. A simple saute will help temper the heat even more.
- If you overcook a casserole and it seems a little dry, simply heat a little water or milk and stir it into the dish. No one will be the wiser.
- If you need your round veggies such as potatoes or zucchini to lie flat without rolling, use a vegetable peeler to slice a strip off the bottom to create a flat surface.
- To minimize the cook time in potato casserole recipes, parboil the potatoes in water before adding them to the other ingredients.
- If you love onions but your kids balk at the sight, try grating them in your recipes to ‘hide’ them from your kids.
- To keep oil and vinegar from separating, whisk in some mustard or honey. They contain emulsifiers and help the other ingredients to play nicely together in the bottle.
- Always tear fresh basil as opposed to cutting it to keep it from turning brown. If you must chop fresh basil, try blanching it for just a few seconds first to prevent browning.
- When keeping a dish warm, tent in lieu of covering with aluminum foil. This will allow steam to escape and keep foods warm but free from moisture buildup.
- If you’ve added too much salt to a soup or stew, simply cut up a potato and add it to the broth. The potato will absorb the extra salt. Remove potato before serving.
- Got lumps and chunks when you want something smooth? Press your ingredients through a mesh strainer. This will give you silky deviled eggs, delicate pudding or extra smooth and fluffy potatoes.
- Use unsalted butter when cooking and baking to control the amount of salt in the recipe. Also, unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life so you are always buying a fresher butter than its salty cousin who can hang out in the refrigerator section for weeks.
