Food Facts

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1. Pears over-ripe? Peel, core and slice them, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 375-degrees until soft. Eat as is or spoon on some vanilla frozen yogurt and Grape- Nuts cereal.
2. Use rhubarb to clean your pots and pans (no joke!) If your pots and pans are burnt, an application of rhubarb over the afflicted area will bring back the shine in next to no time.
3. When kneading bread dough or decorating sugar cookies on your kitchen table, place masking tape over the seams of the table. This will prevent ingredients from getting between the table's leaves, which makes clean up a breeze.
4. Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick cookware by boiling 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again, season it with salad oil.
5. Burnt food can be removed from a glass baking dish by spraying it with oven cleaner and letting it soak for 30 minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.
6. To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.
7. To easily shred cheese, put in freezer for 30 minutes first. The firmer cheese is, the less likely to make a gooey mess on your grater.
8. Bread that will not be used in a couple of days should be frozen and then thawed a little while before the next time you need it.
9. If you are out of coffee filters, don't use a paper towel. Use a handkerchief instead - the coffee will taste much better.
10. Store peeled potatoes: Mix a teaspoon of vinegar in cold water and keep the potatoes in it. This will keep them fresh for four to five days.
11. To keep biscuits fresh for a longer time, keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the biscuit jar.
12. Use less sugar and make your tea taste different by dissolving old-fashioned lemon drops, or hard mint candy in your tea.
13. When cleaning a bowl in which you've mixed flour, wash it with cold water instead of hot. Hot water binds with the flour and makes the resulting dough more difficult to remove.
14. To cut thick-rinded winter squash, pierce it with a fork several times then microwave on high for a minute or two. Let the squash stand a few minutes before cutting.
15. Check the freshness of an egg: Simply place it in a glass of cold water. If it is not fresh, it will float to the surface. If it is fresh, it will stay on the bottom of the glass.
16. Drink tea? Bob your tea bag up and down in your tea to release five times the polyphenols, the powerful antioxidants in tea.
17. For hard to peel oranges, place the oranges in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and let them stand for about ten minutes. The peels and the white membranes can then be easily removed.
18. For flavored coffee without the expense of pre-made, purchase coffee beans and add flavorings such as chocolate, cinnamon sticks or toasted almonds with the beans before grinding.
19. Keep a pair of diving goggles in your kitchen for cutting onions - they make the job tear-free!
20. Out of butter or margarine for a grilled sandwich? Try using mayonnaise and grill just as you would using butter. It works and is tasty, too!
21. Save empty Pringle cans for storing left over cones from a sealed 12-pack to keep the cones fresh.
22. Always use tongs when turning meat on the grill. This way, you'll avoid piercing the meat, which causes it to lose its natural juices.
23. To make cook-out clean-ups easier, take a preventive step and spray the cooking grill with non-stick spray before placing the grid over the coals. Food won't stick nearly as much as it does on an untreated grid.
24. Fast Starter -- Stuff a crumbled sheet of newspaper under your coals, then roll another sheet of news paper into a cone and poke it through the coals to the paper to form a chimney. Ignite the paper. It will carry the fire into your charcoal.
25. Make a fruit dip by blending mustard with orange, apricot or raspberry jam.
26. Blend mustard with a zesty barbecue sauce for a zesty grilling sauce.
27. Brush mustard on pork chips or chicken, then coat with herbed bread crumbs and bake.
28. Brush hot dogs with grapeseed oil to give the skin a gentle crispness. Grapeseed oil has a higher smoking point and therefore will not burn as easily.
29. Teach old dogs new tricks with unexpected condiments such as jalapenos or sweet onion sauce.
30. Give dogs a spicy twist by rubbing garlic cloves or spice rubs on the bun before grilling.
31. Whenever you empty a jar of dill pickles, use the left-over juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pans. Just pour the juice in a large bowl, set the pan in the juice for about 15 minutes. Comes out looking like new.
32. Instead of using expensive silver cleaners, put a dab of toothpaste on a clean rag and rub it on your precious possession. After you've rubbed it in, just clean it with another clean rag. Your silver will look like new.
33. To clean copper bottoms on pots and pans, simply open a can of tomato soup paste, rub it on and scrub then rinse. If you do this weekly, your pots and pans stay shiny clean. This is a very inexpensive way to clean copper and brass items!
34. Stains and sediment in cut glass or hobnob bowls or vases respond to olive oil. Pour some in and let stand until the stains or sediment disappear.
35. Clean eyeglasses: Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
36. Do not use metal bowls when mixing salads. Use wooden, glass or china.
37. Once you have brought your strawberries home, store them in a large container with a dry paper towel at the bottom. Before serving, wash them (stems attached) under cold water. Strawberries are high in vitamin C and are a good source of dietary fiber.
38. Buy blueberries that are fairly firm with no signs of mold. Store them in a shallow dish covered with a paper towel and plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Blueberries are rich in vitamin C and a source of dietary fiber.
39. Choose full, round, bright-colored raspberries that have not been flattened or bruised. Raspberries can be stored in your refrigerator for up to three days and should be washed only before serving. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.
40. Lettuce keeps better if you store in refrigerator without washing first so that the leaves are dry. Wash the day you are going to use.
41. To make your own corn meal mix: combine 1-cup corn meal, 1-cup all-purpose flour, 1/2-teaspoon salt, and 4-teaspoons baking powder. You can store it in a tightly covered container for up to 6 months.
42. Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get before squeezing.
43. Cranberry Cubes: Fill ice trays with white cranberry juice drink for clear cubes that add a burst of flavor as they melt, or try cranberry juice cocktail for crimson color and flavor.
44. Cranberry Fruit Pops: Fill small paper cups with cranberry juice cocktail or any cranberry blend, then place a strawberry in each cup. Insert a popsicle stick in each strawberry (the berries help hold the sticks up straight) and freeze until solid.
45. Slushies in Seconds: Just pour your favorite cranberry juice blend over a large cup of shaved ice.
46. Poison Ivy...how do you get rid if it? Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water; spray the solution on the plants leaves and stems.
47. Keep your sink sponge smelling fresh by pouring a little lemon juice on it after each use.
48. Make your windows shine: mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 2 cups water; put the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray window, then wipe clean.
49. Create blonde highlights: Spray hair with a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup water. Relax in the sun until desired result.
50. Whiten whites: Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the wash cycle. Air dry in the sun.
51. Whiten and brighten fingernails: soak fingernails in a mixture of 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 cup water for 5 minutes on a regular basis.
52. Relax in the tub and enjoy the natural lemony scent: add 1/2 cup lemon juice to your bathwater. Even better with some sea salts and rosemary.
53. Keep your toothbrush looking fresh and clean: soak toothbrushes in 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 2 cups water for 5 minutes each week.
54. Remove odors from cutting boards by rinsing them gently with lemon juice and then letting them air dry.
55. Make your stainless steel sink and copperware sparkle by gently rubbing the surface with lemon juice and salt, then rinsing.
56. Freshen dishwasher by adding 1/4 cup lemon juice and run a quick rinse cycle.
57. Deodorize your room: boil 1/2 cup lemon juice with 2 cups water; let them evaporate.
58. A 12 ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.
59. Make healthful soda by flavoring seltzer water with small amounts of fruit juice for much less sugar and no caffeine. Bottle a batch in empty clean water bottles.
60. Remove grease spots off of your stove, countertop and refrigerator by applying one tablespoon lemon, then wipe clean.
61. To make big ice cubes for your pitcher of iced tea or lemonade, use muffin tins as ice cube trays.
62. To keep flour fresh and free of bugs store in freezer in a sealed freezer bag.
63. When your drinks, like tea, get watered down, take your favorite drink and make ice cubes out of them. As they melt, your drink won't lose it's flavor. Apply this approach to lemonade, too.
64. For a nutrient-packed meal, top pasta with chopped or mixed vegetables and a favorite bottled sauce.
65. Pairing pasta with legumes, such as beans and lentils, or low-fat dairy products makes for protein-rich, but inexpensive and delicious meatless meals.
66. Rusted strainers? Just warm the rusted strainers on high heat, then dust thoroughly and the rust will disappear.
67. Make a nutritious frozen snack: Pour applesauce into freezer pop forms and freeze for at least two hours. Mix in maple syrup, cinnamon, berries or granola for a tasty change of pace.
68. Top waffles and pancakes with a layer of cinnamon applesauce and a spoonful of vanilla yogurt.
69. Great for upset tummies: BRAT - Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast remedy is recommended by family doctors and pediatricians.
70. For a sweet surprise, sprinkle some sweetened dried cranberries on a peanut butter sandwich instead of adding jelly.
71. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
72. If your cake recipe calls for nuts, heat them first in the oven, then dust with flour before adding to the batter to keep them from settling to the bottom of the pan.
73. Overripe and difficult to use tomatoes? Dip them in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight. They will be fresh and firm to the touch next day.
74. Biting on a clove or rubbing clove oil on the tooth cavity itself will relieve the pain.
75. To keep cauliflower white while cooking, add a little milk to the water to cook it.
76. Loose tea lasts about a year. Tea bags last for a shorter amount of time. If you use an old tea bag, it is best to leave it in the hot water for a longer amount of time.
77. To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher, no need to wait for it to thaw!
78. Ice Cubes - For people who don't like drinking water because of its lack of or funny taste, use fruit juice, kool-aid, etc. to make ice cubes to add to your water.
79. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
80. If you have a problem opening jars try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a on-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
81. When browning ground meat, brown several pounds and drain. Divide evenly in freezer containers and freeze. Unthaw in microwave for quick fixing next time.
82. Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce during ripening.
83. Cheese will not harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing.
84. Sausage patties rolled in flour before frying won't crack open during cooking.
85. Sunlight does not ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.
86. Two drops of yellow food coloring added to boiling noodles will make them look homemade.
87. Fresh fish freeze well in a milk carton filled with water.
88. If you want to pack a cupcake in your lunch, but hate the mess, try this tip. Slice the cupcake in half in the middle and put the frosting on the inside. No more mess!
89. Brighten your pots and pans by boiling 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1 cup water in them and letting them sit for 10 minutes.
90. To add sugar to cold tea, dissolve the sugar first in a glass of hot water to avoid those hard sugar crystals floating around in your tea.
91. Pumpkin Tip: Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice inside your carved Jack O' Lantern. When you put in a lit candle, the flame's heat will spread the fantastic aroma like a pie in the oven!
92. To remove excess fat floating on top of meat or poultry gravy before serving, lightly drag a paper towel across the surface. If necessary repeat and then serve.
93. Champagne is not recommended for cooking. It is a waste of the bubbly. You can use Champagne vinegar to achieve the acidic qualities desired or a dry white wine.
94. To neutralize burnt food odors in the house, mix 1/2 cup whole cloves with 2 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer cloves for 15-30 minutes. The house smells wonderful and the burnt odor is gone.
95. To reduce the acidic nature in some tomato based sauces use a pinch or two of sugar.

See also:  BellyBytes.com Food Facts