Kitchen Tips

      THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW...
 Tips that may come in handy in the kitchen ☺

• Worried about you MILK expiry? Just add a pinch of salt with every gallon of milk. Fact: Salt slows down the rate of bacteria growth.

• BROWN SUGAR will not freeze when stored in the freezer.

• Always use tongs to turn meat on the grill to avoid piercing the meat. This keeps most of the wonderful juices inside the meat.

• Measuring honey with a spoon is pretty easy but getting it off the spoon is another matter. Rub the spoon in margarine and the honey will come off.

• Whirl almost any kind of LEFTOVER SOUP (minus bones) in blender to get a sauce or gravy for vegetables or meat.

• Cauliflower cooked in an aluminum pot will darken. Use a different kind of pot and add a little sugar, lemon peel or vinegar to the cooking water to keep cauliflower white.

• To keep celery crisp, let it stand in a pitcher of cold, salted water and refrigerate.

• After stewing a chicken for diced meat for casseroles, etc., let it cool in broth before cutting into chunks. It will have twice the flavor.

• Store cheese in your refrigerator. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Fact: Air helps mold grow on cheese.

• Black pepper, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper are excellent "after cooking" seasonings. 

• Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice have a special affinity for sweet dishes.

• General Shelf Lives For Common Items: 

    - Flour unopened: up to 12 months. Opened: 6-8 months. 

    - Sugar unopened: 2 years. Sugars do not spoil but eventually 
        may change flavor. 

    - Brown sugar unopened: 4 months. 

    - Confectioners sugar unopened: 18 months. 

    - Solid shortening unopened: 8 months. Opened: 3 months. 

    - Cocoa unopened: indefinitely. Opened: 1 year. 

    - Whole spices: 2-4 years. Whether or not opened.

 
    - Ground spices: 2-3 years. Whether or not opened. 

    - Paprika, red pepper and chili powder: 2 years 

    - Baking soda unopened: 18 months. Opened: 6 months. 

    - Baking powder unopened: 6 months. Opened: 3 months. 

    - Cornstarch: 18 months. Whether or not opened. 

    - Dry pasta made without eggs unopened: 2 years. 
        Opened: 1 year. 

    - Dry egg noodles unopened: 2 years. Opened: 1-2 months.

 
    - Salad dressing unopened: 10-12 months. Opened: 3 months if   

        refrigerated. 

    - Honey: 1 year. Whether or not opened. 

    - Ground, canned coffee unopened: 2 years. Opened: 2 weeks,   
        if refrigerated. 

    - Jams, jellies and preserves unopened: 1 year. Opened: 6  

        months if refrigerated. 

    - Peanut butter unopened: 6-9 months. Opened: 2-3 months.