Cooking & Food Prep Tips & Techniques

• Vida Mann from Monroeville, Ohio sent in the following two tips: After chopping or mincing onions or green peppers I put them in freezer bags and press them flat. Makes breaking off the amount needed easy.
• To devein shrimp, instead of an icepick, use a small Philips-head screwdriver with a short handle -- it works quite well !
• Laura Pazzaglia from San Mateo, California writes: We purchase meat in bulk and as soon as I get it home I separate it in freezer bags in portions for four. Then, I fill each bag with a different "marinade.".Some get rosemary sprigs, others sage, yet others cut lemons, and some even orange juice or wine. That way, if we'd like meat for dinner I put one of these bags in the fridge in the morning before leaving for work and... voila, it's defrosted and marinated by evening. All I have to do is pour the contents in a pan and throw it in the oven.
• Jan say she husks corn and removes most of the silk inside a plastic grocery bag to prevent a kitchen . She then uses a paper towel instead of a brush to remove excess silk from the corn, with no damage to the kernels.
• Fran from Kentucky suggests when a recipe calls for oil and honey, measure the oil in a measuring cup first and then measure the honey in the same cup. Every drop of the honey will easily slide out.
• Salahqpp from Dammam writes: To have peel free tomatoes to use as a cooking ingredient, cut tomatoes in halves and place face down in a microwave vessel and microwave for 5 minutes or less. The skin peels away easily.
• Heidi Coeler from Thousand Oaks, California has an ingenious way of recycling burnt garlic bread. Heidi scraped off the black burnt part and grated the rest to make flavorful breadcrumbs.
• Lee Ann Reiners of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania uses squeeze margarine containers to freeze water and juice in. She then uses them to chill her picnic cooler. As the drinks melt, they can be consumed.
• Liz had a tip to pass on. She couldn't remember where she originally read it, but she says it works beautifully: For easy peeling of hardboiled eggs, cook in a vegetable steamer for 15-20 minutes, instead of boiling.
• Beverly K. Tudor from Port Neches, Texas uses a teaspoon to scrape a section of fresh ginger root instead of a knife. Beverly says it's much, much safer and faster.
• Sue from Duluth, Minnesota writes: As I read today about using a pastry blender for potato salad, I chuckled. I have used one for years for egg salad and thought I was strange! It dices the eggs so easily.
• Donna Reece from Janesville, Wisconsin uses a metal pastry cutter to break up ground beef into fine pieces when cooking.
• Tracey Burnt says "To avoid milk from boiling over and spilling, add a drop of vinegar to the milk at boiling point, it won't boil over.
• When reheating soup, Granny from Winnipeg suggests using a double boiler. The hot water in the bottom part of the boiler does the trick with no burned or boiled over soup.
• A tip from Molly's House: Store coffee in the freezer. It keeps the coffee fresh from the first to last cup. "Now I put enough coffee into small snack size zip lock bags to make 8 cups, then store them in the freezer. It's a little extra work when you first do it, but saves time when you're in a hurry. I store the little bags in a larger bag. Just pop it out and you're ready to go in a few seconds without having to measure and count. When you're down to the last couple of bags you know it's time to buy more."
• Deb Freeman from London, England uses oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf. A bonus is more nutrition and fiber in your diet.
• Andie B. from Seattle, Washington says, "For brown bag lunches, use frozen bread. By the time you're ready to eat it, the bread is moist and delicious.
• D. Giller finds it handy to carry a couple of cans of evaporated milk on camping trips when making pancakes or waffles or any other recipe that calls for milk. Mix half milk and half water to use as a milk substitute in recipes. Covered tightly it last longer in the fridge than regular milk.
• Loretta from Galt, California uses a potato masher (the type that is small squares on the masher end) to smooth gravies and sauces. No more lumps!
• Mariann Nichols from Fort Worth, Texas has a fabulous wine tip: If you don't have time to cool your white or red wines before serving, add 2-3 frozen grapes in your glass. White grapes for white wine and red grapes for red wine. It will cool your wine and you will have a treat at the bottom of the glass.
• When serving any roast, gravy, and mashed potatoes, use the water the potatoes were cooked in as the liquid for the gravy. Sally Lunn from Spring Hill, Florida says the final dish will be much more flavorful.
• Sally's mother contributed this meatloaf tip: When using bread as a filler in meatloaf, moisten the bread and whip it together with the egg, liquid, and other ingredients. The result is a more uniform texture.
• M.Sharp from Modesto, California suggests that when baking a cake, instead of dusting the pans with flour, use granulated sugar. The cakes come out of the pan just as easy and taste better with that little bit of melted sugar on them.
• The Danbury Clan from Trenton, New Jersey writes in with the following tip: To save pot watching and burning of the bottom of the pots when making spaghetti sauce, place your sauce in an oven safe dish and place in the oven -- no higher than 300 degrees. It can be left to cook slowly for hours without burning -- just stir every now and then.
• Kay from California cooks crumbled hamburger meat for spaghetti sauce or tacos in boiling water to save fat and calories. After cooking, place in a collander and run hot water over it to rinse much of the fat away.
• Dottie from Pensacola, Florida wrote in with another use for the plastic bags from cereal boxes. Use them for coating or breading chicken or other meats and vegetables to be fried. The bags are sturdy enough to handle the job and it's much neater than dredging.
• Sue O. from Rancho Cucamonga, California wrote in with this tip: Whether for Italian meals or cocktail meatballs, form meatballs and drop into boiling water, one at a time. They'll cook quickly, keep their shape and the grease will drain into the water! Cook for a few minutes and voila -- meatballs to use or freeze on a cookie sheet. When frozen-bag 'em. Your next meal will be ready in minutes, no need to thaw, just drop needed amount into sauce and heat!
• Keep a large bowl in the counter when cooking. Put all trash, cuttings, etc. into it as you go. Then, make ONE trip to the trash can when the meal and cleanup is done. Saves time and steps! (also from Sue O.)
• J.M. Campbell from Fort Myers, Florida writes in with this frugal idea: Save and rinse the plastic bags from your cereal boxes to use for convenient and cost free freezer wrap. Works especially well for meats. Waste not--want not.
• Marion Brush from Ontario, Canada saves on fat when making mashed potatoes by setting aside some of the potato water that the potatoes were cooked in and adding it to the potatoes when mashing them. Marion says it makes the potatoes just as fluffy and tasty, but without the fat.
• Burnice Gerono from Hamilton, Ontario, keeps a plastic quilt ruler with her baking supplies and uses it to measure pastry and pasta squares or strips, or to measure cakes or squares to cut into equal portions.
• M.Sharp from Modesto, California suggests that when baking a cake. instead of dusting the pans with flour, use granulated sugar instead. The cakes come out of the pan easier and taste better with that little bit of melted sugar on them.
• When cooking fresh apples for pies or sauces, the yield is about 50%. 1 pound raw apples equal 1/2 pound cooked.
• 4 lemons yield about 1 cup of juice.
• 10 limes yield about 1 cup juice.
• 1 orange yields about 1 tablespoon of grated zest.
• 1 pound of oranges yields about 1 cup of juice.
• Pete from Queens, New York wrote in with these great pasta tips: Pasta comes in many shapes. My genuine Sicilian Grandmother taught me long ago never to use pasta with a ribbed texture because it does not cook evenly. When cooking pasta, after adding the pasta to the water keep stirring until it starts to boil again to keep it from clumping up and sticking.
• Mich from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has the scoop on how to make your sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave: Slice ripe tomatoes thinly and place on a microwave safe plate and cook for 45 minutes on 30% power. Store dry in a plastic zipper bag or in a jar covered in good olive oil.
• From Forva: When you buy a peppers (any color) or even onions, and you end up with a little or a lot left over, cut them into slices for stir-frys, or little bits for flavoring recipes, adding to sauces, dips, salsas etc, and freeze. I use the plastic take-away containers that salads are sold in. A chunk breaks off the frozen whole easily, giving you access to a small amount should you need it. The vegetables don't need to be thawed before use.
• Also from Forva: What is my most used kitchen tool? My scissors. I use them for cutting anything everything -- e.g. spring onions (scallions), celery leaves and tips, parsley; chopping large lettuce into smaller pieces; cutting steak, lamb backstraps, or chicken breasts into strips for stir frys; trimming bread or cheese slices; chopping mushrooms and mint. Buy a sharp pair and keep it for food only. Cutting paper, cardboard and plastic will make your scissors blunt.
• A squeeze bottle can be one of your best kitchen friends. Fill it with barbecue sauce or marinade for easy basting. Or on the sweet side, fill it with fruit coulis or chocolate syrup for easy dessert garnishing.
• Wearing a pair of latex dishwashing gloves makes opening jars easy as pie.
• When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar, which will help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
• Store lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit rinds in the freezer. Grate fresh citrus zest whenever you need it.
• Having trouble removing muffins or cakes from their pans? Place a wet towel beneath the hot pan and they'll usually lift out easily.
• Do you have fruit in your kitchen that's ripening quicker than you can eat it? Puree it and use in smoothies or as a topping for ice cream, pancakes or waffles. You can also freeze the purreed fruit in a plastic freezer zipper bag and use it later on.
• Karen from Peoria like to make Cinnamon rolls in a spring form pan. It easy to get the rolls out, just remove the sides of the pan.
• Use a potato peeler to make garnishes: cheese curls for savory dishes, chocolate curls for desserts.
• Soak oranges and grapefruits in boiling water for about 5 minutes to easily remove the white membrane around them.
• Make your own superfine sugar (especially handy for decorating cookies) by whirling granulated sugar in a blender or clean spice/coffee grinder.
• Need whipped cream but don't have an electric mixer? Put the cream in a bowl with a tight lid (Tupperware works well) and shake vigorously until whipped.
• To keep mushrooms white when cooking, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the butter or oil used when sauteeing.
• Lemon juice added to carrot cooking water will help keep the color bright.
• Salt added to corn's cooking water tends to make it tough, add salt after cooking.
• Looking for an easy way to butter corn? Use a pastry brush and melted butter.
• Add a splash of milk to cauliflower cooking liquid to keep the vegetable looking white.
• Make your own sun dried tomatoes - Turn oven on lowest setting. Halve or quarter tomatoes and sprinkle with equal parts salt and sugar. Bake until shriveled and slightly tough - about 12 to 14 hours. Store in the refrigerator or you can freeze for later use. You can also store in oil, in the fridge.
• To make quick garlic butter, squeeze a clove of garlic through a garlic press with a small amount of butter for perfect garlic butter for some quick toast or to season veggies, fish, chicken or whatever!
• Before discarding your empty mustard jars, get a little more out of it by making a tasty salad dressing. Depending on how much mustard is left in the jar, add about 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 or 3 tablespoons vinegar (red or white wine vinegars work well), and a clove or two of minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and shake well. You'll have a wonderful mustard vinaigrette is.
• Geraldine from Detroit says that adding a little milk to the water when boiling vegetables will help keep their colors bright.
• Janice from Wisconsin sent in this tip, handy for when you're buttering lots of corn on the cob: melt a stick of butter in a pan of hot water. The butter will float, to butter corn, simply dip in the pan, the butter sticks, the water doesn't.
• Roasting chickens or turkeys breast-side down will help keep the breast meat moister.
• Jerri from Abilene says you can make leafy vegetables crispy again by cutting off the stem, separating the stalks and adding them to a bowl of cold water in which you've mixes 3/4 cup sugar. Soak for 4 to 5 hours, drain well and refrigerate.
• You can prevent leafy vegetables from discoloring by adding a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar to the cooking water.
• A few drops of vinegar adding to the boiling water of potatoes or cauliflower will helpo keep the vegetables looking white. * To seed cucumbers, slice them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seeds from the center.
• Basil wilts quickly, but it perks up if set it in cool water for about 30 minutes.
• Use a muffin tin to substitute for individual ramekins when making individual quiches or frittatas.
• Use a grocery bag lined with several layers of paper toweling to substitute for a salad spinner. Put lettuce into bag, close then spin it around in a circle a few turns until the greens are dry and ready to dress.
• Disposable water bottles make great dispensers for salad dressings, oils and sauces.
• Freezing cooked rice makes for quick to fix meals later. o use later for stir-fries or a quick meal. Cook and cool rice, package in large plastic zipper bags, and freeze flat. Use for stir frys, side dishes or whatever your imagination comes up with.
• Before you juice a lemon, lime or orange grate off the outermost part of the rind and freeze in a zipper food storage bag. When a recipe calls for zest, just pull it from the freezer.
• Dried fruit will chop easier if you put it in the freezer for about an hour before cutting.
• Use an egg slicer to cut kiwi fruit.
• Always set your kitchen timer 5 to 10 minutes earlier than what a recipe calls for. You can always leave it in longer, but burning is forever!
• To bring butter or margarine to room temperature quickly, use a grater to shred it into your mixing bowl.
• Because most recipes call for salt and pepper you can save time by keeping a shaker filled with both. A ratio of 3/4 salt to 1/4 pepper is standard, but adjust to suit your personal tastes (I personally think that's too much salt).
• To make a pretty garnish, cut small pickles like a fan - cutting down the pickle's length but not through the bottom in thin slices. Spread slices like a fan to garnish plates.
• Deviled Egg/Stuffed Tomato Tip -- Slice small pickles and/or radishes horizontally and stand 3 or 4 slices upright in each deviled egg half or in a stuffed tomato or other stuffed veggies.
• Wash and drain large radishes, cut off the stem and hollow out, leaving a nice shell. Fill hollows with cream cheese, egg or tuna salad, liverwurst or any number f other fillings or dips.
• To make radish roses, cut off the root end, then cut 4 gashes through the red peel from the root end almost to the stem (do not cut all the way through). The thinner the slices the better. Loosen the 4 sections gently so they start to stand out from the radish. Chill in ice cubes until the "petal's start to slightly curl back. For more detail, make thin circular slices of the red skin from the outside of a second radish and insert these slices between the petals.
• For an elegant garnish to prime rib or other roast beef dishes, wash and drain medium sized turnips, pare the turnip so it can stand upright, cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil - cook until barely tender. Drain, chill then scoop out the center and fill with a horseradish/sour cream mixture.
• Use an apple corer to also core cucumbers and/or zucchini for stuffing too.
• To peel a tomato, dip quickly in a pot of boiling water (only for a few seconds). Stick a fork into the stem and use a paring knife to easily remove the skin.
• Hollowed out turnips and bell peppers make great bowls for serving dip at parties. Best of all, no dishes to wash when it's over!
• You can easily just rub the skin off carrots after they have been cooked.
• Try adding fresh mint to steamed carrots for extra zip without fat or calories.
• To add new flavor to your old cole slaw recipe, trying adding sliced black or green olives, minced jalapenos or minced bell peppers.
• For a new twist on stuffed bell peppers, try filling with leftover spaghetti or other pastas, top with cheese and bake as usual.
• Loyda Coulombe from Federal Way, Washington had this tip for making ribs: "For tender ribs on the barbeque grill I first make sure they have been cut apart (if they are beef ribs); for pork ribs I roll them up. Stand ribs up in a crock pot adding a little water so they don't stick to the bottom. Heat on high for several hours before throwing on the grill to finish cooking and soak up BBQ sauce. They come out super tender.
• Marilyn from Galt, California says that if you get the pepper on your bare hands when cutting and preparing hot peppers like jalapenos or habaneros, soak your hands in milk for a few minutes. Marilyn says the milk takes the burn away.
• Rosanda Oliphant from Portsmouth,Ohio says "For less tears when cutting onions hold onion under cold running water and slice. You may also freeze the onion and then slice it."
• When making meatloaf instead of using breadcrumbs or oatmeal (like my mom does) I use stuffing mix it gives it great flavor and is just the right filler! From Cheri Lee of Fairfield, Maine.
• Lou Ann Cates from Aurora, Illinois says "To remove the odor from your hands after slicing foods such as onions or garlic, just hold a spoon between your hands and run cold water over them! It's amazing.... it really works!
• Mary from Boston uses an egg slicer to slice mushrooms for fast, easy and uniform slices.
• Peter from Queens New York says he always saves bacon fat in the fridge. Peter uses the bacon grease to baste roasting chickens or turkeys, to add additional flavor when frying, he even adds it to potatoes when mashing. While it may not be the healthiest practice in the world, bacon fat does pack a powerful flavor punch, and as Emeril says "Pork fat rules!"
• Joanne from Vancouver, BC, Canada suggests when stuffing poultry, wrap stuffing in a cheesecloth bag. This makes removing the stuffing from the cavity incredibly simple, and no worries about bits left inside the bird. *
• Joyce from Chicopee, Massachusetts had a new method for preparing pasta. Joyce suggests you get the water boiling, shut it off add noodles, let the noodles stay in the water for 30 minutes stirring twice.drain. Perfect every time.
• Jan from Alabama says: "During the warm weather months my husband usually takes one of those igloo thermos/jugs to work with ice tea or Gatorade in it. To keep from diluting the beverage, I fill a large plastic cup with tea (or whatever) leaving enough headroom so it doesn't overflow and freeze it. Just run the cup under warm water for a few seconds, then pop out the cube and refill the cup for the next day. The one big "ice cube" takes most of the day to completely thaw, keeping the drink cold but not watered down.
• Teri Wilson from Colorado Springs, Colorado has some good meatloaf tips. She doesn't use any bread crumbs, but uses oatmeal instead. Teri also uses V-8 juice instead of ketchup or tomato juice. She just mixes it into the oatmeal then mixes that into the loaf.
• Gayle from Lawrence, Kansas says "The new flexible cutting boards are great!!! But if when using they seem to skate around on your countertop, merely place a damp towel under the cutting board. You will be amazed how it will anchor it.
• Martin the Grouch (that's his description, not mine) sent in the next two tips. Martin used to do prep work at a restaurant and says the first tip is one everyone knows but underapplies: Be like an assembly line. If you are going to do a task more than once do it all at the same time if possible. This is especially helpful in prepping ingredients like onions or garlic that might be used in a few different recipes.
• When frying fish, slice lemons thinly and put them in the pan as the fish fries, takes all the smell away. Tip from Jane Goodson Hendricks of Hampton Rds,Virginia.
• Use a melon baller to take the stems off tomatoes for less waste.
• Keri Matthews from Woodbridge, Connecticut says "To prevent whipped cream from deflating store in the fridge with a paper towel covering the container. I usually use a Tupperware container and put the paper towel under the lid before closing. You'll be amazed at how long you can keep whipped cream this way."
• Yvonne Dighton from NQ Australia send this tip: "Thaw out frozen seafood - fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish etc. in salted water. Place fish in cool water to cover then add 1/4 cup cooking salt to the water. Fish will thaw out without losing any juices, this way you end up with fish and not fish flavoured cardboard. It is also safer than attempting to thaw fish fillets out on the sinkboard.
• Estelle from Pittsburgh suggests perking up a fresh fruit salad by adding some undiluted, frozen juice concentrate, such as orange, or grapefruit.
• Larken Egleston from North Carolina says keep your mouth closed while cutting onions and you cry less. I know this step may sound strange, but it is true, keeping your mouth closed while chopping really does help.
• Sam from Hillsboro, Oregon suggests if you need to use brown sugar and you haven't used preventative measures to keep it from hardening try putting it in your microwave for a short amount of time.
• From NeNe in Tennesse - "When ever I need to mix tuna for tuna salad I first put all ingredients in a 1 gallon sealable plastic bag, remove excess air, then I just blend ingredients by squeezing the bag. Then I snip off 1 corner to squeeze out the amount I need for sandwiches, salads, and etc. This idea can be used with many other foods such as deviled eggs, seafood salad, meatloaf, seasoned ground beef for the grill and so on. This is extra nice to prepare foods on camp-outs, picnics, or carry dish for get-togethers (and a lot easier to transport). Enjoy the food and an EASY clean-up.
• Did you get any chocolates for Christmas, Valentine's Day or Easter? Save the plastic inserts from the box and use to make decorative ice cubes for summer drinks. They can be reused many times.
• When grilling vegetables or tofu, instead of using a pastry brush to brush on marinade, use a large sprig of rosemary, which will impart additional flavor to your foods.
• To quickly and easily melt chocolate or carob, place in a metal bowl and put this in the oven, with the temperature turned on the lowest possible setting. Close the door. After about 5 minutes, turn the oven off. In about 10 minutes, the chocolate should be melted.
• Lou from Southern California adds a natural tenderizer to chicken, beef and lamb, by sprinkling with fresh lemon juice.
• If you want your rice to be light, fluffy and separated, try cooking with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
• A ice pick can make quick work of peeling and de-veining shrimp. Just run the pick down the back towards the tails - the shell and vein are gone in one easy step!
• The top half of a double boiler works great for reheating leftover mashed potatoes.
• A reader from New Zealand says that if you rip fresh basil, rather than cutting it, you'll avoid the edges turning dark and unattractive.
• GP Maksym from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada says that if you store your onions in the fridge crisper drawer, you'll get less tears when slicing.
• Jan from southeast Alabama had this time saving tip: "I pre-season/marinade all my meat before I stick it in the freezer. Steaks, roasts chicken etc. By the time they have frozen & thawed out they're well marinated. This is great for those "Oops I forgot...." days! Ground beef gets your basic seasonings, then I make a few burgers out of it, split the rest into 1 lb. packages and freeze it. Then all I have to do is add the extras for chili, or meatballs, meatloaf. If I run out but still have the burgers, I use those instead."
• This tip and the following four are from the book Food FAQs: Substitutions, Yields & Equivalents by Linda Resnick and Dee Brock. Click here for more information about this invaluable resource. Tip: As a general rule, you can expect to get 1 1/2 to 2 cups of nutmeat from 1 pound of nuts in their shells.
• Fresh, frozen and canned fruits are generally interchangeable in equal measures in recipes.
• To get approximately 1/2 cup of fruit puree, use 4 ounces of fresh berries or juicy fruit or 1 cup of cooked and drained berries or juicy fruit.
• When stiffly beaten, egg whites will expand to approximately 6 times their unwhipped volume. But they will not whip up if even a speck of yolk is included or if the dishes or utensils used for whipping have any oil or fat on them.
• If you need to thinly slice raw meat: beef, pork or chicken, the job will be much easier if the meat is slightly frozen.
• Shirley from San Francisco offers this tip: "When I make soup, after it's defatted I set aside a portion, add whatever spices I want, cook it down some, then freeze it in ice cube trays. I keep the soup-cicles in a plastic bag and add a few to the pan when I steam vegetables."
• Charlee S from Missouri has a tip for cooking hamburgers more evenly and avoiding the sydrome of well done edges and rare centers. Charlee makes a tiny hole, about the what your index finger could fit through, in the middle of her burgers. During grilling, the hole in the middle will disappear but the center will be cooked the same as the edges.
• Control the flames on a barbecue grill by having a pint spray bottle of water mixed with 1 teaspoon baking soda.
• A batter made with baking soda should be put into the oven as soon as possible after baking as the leavening actioning starts to take effect immediately upon contact with liquids.
• If you have a recipe that uses just egg whites, you can refrigerate the yolks for later use by storing them, unbroken, in a small bowl, covered with cold water for up to two days.
• To tame the heat in hot peppers, remove the seeds (which carry a lot of heat). You can also soak the peppers in sugar water for about an hour to put out even more of the fire (especially helpful when making stuffed peppers). Use 2 cups water to 2 tablespoons sugar. This tip is from the book High Flavor, Low Fat Mexican Cooking by Steven Raichlin.
• Prevent dried fruit or nuts from sinking to the bottom of your batters by coating them lightly with flour first.
• Lynda Norvitch from St. Paul, Minnesota writes that she has good luck using instant potato flakes to thicken stews.
• Duane, from Vancouver, British Columbia is able to avoid onion chopping tears by putting the onions in the freezer for about 20 minutes before chopping.
• Ann M. Hall from Florida sent in onion tip: "To remove onion odor from hands, rub your hands over your stainless steel sink. I don't know how or why this works but it does. I use this method every time I cut up an onion."
• Nanibon wrote from Malaysia to suggest cleaning ginger (stripping it of its skin ) by scraping with a spoon as opposed to a knife. Nanibon finds the method safer, should you slip oer the uneven surface of the root. No cut fingers!
• Marti in Mercer says, "I used to have a hard time peeling hard boiled eggs. Now when they are done cooking, I drain them and then shake the pot vigorously so shells crack really well, then cool them in cold water. The shells practically fall off."
• Mary McLuckie from Redding, California keeps pancake batter from sticking to spatulas, especially plastic ones, by first spraying with Pam or other cooking sprays.
• Mary also had this tip for pies: "Before placing double crusted pies in the oven, loosely wrap aluminum foil around pie crust edges. This will help the edges from browning too quickly. Remember to remove the aluminum about 10 minutes before pies are ready to come out of the oven so the crust is properly browned."
• Measuring Honey or Molasses is easier if you first spray the measuring cup lightly with Pam says C. Perez of Mexico City, Mexico. The sticky liquid will slide right out.
• Add a cup of water to the bottom of a broiling pan to absorb grease and smoke.
• Thaw frozen fish in milk. The milks helps to draw out the "frozen" taste. Discard the milk before cooking.
• Mary Hasche, from Wisconsin suggests that if you have leftover scalloped potatoes, use them as a base for cream soups.
• For flouring or breading food it's easier if you put it in a plastic bag with the flour and shake the bag. Quick and clean.
• Before unmolding a gelatin mold, wet the plate. This will allow you to move and center the gelatin easily.
• Don't want to wait for butter to soften? Grate it with a small hand grater instead.
• D. Cant (a wine lover, perhaps?) writes in from British Columbia with this great timesaving tip: "To avoid cutting onions, garlic, peppers and other spices every time you cook just prepare a big batchin advance. I use onions, green peppers, red peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and other spices like basil, oregano, pepper and blend to a paste in a blender. Freeze the paste in ice cube trays and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Each cube is a serving so you don't have to keep cut vegetables in the fridge and speed up your cooking by getting exactly the amount of spices you need. If you are cooking 4 servings use 3-4 cubes depending on how spicy you like it."
• If you run out of coffee filters and are too lazy to run to the store, try using a paper towel instead.
• If honey becomes crystallized, it is still good, just warm it up in a mocrowave or put in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. A quick stir and it will be as good as new.
• To get snowy white potatoes, add a teaspoon of vinegar or fresh lemon juice to the boiling water.
• A double boiler is handy for re-heating leftover mashed potatoes.
• Do potatoes fly all over the kitchen when you mash them? You can avoid this mess by cutting the potatoes into small pieces before cooking.
• Save time and nutrients by peeling potatoes for potato salad, after boiling.
• To prevent the mess of boiled over potatoes, or other starchy foods, add a pat of butter to the boiling water.
• Betty Brotherton of Williamstown, New Jersey has a suggestion for stabilizing whipped cream. Dissolve 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in a little bit of water and beat it into whipping cream to keep it from turning watery.
• Sherri from Fort Worth, Texas has the secret for making perfect hard-boiled eggs. Place eggs in saucepan with water to cover as usual. When water comes to a boil remove from heat and let set 20 min covered. The eggs will finish cooking, yolks perfectly centered and no green every time.
• When making potato salad, add the dressing to warm potatoes for the best flavor. Once cooled, the potatoes will not absorb the dressing as well.
• To revive marshmallows that have become hard, place them in a plastic bag with a couple slices of fresh bread. Seal the bag and after a few days the marshmallows will be as good as new.
• Dried out coconut can be revitalized by sprinkling with milk and letting it stand for about ten minutes.
• Sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice inside your Jack O' Lantern to give the air a spice aroma!
• Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to keep the ice cream from dripping.
• After squeezing lemons for cooking, freeze the rinds. Whenever you need freshly grated lemon zest, you can grate it from the frozen lemons. Saves a trip to the store or buying a lemon just for a small amount of zest.
• When shelling pecans, if you want them to come out whole, pour some boiling water over the pecans and let them sit for thirty minutes before cracking.
• To chop nuts, place in a plastic zipper bag and roll with a rolling pin.
• Betty Boop of Caldwell, Idaho (no kidding, that's what she said her name was) puts ordinary drinking straws to good use: To hull strawberries, use a sturdy plastic straw. Push it up through the bottom of the strawberry and through the top. It does a great job quickly and neatly. The berries look excellent if you want to leave them whole.
• Shirley K from Michigan has a great way to keep drinks cold at your next party. Chill your cans and bottles of pop by putting in top load washer and covering with ice. After you have removed all the drinks just spin out the water.
• When you are making homemade Jelly or jam using products like Surejell or Ball pectin, on your final boil after adding the suga,r add a half teaspoon of butter or margarine and it will not foam. This tip from Phil Street, Jonesboro, Indiana.
• Nick from Bowie, Maryland says "a high quality hard boiled egg slicer makes easy work of slicing mushrooms for sauces or salads; it will also slice strawberries and peeled kiwi fruits perfectly."
• Bettye VanderVeen, Bentonville, Arkansas suggests opening cans of things that settle (like beans or chili) from the bottom. The ingredients come out much easier. If you have a can that can't be opened from the bottom, Bettye says that storing it upside-down will also help.
• Judy Forte from Revenna, Ohio says you can prevent pasta from boiling over while cooking by rubbing a small amount of butter or shortening around the rim of the pan. It really works. No need to add oil to the water and have all that wonderful sauce run off.
• Phil Brady of Evanston, Indiana has a unique idea for green tomatoes. "Instead of breading and frying those wonderful green tomatoes (which is a perfectly delicious way of enjoying them), cut off the outside meaty part leaving the skin on. Cut into bite sized pieces and sautee in extra virgin olive oil with onion pieces of about the same size. I like to cook this over a medium high heat until the tomatoes begin to brown. All you need is salt and pepper and a big glass of iced tea!!"
• Meriel from Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a frugal way of making use of lemons or limes that are past their prime. "Squeeze limes or lemons that are starting to get too old and freeze the juice in small containers. When you need a tablespoon of juice pop it into the microwave and you are ready to go."
• Guido Valentino, a Fabulous Foodie from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, suggests not adding oil to the pot when cooking pasta. Some believe it stops the sticking together of the pasta. It probably does, but when you put your tomato sauce (or gravy as Guido calls it), over the pasta, it just rolls off.
• When cooking pasta or rice (brown, long grain or wild rice), cook extra. Freeze 1 cup servings in zip lock bags. It heats quickly in the microwave for quick meals. Submitted by wellness consultant Lori Thibideau.
• Grill or pan fry (in a sprayed, nonstick skillet), many boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Season them with seasoned salt and garlic powder. Cool and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place wrapped chicken breasts in a large zip lock bag and keep in the freezer. These are great for a quick cesar salad, barbecue chicken salad (warmed in microwave with some lowfat barbecue sauce), or chopped for a cold chicken salad. Submitted by wellness consultant Lori Thibideau.
• Debbie Williams, a Professional Organizer from Houston, Texas has some suggestions for families on the go where everyone eats at a different time. Use your microwave oven as a food warmer. Spoon portions of vegetables and meat onto a dinner plate, then place in the microwave oven to maintain the heat. Hot food will remain hot for about an hour. To avoid foods running together on the plate, spoon liquid-filled vegetables into a small ramekin or flat bowl placed on the plate. It not only keeps spinach from running into your salmon, but it makes a nice presentation, too.
• To chop nuts, place in a plastic zipper bag and roll with a rolling pin.
• Fabulous Foodie Kathy Weigman of Appleton, Wisconsin suggests adding a few ice cubes to aluminum foil packet dinners or vegetables to prevent them from burning and keep them moist.
• If you're making a recipe that calls for ground nuts, grinding them with a little sugar from the recipe will keep them from becoming too sticky and oily.
• When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake. Submitted by Melody Sherrill of Le Mars, Iowa.
  
• To make deviled eggs with no mess put eggs yolks from hard boiled eggs in plastic sandwich bag. Add remaining ingredients, close bag and mix. When finished cut small tip off corner of bag and squeeze into hollowed egg white, then simply throw away the bag. No muss, no fuss.
• To save time when making potato salad, use a pastry blender to chop the peeled cooked potatoes and hard boiled eggs.
• Cooking brings out the appetizing aroma and texture of dry beans. Overcooking causes poor texture, color, and flavor. Microwaving doesn't reduce cooking time for dry beans.
• Sprinkling French toast with sesame seeds prior to cooking provides a crunchy taste.
• Patting beef steaks with paper toweling before cooking makes for better browning of the meat.
• Adding a chopped turnip makes a sweet-tasting addition to any beef stew.
• Running your hands under cold water before making crispy rice cereal treats helps keep the marshmallows from sticking to the fingers.
• Core apples easily by cutting them in half, then scooping out the core with a melon baller.
• Slipping garlic clove skins off is easy if you zap them in the microwave for about 15 seconds first.
• Cream will whip faster if the bowl, beaters and cream are all chilled first.
• Wearing latex, non-slip dishwashing gloves makes opening jars easier.
• Running your hands under cold water before making crispy rice cereal treats helps keep the marshmallows from sticking to the fingers.
• Keep a small plastic bag in your can of vegetable shortening. When it comes time to grease a pan, just slip your hand in the bag, scoop out what you need and spread it on the pan.
• Don't have a roasting pan? Make a rack out of vegetables like celery, carrots and onion and place your chicken, turkey or roast on top. The excess fat drips away from the meat and your pan drippings will be more flavorful.
• Kitchen tongs will save time, ingredients and mess when breading foods. Your fingers need never be coated in breading or batter again.