Kitchen tips

Never is there a better place for tips, handy hints and ideas than the kitchen, on these pages falling under the name 'kitchen tips' you will find tips for everything about the kitchen, from baking, to cleaning up. As I have said in a few pages this site was never designed for browsing from tip to tip, it is designed to be a searchable problem solving site. So if you have a specific problem that you are trying to solve then please use the search box above.

Trick to boil beautiful pasta every time

Here is a tip for boiling beautiful pasta every time. If you place a spoon in a pot of pasta before boiling, it won't boil over.

Another trick is to treat the pot with nonstick spray before adding the water, or adding a dash of oil and salt to the water.

Whatever you do, never add the pasta before the water boils. If you do, you'll slow down the boiling process, and your pasta will stick together.

Store spaghetti like potato chips - crisps

Once you use some spaghetti from the 1 pound box, you're probably going to be left with dry pasta falling out in your pantry. Next time, put the rest of the uncooked pasta in one of those cartons that stacked chips come in. In the UK the make is Pringles crisps. Just be sure to label It so you don't accidentally take dry spaghetti to a picnic.

Do you rinse or not rinse pasta?

Here is a tip looking at the dilemma do you rinse or not rinse pasta? Experts say you shouldn't rinse pasta destined for sauce since its slightly sticky starch helps hold the sauce on your spaghetti. But if you're making lasagna, go ahead and rinse the wide noodles for better handling.
Also, rinse any pasta you'll use in a cold salad. Cold, starchy pasta doesn't taste so hot.

Stop pasta sticking

Do you dread cooking pasta for fear of it sticking together? Here is a tip to stop pasta sticking when cooking. When cooking pasta you can prevent it from sticking together by just adding a teaspoon of butter or a teaspoon of oil. This will will keep your pasta from sticking together.

Less mess when cooking spaghetti or other pasta

Do you end up in a sticky mess when cooking spaghetti, macaroni or other pasta? You don't have to have a mess, you don't have to see that pot boiling over. Here is a tip for less mess when cooking spaghetti or other pasta. All you need to do is before adding spaghetti or other pasta to your pot, spray cooking oil around the inside edge of the pot. You will be surprised at how little mess their is.

Use a lightweight pot when cooking pasta

Cook pasta like a professional. Cooking pasta to perfection is a delicate operation, so don't be heavy handed. Here is a tip explaining that you should use a lightweight pot when cooking pasta. Use a lightweight pot, and the water will boil faster and return to a boil quickly after you add the pasta. Best of all, your spaghetti won't clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot.

Perk up your coffee with salt

If your coffee has been warming on your automatic coffee maker for over an hour, chances are it will taste less than fresh. Don't throw it out. Here is a tip to perk up coffee with salt. All you need to do to freshen up your coffee is to toss in a pinch of salt to improve the flavor and neutralize the bitterness.

Tips to heat and melt chocolate

Homemade chocolate candy is so good - if you know what you're doing. For starters, cut chocolate into small pieces for quick melting. Place the pieces in the top of a double boiler, and keep the water hot but not boiling. If the temperature is too high, the flavor and consistency will be off. Be sure the top pan is not touching the hot water in the lower pan, since that could burn the chocolate. Stir it constantly to keep the heat evenly distributed. For a quick melt, use your microwave. Dark chocolate can be heated on medium heat at 50 percent power. Heat milk and white chocolate on low heat at only 30 percent power. Stop the microwave every 15 seconds to stir, and stop heating just before it's completely melted. Continue stirring until the remaining heat finishes melting the chocolate. If you need to soften hardening chocolate, add a bit of vegetable oil until it's liquefied. Never add water to chocolate, which is oil-based. It won't mix, and your batch will be ruined. Beware of drops of moisture on utensils and bowls that could spoil your hard work.

Freeze your own Popsicle treats

The cost of convenience snacks can quickly eat up your grocery money. Fight back by making these frozen gelatin treats your kids will love. All you need to do is add orange soda instead of water to a large box of orange gelatin. In addition, mix in the contents of a small box of orange gelatin without any more liquid. Stir until the solids are dissolved, then pour the mixture into clean, plastic, single serving yogurt containers. Cut a small slit in the top of each container and insert a Popsicle stick.

Pop these in your freezer, and several hours later you'll have delicious treats that only cost you pennies to make.

Crack nuts in your microwave

You do not need to use a sledgehammer to crack nuts open. There's an easier way. Put hard nuts, like walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans, in a bowl of water and cover. Heat on a high setting until the water boils. Let the bowl stand in your microwave until the water cools a bit, then drain.You should now be able to open the shells easily. Crack them over a bowl to catch excess water.

Warning: Always be extra cautious when you are heating liquids in the microwave! See the tip abut microwaves super-heating

Toast nuts in your microwave

Did you know that you can toast nuts and seeds quickly in your microwave. All you need to do is coat a microwavable plate with a thin layer of oil or butter. A spray works well. Scatter sunflower, sesame, or pumpkin seeds on the plate and microwave on high for three or four minutes.
Stir every minute or so. When they begin to turn brown, they're toasted.

Peel chestnuts in the microwave

Chestnuts roasting in the microwave. It's not the stuff songs are made of, but 'it helps their skins fall right off. Here's how. Make a small slit in the round end of each of several chestnuts. Place them in a bowl of water and heat on high for three to four minutes or until boiling. Allow the water to boil for another minute, then turn off the microwave. Let the bowl cool for five to 10 minutes. When the water is cool enough, remove one chestnut at a time and peel. The water will keep the others soft until you get to them.

Warning: Always be careful when heating liquids in the microwave! See the tip abut microwaves super-heating

Clean and deodorize your microwave with vinegar

Are you looking for environmentally friendly ways to clean in the kitchen? If so here is a tip to clean your microwave with vinegar. All you need to do is place 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwavable bowl and heat on full power for 3-4 minutes (until steam is coming from the bowl) in the microwave. This steam will loosen splattered on food and also deodorize your microwave oven.

Warning: It is important not to heat liquids in your microwave for long periods see the tip abut microwaves super-heating

Clean your microwave with a wet towel

If you are fed up with scrubbing the inside of your microwave oven to remove stubborn baked on food remains. Here is a tip to clean your microwave with a wet towel. All you need to do is wet a towel and place it in the microwave and cook on full power for 30 to 40 seconds. The steam that comes from the towel will loosen hard baked on stains. You can also use the heated cloth to wipe the inside of the whole oven clean. Be careful the towel will be very hot!

Clean your microwave with baking soda

If you find that your microwave is always becoming filthy with baked on food sticking to the walls. Here is a tip to clean your microwave with baking soda. All you need to do to remove all that stuff that sticks to your microwave is to take about a tablespoon of baking soda and put it in a microwave-safe bowl filled about half full with water. Then microwave the mixture for about three minutes ONLY and the mess wipes right off.

Warning: It is important not to heat fluids in your microwave for long periods see the tip abut microwaves super-heating

Make your microwave work smarter

Here is a tips that will make your microwave cooking work better. Arrange food carefully in your microwave so everything will be finished at the same time. Place thicker and larger pieces of food on the outside edges of a plate, and smaller pieces toward the middle. For example, when you microwave stalks of broccoli, put the heads pointing toward the middle, and aim the thick stems toward the rim of the plate.

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