- Be sure you wash your bananas as soon as you bring them home. You need to especially wash the bottoms as that is where the fruit fly eggs are. Dry the tops and wrap with plastic wrap. This seems to keep them fresh longer. Also, remember that you can store them in the refrigerator when they start to ripen too much. The skin will turn black but the inside will be fine.
- Wrap your lettuce in paper towels before storing in your vegetable bin in the refrigerator. This will definitely help keep it fresh.
- You can wash and reuse plastic bags as long as they did not contain raw meat. This saves money and helps save the planet. This is a win-win.
- Remember to not store apples and carrots together in the refrigerator. This makes the carrots taste bitter.
- Rinse your celery and then dry it and wrap foil around it before storing it in the refrigerator. This will definitely help keep it fresh. I then wash it more thoroughly right before using.
- I would not ever try to thaw meat or anything else on the counter top. Thaw food in the refrigerator. This is safer. Remember, we are trying to limit how much bacteria, fungi, or whatever is trying to grow in your food.
- I think you can fudge a bit on “use by dates.” I wouldn’t push this too far though. Maybe limit it to a couple of days past that date but no more.
- I have discovered that I can freeze milk or another liquid in a jar that has “Ball” or “Mason” markings on the outside of the jar. When I tried to freeze milk in a smooth sided jar (a washed mayonnaise jar for instance), I found to my dismay that the jar had cracked in the freezer. Ouch.
- Pay attention to how your oven or microwave cook food. I have found that both of these in our house cook food much quicker than directions call for. This can definitely ruin your dish. I go for the shortest time stated in the directions and even might go for even a minute shorter. This is especially important when you are cooking meat. Also, check meat with your meat thermometer. We have found that pork, especially, doesn’t have to cook to 160 degrees as some recommend. I read that 145 degrees is safe. We, also, watch our fish dishes very carefully as we have found that salmon especially is better when cooked slightly less than the recommended time. When we order this in a restaurant, we tell the waiter to tell the cook to cook it “medium” rather than well done. You can easily test fish with a fork to check for doneness. You can see a difference in how the meat looks when it is done vs. when it is not. When it is raw it has a more shiny look to it and doesn’t flake properly like it does when it is done. I’m not sure how to describe it better than I have but I hope you get the idea.
- I seem to have perfected my homemade soup dishes. It took me years to learn to do this but the results are worth it as everyone raves about my soup. My chicken based soup is my favorite. The secret seems to be in all the spices I use. You have to be careful here though as too much of any spice will ruin your dish. I add a dash of all of the following: poultry seasoning, curry powder, fennel seeds, bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, a chicken bouillon cube, and of course, salt and pepper to taste. I vary the rest with whatever I happen to have in terms of raw or cooked rice, or raw or cooked noodles. I also add canned, cooked beans, canned corn, canned or frozen peas, canned or frozen mixed vegetables. Before I even start, I have either canned chicken or chicken that I have already cooked and deboned. I also like to saute onions, garlic, and celery and add that to my soup. Remember to saute your celery and onions first and then your garlic because if you cook the garlic as long as you cook your onions, the garlic turns bitter tasting. I’m aware that this is not like giving you a complete recipe but just some hints as to what might help you make better homemade soup.
- If you get a mild burn on your skin while cooking, then immediately place it in cold water. Do not use cold milk. Hold the burned skin in cold water for at least ten minutes.
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