Share your tips & tricks!

[displacedtexan]

I just figured out one of life's biggest mysteries (in the kitchen)

I got so tired of my muffins and cupcakes sticking to the paper cups
that I sprayed the insides with cooking spray before piping in the
batter.

Excellent results!

Any other tips & tricks out there to share?

[murphymom]

1. Keeping ginger

Every time I bought a hand of ginger I never seemed to use it up fast enough to keep it from shriveling in the bottom of the vegetable bin until I tried this: I peel it, cut it into hunks, then store it in a lidded jar submerged in dry sherry in the refrigerator. Keeps it good until I use it all up, plus the ginger infused sherry is good on its own as a seasoning.l

[Warpy]

4. I peel it and throw it into the mini processor

and scoop it out in teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. I freeze it and put the frozen lumps into a zipper bag and back into the freezer.

Grated ginger is then ready, premeasured, and easy at all times.

[displacedtexan]

5. It doesn't break down or lose its potency in the freezer?

[Warpy]

6. I use it up pretty quickly

so that hasn't been an issue. Remember, it's in a zipper bag and I know enough to squeeze all the air out as I zip.

It's better than having a fresh ginger hand quickly dessicate. Remember, I live in the desert so that happens very quickly.

[displacedtexan]

7. Thanks!

[Duer 157099]

2. Ghee

My newest trick is to use ghee instead of butter when sauteeing. Peel some russets, slice them using your mandolin or Veg-o-matic (thrift store find, $1, yay), soak in cold water briefly to remove exterior starch, pat dry, and fry in single layer in some ghee.

Excellent results. Doesn't burn as easily as butter, so an be used at higher temp and for longer periods.

(ghee - clarified butter; melt butter on medium until all solids are coagulated and browned and settle to the bottom; then pour through cheesecloth/coffee filter (whatever you use for this purpose)

[Richard Steele]

10. I recently learned a trick for ghee-making that eliminates the straining.

Once the solids have cooked out and collected on the bottom,
just pour in a cup of hot water and let it all cool.

The ghee is lighter than water, so it floats to the top
and just sits there while it solidifies. Less work, and
fewer items to wash afterward- that's my kind of trick!

[Duer 157099]

12. Ooo definitely a good addition

Let's see, I've already destroyed one plastic funnel (wasn't thinking); used my big ole metal conical strainer thingy this time, coffee filters (several) a couple pyrex measuring cups and the final resting glass jar. Yeah, too many things that end up in the dishwasher.

So, what about cold water instead of hot? I would think that the hot water might have more of a tendency to get mixed in (even if just tiny amounts, but will be splatter hell when you use it, no?), but cold water less likely (maybe?) and would even help cool it faster?

Anyway, just made a pound of it last night, so will be a little while before I get to try this trick, but thanks! :thumbsup:

[Richard Steele]

13. Because the melted butter is VERY hot, adding cold water might run a risk...

...of "freezing" some floating solids into the clarified butter.

Hot or cold, oil and water don't mix...and ghee falls
strongly into the "oil" category. Using the hottest water
available increases the time window for the last, microscopic
traces of the heavy solids to separate from the clarified butter
and sink to the bottom.

If you used ICE WATER, the butter would form a solid skin
at the boundary point almost instantly, and that would leave
a tiny percentage of floating solids trapped in the Ghee.

Ideally, you'd want water about 15 degrees hotter than the butter.
(Not that I'm so ANAL as to have done the math regarding heat retention
in liquids with different specific gravities...because that would seem
a bit CRAZY, wouldn't it? :eyes:)



I was pretty amazed myself when I first saw this trick!
Ghee in a single pan- no need to use (& wash) any of the
funnels, strainers and etc! How can you not LOVE it?

[Duer 157099]

14. Crazy you say? Perish the thought!

For I just picked up McGee's book at the library, and am embracing my total geekhood.

Knowing the science behind cooking is revolutionary for me! I'm loving it!

Thanks! :hi:

[GoneOffShore]

11. Or go to the Indian food market and buy ghee

It's also possible to buy vegetable ghee.

[displacedtexan]

3. Great! 2 more bits of genius to add to my list!

Thanks, guys! The ginger & clarified butter tips are greatly
appreciated!

:yourock: :yourock:

[NMDemDist2]

8. i find all kinds of uses for my fine mesh screens

it looks a bit like this and I have three sizes, from 3" to about 8" bowls




I not only strain soup or broth through them, I use them to sprinkle flour in the drippings for gravy, to catch the seeds when I squeeze lemons, to dust my surface before I knead bread or roll out cookies, it seems I come up with new uses for them every week.

I think I got all 3 of them at thrift stores for less than a $1 a piece, but they are in use all the time.

[displacedtexan]

9. I have one strainer for everything.

I use it almost daily.

It's double mesh.

I don't know what I'd do without it.

Thanks for sharing!

[Richard Steele]

15. OK, my best "trick" for chocolate cakes, brownies or cookies:

Any time a recipe for CHOCOLATE baked goods calls for "hot water",
I substitute an equal amount of strong black coffee.

Coffee is nature's most perfect "chocolate enhancer".

In baked items, it leaves no coffee flavor...it just
adds rich layers of depth and tone to even the cheapest
cocoa powder.

[Duer 157099]

16. For smashing garlic (to peel)

I use a wooden spoon rather than the side of a knife (which would probably end up slicing my palm).

Plus, the garlic doesn't go flying anywhere, and the spoon indent part is just shallow enough to allow enough crushing to get the paper off, but not to squash it flat.

[Duer 157099]

17. I have a new one I just came up with today, but haven't tried yet

We'll see how well it works, if at all.

But you know those exfoliating gloves, for in the shower/bath?

Well, after seeing those potato-peeler gloves (apparently from an infomercial, but I saw them at Target) it got me thinking about it (cuz I hate to peel potatoes. and carrots). So, I picked up a pair of the exfoliating gloves for $2.99 today, to try next time I need to scrub some veggies. May be good for mushrooms especially

:shrug: we'll see....