It is a fact that people need to eat food to survive. But plain “survival” foods can be more than just having food in the kitchen. Cooking great food can be even more rewarding than eating a good food. Here are some things you elevate your cooking prowess.
A cool, dark storage area will preserve your herbs freshness for the longest period of time. Moisture, light and heat can affect the flavor of your spices. Herbs and spices generally keep their taste and flavor for about one year. Whole spices may retain flavor for up to five years. They’ll last longest when stored properly.
If you are using metal skewers, avoid ones with rounded surfaces and try ones with square or beveled designs.
Boiling takes time and removes the nutrients from veggies. You can keep all those healthy nutrients by using a quick method of cooking like steaming or by eating the vegetables raw.
Keep herbs and spices in a dark space that stays room temperature. If your spices are exposed to moisture, humidity and heat are present, their flavor will begin to weaken. Ground herbs and spices can retain their flavor for about a year. Whole spices may retain flavor for about three or five years. Storing spices in glass containers with a longer shelf-life for your spices.
In order to have plenty of fresh fall apples for cooking, store them properly to keep them from spoiling. Apples keep best when they are stored in a cool location where there is plenty of air circulation. Watch your apples so that you can catch any rotten ones, a rotten apple will make the others spoil.
Always have your spices away from light in a dark and cool place. Using fresher spices will make tastier meals.
Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to lower the fat content. You will not even taste the cauliflower in with the potatoes, because it is so bland. It also mimics the texture and color of the potatoes almost perfectly letting you up your vegetable intake, and drop the calories, all the while giving the same delicious potato experience we all know and love.
If you wish to have crispy French fries, then soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for a period of at least half an hour before use.
Will you be making a meal using fresh basil? Try putting a bunch of basil that is fresh inside a glass. Add water to cover the stems. Leave it on your counter and it will stay fresh for a very long time! You can even promote the growth of roots if you replace the water from time to time. If this happens, trim the basil once in a while. This promotes continued growth, which means you have fresh basil at your disposal well into the future.
Look at your recipes and determine whether or not certain steps that can be completed beforehand. You can simplify the cooking process by doing your preparations a day or more in advance. This takes a lot of the stress out of even easier to cook complicated recipes and dishes.
Seasoned salt is used on virtually any kind of food, not just meat! Sprinkle it over popcorn for an evening treat, or add a dash to pasta. The interesting flavor will leave everyone wondering what the secret ingredient it.
They behave like sponges and just soak up a lot of that water. Wipe off with a clean wet cloth to prepare them for cooking.
There are many steps you can take towards prepping your food to make your whole cooking process easier. Check the recipe you’re using to see if some preparation can be done without the partially prepared dish spoiling. Lots of prep work can be completed the day before cooking. This can make even the most difficult recipes fun and easy.
Airtight Containers
If you want to eat healthier and lose weight, it’s really important to use fewer oils in your cooking. Oil or butter add more fat than necessary to your dishes. You can use a cooking spray rather than butter or oil to cook your foods just as easily, and the important bonus is that it is healthier for you.
Always use airtight containers to store baking ingredients such as sugar or flour in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients in airtight containers will keep them from spoiling or being infected with bugs. You buy them on sale often at discount stores and they are a beneficial asset.
Replace the standby liquids of milk and water in recipes to mix things up. Try adding some stock instead of water, or even the water your cooked veggies in. You can try out buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream instead of milk. Substituting the liquid in a dish can add nutrient content, flavor or both.
Do not use any wine for cooking that you have not tasted. There is wine available that are used just for cooking purposes.
Don’t cook with wines that you don’t enjoy drinking. If you select wine that you do not enjoy or use a bottle that you have never tried, you may not like how your food turns out. When in doubt, use a wine designed for cooking.
Prepare things the night before to save time and headaches. Cut up ingredients the night before going to bed at night. This will take a great deal of stress off of your shoulders when you have to cook the following day.
Put spices in a cold dark area to preserve their freshness and flavor. If you keep herbs and spices in an area that is close to the stove, they will lose their flavor very quickly and just be a waste of money.
Never trash the leftovers whenever you have cooked a turkey. Cut the leftover meat and put it away in an airtight containers. Turkey remains fresh up to three weeks and you can use it in sandwiches or a salad.
Keep your supplies and utensils well organized. You will consistently find it difficult to locate necessary items in a disorganized kitchen. You may find it beneficial to group similar items together. For instance, put all your spices in one cabinet.
It is important to buy new spices around every six months. The flavor of spices fade just a few months after opening the container. If you don’t use a spice very often, knowing that you probably won’t use it all, give some to family and friends.
When using fresh herbs in your meal, including dill and parsley, place the herbs together in bunches, and cut them with scissors. This makes the herbs fluffier and lighter, and not wet like they would be if they were chopped.
Cooking Skills
To have especially flavor rich foods, produce your own stock. Make as much of it as you want and keep the excess in your freezer. This way you will always have flavorful homemade stock on hand when you want to make soups or other dishes. If you make your own stock, it will be much healthier and not loaded with preservatives.
Learn some cooking skills and have fun at it! Use the information that is provided to sharpen your cooking skills and you will be able to better your cooking over time. Your skills will get better and people will bug you to cook for them!
It is important to properly care for your wood cutting board if you want it to last a long time. A cutting board made from wood can crack and warp if it is exposed to excessive moisture, heat and dryness. Don’t immerse it in water. Instead, quickly wash it with soapy warm water. To restore a damaged board, oil it on a regular basis, using a product specifically designed for wood cutting boards. Always allow your board to dry completely, whether it is wet or oiled.