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Kitchen Hints: Keep a sprinkle bottle of Kermit’s Key Lime juice handy when you cook. The sprinkle bottle allows you to easily duplicate the distribution of fresh squeezed Key Lime over your dish or salad.
For a nice, clean-cut slice, when cutting Kermit’s Key Lime pie or any creamy textured dessert; between cuts, carefully wipe the knife blade with a clean damp towel.
To get the most juice out of fresh Key Limes, before slicing, roll the room temperature Key Limes under your palm on the kitchen counter.
Cakes & Pies:
Twenty fresh Key Limes will yield approximately four ounces of juice.
If a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, substitute some cake mix instead. By using the cake mix, there won’t be any white flour on the outside of the cake.
For a glossy finish on a piecrust, brush some beaten egg white on the crust before baking.
Cleaning:
To clean baking pans quickly, line with foil. Turn the pan over and use the bottom as a mold. The molded foil will fit neatly into your pan.
Burnt food on the bottom of a skillet will come off easily with this method. Add a drop or two of dishwashing soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stovetop, remove from the heat, and wash clean.
To clean a can opener, use a toothbrush to remove dried food. To clean the blades, run a paper towel through the cutting mechanism.
Disposable Bakeware - - a holiday time saver:
Use disposable bakeware for your holiday casseroles, cakes, and cookies. Bake and serve in the same container. Discard when finished.
Eggs:
Scrambled eggs are best when cooked slowly over low heat. If a higher heat is used, the eggs will be overcooked and have a rubbery texture.
Is the egg fresh? Immerse the egg in cool, salted water. If it is fresh, it will sink. If the egg is bad, it will rise to the surface and should be thrown away.
When hard-boiling, to prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water.
For the best results:
Golden Rule of Wine, Liquor & Liqueur in cooking: Never cook with a wine, liquor, or liqueur you would not drink.
Toss out old spices and mixes that have lost their flavor.
For an efficient kitchen, use plastic containers to keep items neat and handy.
Gadgets accumulate. Keep it simple.
Gravy:
Brown pale gravy by adding a bit of instant coffee, straight from the jar.
Avoid pale or lumpy gravy by browning the flour well before adding to the liquid.
When cooking meat, a simple way to brown flour is to put it in a custard cup, next to the meat in the oven. When the meat is done, the flour will be nice and brown.
Thicken thin gravy by adding a mixture of flour or cornstarch and water. Mix the flour or cornstarch with water to form a smooth paste. Stirring constantly, gradually add the mixture to the gravy, while heating to a boil.
Lumpless gravy is more easily obtained by adding a pinch of salt to the flour or cornstarch before mixing it with water.
Add a small amount of baking soda to the gravy to eliminate excess grease.
Pasta:
To prevent overcooking pasta, drain and cool under cold running water. Do not soak pasta in cold water or it will get soggy.
Quick Pastry Bag:
Use a small food storage bag with a zipper.
Place chopped candy or chunks of chocolate inside the bag. Do not seal before heating (or it might explode).
Microwave 30 to 60 seconds (the time will vary depending on what is being melted, the amount, and the power of the microwave). Knead the bag every 15 seconds, to insure even heating (melting). When contents are melted, carefully, squeeze the air out of the bag and then close the seal.
For a nozzle, snip off a corner of the food storage bag. Cut off a small piece first, so you don't get too large of a nozzle. If the hole is too small, snip off a bit more, to make a larger opening in the bag.
Squeeze the bag gently to drizzle the topping over your creation.
Safety:
Spread a wet towel on the countertop, under the cutting board, to prevent slipping.
Keep knives sharp. A sharp knife cuts more easily, preventing accidents.
Salad greens:
For crisp salad greens, wash them in cold water and then dry. Paper towels, a kitchen towel, or a salad spinner will all work to dry the greens. Store in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Perk up wilted lettuce or other salad greens by adding Kermit’s Key Lime juice to a bowl of cold water and soaking for an hour in the refrigerator.
To remove the core from a head of lettuce, hit the core end sharply against the counter. The core will loosen and pull out easily.
Wrap celery in aluminum foil before storing in the refrigerator. It will keep for weeks.
Salt: Varieties & Uses
Table salt: Use on the table, in cooking when there is no requirement for texture, and in baking for its uniform dissolving property.
Kosher salt: Use on the table or in cooking for a crunchy texture, ability to adhere to food surfaces, and because it is easier to take a pinch of the courser salt.
Sea Salt: On the table: use ground or flaked for their quick dissolving properties and natural or seasoned sea salts for their texture (they provide a nice crunch).
Too salty?
For over-salted soup or vegetables, add cut raw potatoes. Remove potatoes, once they have cooked and absorbed the salt.
A teaspoon of cider vinegar and sugar added to salty soup or vegetables will remedy the situation.
Shrimp:
When peeling frozen shrimp, hold them under cold running water. The very outside of the shrimp will thaw immediately under the running water and the shell will come off easily. Additionally, since the shrimp are still mostly frozen, they are easy to handle.
When shrimp are overcooked, they get tough. To insure nice and tender shrimp, watch the color. Raw shrimp are translucent. They turn opaque (white) when done. It does not take long to cook shrimp.
Substitutes for alcoholic beverages in cooking:
Ø 1 Tablespoon of sweet sherry or dry vermouth: use 1 Tablespoon of apple cider.
Ø 2 Tablespoons of sherry or bourbon: use 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Ø 2 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier or similar orange flavored liqueur:
use 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened orange juice concentrate.
Ø 1/4 cup (one-quarter cup) or more of white or red wine: use equal amounts
of white or red grape juice.
Sugar:
Brown sugar won’t harden, if an apple slice is placed in the container.
If the brown sugar is already hard, use a cheese grater to grate the needed amount.
Too sweet?
If a dish is over sweetened, add salt.
A teaspoon of cider vinegar will fix a too sweet vegetable or main dish.
Tupperware:
To prevent stains, spray Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces.
Whipped cream:
Cream will whip faster and with a better consistency, if the cream, bowl, and beaters are well chilled.
A few drops of Kermit’s Key Lime juice added to whipping cream helps it whip faster and with a better consistency.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin per cup of cream to keep whipped cream from separating.
Adding an egg white, then chilling thoroughly, can salvage soupy whipped cream. Whip the chilled mixture to a stiff consistency.
If whipping cream by hand or with a handheld mixer, place a dampened and folded dishtowel under the bowl to prevent it from dancing around.
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