Chitra's Cuisine: Tips

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Microwave a lemon for 15 seconds and double the juice you get before squeezing.

To keep the cauliflower white while cooking add a little milk to the water.

Microwave garlic for 15 secs and the skins slip off.

Drain deep fried foods on brown paper grocery bags as opposed to paper towels to retain crispness.

The best way to store celery is to wrap it in a aluminium foil and put it in the refrigerator - it will keep for weeks.

Stubborn stains can be removed from non-stick cookware by boiling, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup of water for ten minutes. Before using the pan again, season it with salad oil.

To prevent potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes! This will prevent the potatoes from budding. Change the apple every week.

Remedy for Salty Curry: Wash a potato. Cut into two halves. Place the two halves in the curry and it will absorb the extra salt.

Avoiding over spilling milk when boiling: Before pouring the milk into a pot for boiling, rub butter along the top edge and inside lip of the pot. When the milk foams up, it will stop over spilling when it hits the butter.

Bread will stay fresh longer if a celery rib is stored with it in the package.

When mincing garlic, sprinkle on a little salt so the pieces won't stick to your knife or cutting board.

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

To clean a blender, add a cup of warm water, run for a few seconds. Now add a drop of dishwashing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let it sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean.

Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it,

To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.

Store the ice cream container in a big Ziploc plastic freezer bag. This will stop ice crystals from forming when it is in the freezer.

To reuse cooking oil without tasting whatever was cooked in the oil previously, cook a 1/4″ piece of ginger in the oil. It will remove any remaining flavors and odors.

While cooking smelly foods, soak a cloth towel and let it dry in the cooking area. It will absorb the smell of cooking and keep the room fresh.

Add some boiled rice while grinding for Dosa, this will give soft Dosas!

Place onions in the fridge for 1/2-1 hour before chopping them. Your eyes will not water.

To prevent butter from melting during long journeys or picnics, put the packets in a flask along with a few ice cubes.

To keep coriander and other leafy greens fresh longer, wrap in newspaper and place in a perforated container in the fridge.

To keep asafoetida(hing) soft without getting harder, keep a green or red chili with it and the hing will always be soft.

Sprinkle some salt in tamarind before storing to keep away the worms.

Store an apple near a banana to ripen the banana in a short period of time!

To prevent ants from attacking nuts, place a black peppercorn in the container.

A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture!

When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.

Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.

Placing Potatoes in salt water for 15 minutes before baking, make them bake quickly.

Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder for some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.

Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter.

To preserve vegetables fresh for longer, wrap them in newspaper sheets before freezing them.

To keep green chilies fresh for a longer duration remove their stems before storing.

Rinse uncooked rice in a sieve under cold running tap; this removes excess starch.

Before making popcorn on the stove or in a microwave, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier.

Store tomatoes with stems pointed down will keep the tomatoes fresher, longer!

Peeled Potatoes will last three or four days in the refrigerator if few drops of vinegar is added to the water.

Rub a piece of lime (used) inside the lunch box to get rid of strong odours (like garlic) before rinsing off.

Adding salt while frying onions makes it quicker to cook.

Fruits must be washed shortly before eating it; rinsing it long before eating it, increases the decomposition process.

Before cooking the eggplants, slice them and place them in a bowl with water mixed with a spoon of milk. The eggplants will keep their color without blackening.

To keep the cake soft, place half a apple in the sealed container where the cake is kept.

To preserve ginger fresh for a long time, peel the skin off and place it in a Ziploc cover and store it in the freezer.

Storing flour in an airtight container and refrigerating it doubles their storage time.

To effectively strain debris from used cooking oil , use a coffee filter placed in a funnel.

Adding salt to the water when cooking pasta will help firm the pasta and bring out its flavor.

When you change your vacuum cleaner bag, put in a fabric Softener sheet. Every time you vacuum you will freshen the room at the same time.

How to Clean Silver