Featured Article : Basic Cooking Tips That Work

There are some basic cooking tips that anyone can learn and use to help out in the kitchen. With today's busy lifestyles becoming more prevalent, knowing and using these basic cooking tips can save you time and stress.

The following is just a small handful of the many basic cooking tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life to save time and money.

• Bacon: Reduce shrinkage by running bacon under cold water before frying.
• Beans: Reduce gas attacks by adding a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda in a large pot of beans while they are soaking.
• Boiled Eggs: Add some salt to the boiling water when boiling eggs or add some vinegar to the water. These basic cooking tips will keep the egg in the shell if it cracks.
• Corn: Boil corn for no more than 3 minutes. Put the corn directly into boiling water, and do not add salt. Overcooking decreases the taste level.
• Frozen Vegetables: When veggies are stuck together, simply run boiling water over them.
• Grating Cheese: Freeze for 25 minutes before grating. It will shred much easier.
• Pancakes: Use a bit of sugar in the batter and they will brown more quickly.
• Pie Pastry: Substitute 1 teaspoon of vinegar for 1 teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe and the pastry will be flakier.
• Ripening Fruits and Vegetables: Using your basic cooking tips is a great way to save money on fruits and vegetables that need to be ripened.  Place your unripe fruit and vegetables in a brown paper bag and place the bag in a dark cupboard for a day or two.
• Salads: Cut your iceberg lettuce into wedges instead of tearing salad greens to save time making a salad.
• Spaghetti Sauce: Add a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda to your spaghetti sauce to reduce the acid taste from the tomatoes.
• Quick Sauces: Use condensed cream soups such as cream of tomato, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery, to make easy and quick sauces.
• Quick Tenderizer: Use vinegar as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon to water when boiling ribs or meat for stews. These basic cooking tips can help tenderizer even the toughest meat.
• Wilted vegetables: Soak wilted veggies in 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon vinegar to help bring them back to life.
• Wooden Skewers: Soak your wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.

Try using some of these basic cooking tips to make your life in the kitchen more enjoyable.

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