BAKING HINTS
You need to get all your ingredients at room temperature before you start. If you haven’t got time, milk can be warmed and butter can be softened –cautiously – in the microwave. Fridge-cold eggs can have the chill taken off them by being placed in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes (Nigella)
To create self-raising flour from plain flour - for 150g/1 cup plain flour use half-teaspoon baking powder and half-teaspoon of bicarbonate soda (also known as baking soda) (Nigella)
Whatever you do.....don't panic! (Cake eater)
There's no such thing as too much baking spray! (Samd)
Some cakes are supposed to have a "rip" running over the top. If you like this to be nice and straight, run your finger along the middle of the cake batter once you've poured into the mould. Another solution for the braver ones amongst you: After a couple of minutes, just as the cake starts to rise, open the oven door and make a straight cut over the middle of your cake (lengthways). The rip will follow this cut (Edda)
When baking bread do not use tepid water use cold, it works better because heat kills yeast and this way takes a little longer to prove but worth it (Crafty cookie).
Also on breadmaking, add the salt when you start to knead the dough as salt kills the yeast but you need the salt to preserve the bread and give it flavour (Crafty cookie).
When baking and using cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda or baking powder bake the item straight away for best raising results (as soon as liquid is mixed into these raising agents they start to work and therefore lose their raising prowess (Crafty cookie)
When beating egg whites, always add a tiny bit of baking powder of some acid, it helps to make them fluffier. Either rub the bowl with a wedge of lemon or add a couple of lemon juice if you don’t want to use baking powder (Edda).
Add a pinch of salt when beating whole eggs: The salt will make the whites runnier and easier to mix with the yolks. Especially useful when using very fresh eggs (Edda)
Add a bit of acid (a couple of drops of lemon juice or a pinch of cream of Tartar) when melting sugar. This prevents the formation of crystals (Edda)
When making cake batter or soufflé, either use icing sugar or very fine sugar. Failing that, beat the sugar in with the eggs so the sugar dissolves. This prevents the cake (or soufflé) from collapsing (Edda)
When making shortcrust pastry, a bit of lemon juice or a tiny amount of vinegar can prevent the pastry from shrinking. It also helps to make the crust crispier somehow (Edda)
My mother always uses water that is around (or at) room temperature when she is baking something that uses yeast. In fact, her advice in regard to baking is : ALWAYS use ingredients at room temperature. The only exception being butter for short crust or flaky pastry. Use that as cold as possible. Her advice for short crust and flaky pastry is: If you don't feel entirely confident, chill all your ingredients. Even the flour. This way you are sure everything stays cool longer. If the weather is chilly or very humid, Mum has a trick to 'dry out' the flour she uses for bread and warm it up a little: Zap it in the microwave for a couple of seconds (30 at most), then whisk thoroughly. This will cool down the flour a little, test it with your finger to make sure it doesn't actually feel hot or it will kill the yeast. If it's too hot, whisk a bit more. If it feels more or less the same temp as your finger when you push it in the flour, you know you should be fine. This slight heating will help the yeast along and is safer than using tepid water (Edda)
If you don't have a cake stand, or need an extra one or two for special occasions, place blue-tac on an upturned handle-less cup and press a large matching plate firmly on top. For a more permanent solution hot glue the cup to the plate. Three plates in various sizes can be stacked with cups blue-tac'ed inbetween to present smaller cakes, petit fours and sweets. (FrancescaA)
MEASUREMENTS WARNING! (Nigella)
In cooking a tablespoon is not a serving implement but a precise measurement see above. If it helps, think of a tablespoon as 3 teaspoons.
Because of its volume, sea salt seems to be less salty than table salt when used in cooking. If replacing sea salt with table salt, use half the amount.
A ROUGH GUIDE TO MEAT (Nigella)
A 1 and three quarter kg chicken will take an hour and 15 minutes to roast in a 200°C oven.
Lamb needs 20 minutes per 500g at 200°C to make it pink but not rare. If you want your lamb better cooked, add another 20 minutes onto the overall cooking time.
Rare beef needs 15 minutes per 500g at 220°C. Add 5 minutes per 500g for medium, 10 minutes per 500g for well-done.
Pork needs 30 minutes per 500g at 200°C.
When boiling ham I reckon on 25 minutes per 500g plus 25 minutes for the pot.
Always let meat rest for at least 15 minutes when it comes out of the oven as the meat will be juicier and easier to carve.
The above timings are based on meat being at room temperature before it goes into the oven.
RECTIFYING BOO-BOOS....
Add ice cubes to gravy or stock to make fat removal easy (Rhyleysgranny)
Grow an aloe vera plant on your kitchen windowsill. When you burn yourself snap a bit off and squeeze juice on burn. It really takes the heat out and very good for skin too (Rhyleysgranny)
If you've overdone the chilli squeeze in half a lemon them place the lemon in and leave for a few mins (Rhyleysgranny)
If you accidently add too much salt to a stew or something, put in a whole potato, peeled, and remove once the stew is done cooking. this will absorb most of the salt (Baby cakes)
If you added too much chilli, add some sugar. The Scoville scale determines how hot a chilli is, by taking a solution of the chilli and mixing it with sugar syrup until the heat is not longer detected. It's got something to do with how the sugar reacts with the capsaicin (what makes a chilli spicy). (jaxstar84)
GENERAL TIPS
A pinch of bicarb of soda in water with cabbage if you like it soft (Rhyleysgranny)
When frying steak oil the steak and not pan to avoid smoking (Rhyleysgranny)
Put an onion in a glass of water. It will sprout. Use the green for oniony herbs (Rhyleysgranny)
Freeze left over wine for using in cooking (Rhyleysgranny)
Briefly heat a lemon in the microwave to get more juice out of it when squeezing (Cookingcaroline)
If trying to get something unsuccessfully out of an intricately shaped silicon mold, e.g. cake, let cool and put in fridge until completely chilled and firm (Dazzy08)
Freeze left over egg whites (Kitchengoddess)
If your recipe calls for the juice only of a lemon or an orange, zest the fruit before cutting and juicing. Wrap zest in waxed paper, pop it into a small container, and then into the freezer. You can use the zest next time you've got a recipe calling for zest. This way, you haven't wasted any part of the fruit. Zest will keep for a week or so. (Lea)
To avoid a smelly kitchen when cooking cauliflower, add a little milk to the cooking water, it really does work (chesca126)
Also to avoid cauliflower smells, cook half a lemon in the cauli water with the cauli of course (Cake eater)
Slice and freeze the green parts of leeks if not using with the whites - use later in soups, sauces, etc (Margie)
Juice lemons/limes/oranges etc in ice cube trays (Kitchengoddess)
If you open a can of tomato paste and only need a tablespoon or so, freeze the rest in a flat square plastic container. When frozen, remove and cut into small squares (about the size of a tablespoon) and wrap individual squares in plastic, then store in plastic bag in freezer. Use next time you only need a spoonful of paste (Margie)
Measure out dry ingredients on a piece of waxed paper. Makes it easier to add to the bowl of a KA mixer (Margie)
Keep nuts in the freezer and just remove what you need, when you need them (Margie)
To peel garlic leave cloves to soak in boiling water for a few mins and skins will slide off (Rhyleysgranny)
To make thick broths without flour puree a portion of the soup and add back to the pot (Rhyleysgranny)
Chop herbs by cramming them into a glass and let loose with scissors (AnLi)
When boiling vegetables never throw the water away, freeze it and use for gravies, stocks, casseroles, stews and sauces (Crafty cookie).
If using a bay leaf 'crack it' for more flavour. Simply cut into the central vein with a knife or clean finger nails 3 or 4 times) (Crafty cookie).
Making stock, gently squeeze the boiled vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon to extract extra juice, making sure not to let the vegetables go through the sieve (Crafty cookie).
Do not throw any unused double cream away, freeze it, it keeps well in the freezer for a month (Crafty cookie).
Do not buy expensive pvc containers for freezing items, use ice cream containers, margerine tubs, cream and yogurt pots instead (Crafty cookie).
Roast meats, freeze down in portion sizes for a quick sandwich or heat up in gravy or stock with vegetables for a quick meal (Crafty cookie).
Take the hastle out of Christmas, freeze items ahead of time, ie bread sauce, cranberry sauce, stuffings, chipolatas in bacon rolls (Crafty cookie).
Freeze in 1 portion sizes, then no matter how many you are feeding you will have sufficient (Crafty cookie).
Do not throw away celery leaves, they make such a big difference to stocks, sauces, casseroles, stews and soups (Crafty cookie).
To turn an ordinary round cake into a heart shaped cake, simply cut a rounded v shape from the top of the cake and 'glue' it with jam or butter cream at the bottom (Crafty cookie).
When a recipe calls for buttermilk use the same amount of milk but add a teaspoon of lemon juice (bottled will do) or vinegar, the milk will curdle but you will get a result that is very good (Crafty cookie)
Freeze citrus fruits whole, you get loads more juice out of them (once defrosted of course), however, the zest does discolour but does not affect the taste. (Kitchengoddess)
Keep ginger in the freezer and grate from frozen, it lasts for ages (Kitchengoddess)
If you think an egg looks a bit suspicious give it a shake next to your ear and if it makes a gluggy rattle it will be rotten. Crack it to check and be prepared to flush it away quickly as it will be very whiffy (jen@home).
A pineapple is ripe if you can easily pull a leaf out of the top (Katea)
I always test a melon for ripeness by depressing the ends, if they give they are ripe; and I always press a camembert in the middle, if it gives it is ready to eat (Fosse).
My Grandmother used to cook corn on the cob not only in water, but she added a healthy splosh of milk and a tablespoon of sugar to the pot. The rational is that, like peas, corn that is not immediately fresh from the cob possesses sugars that turn to starch the longer that it sits on a truck or is essentially off the stalk. The milk has lactose (milk's own sugar) and granulated, or caster sugar each lend a hand here. (SueF)
When potatoes are stored at too cold of a temperature they can turn black or grey when cooked. To keep this from happening, store potatoes at a temperature between 45ºF and 55ºF. We do not recommend storing your potatoes in the refrigerator, but if you do, letting the potato warm gradually to room temperature before cooking can reduce the discoloration. (Pistachio)
Contact with aluminium or iron will also discolor potatoes, so the best pot to use is stainless steel. (Lea)
To warm plates before serving: fill a large washing up bowl with very hot water and put all the plates inside for at least 5 minutes. Dry with a dish towel before serving up. Also suitable for delicate plates which can't be warmed in an oven. (FrancescaA)
KITCHEN MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING UP
Use olive oil/veggie oil to keep moveable parts on kitchen equipment free moving (Rhyleysgranny)
If you have a chipped plate or dish, always keep in on TOP of the pile so that you keep using it; that way, if you are going to break a dish, there's a good chance it will be the one that's already chipped (Margie)
Always get someone else to clean the oven! (James)
When using fish, work with it on a glass or pyrex surface immediately rinse in cold soapy water, the smell does not linger, works for the hands too (Crafty cookie)
Boil half a lemon or remains of used lemon in water in microwave to clean (Rhyleysgranny)
Put half a lemon with a teasppon of salt in the fridge overnight, its antibacterial and will remove any odours (Cupcake chaos)
Boil vinegar to disperse cooking smells (Rhyleysgranny)
To disperse cooking smells, boil some orange peel plus cinammon in a saucepan (Shyvas)
Bio soap powder for soaking burnt on stuff in pots pans and dishes (Rhyleysgranny)
To clean a granite pestle and morter leave half a lemon and boiling water in it overnight (Kitchengoddess)
Use lemon juice to clean stainless steel pots and pans. Makes them nice and sparkly with no scratching (Donner)
Mix bicarb and a little water into a paste and this will remove any stains from your teacups/coffee cups (Shazza13)
When you are cooking, keep one of those terrycloth facecloths handy. Make it damp even before you start cooking. If you have any spills near your hotplate, wipe it off with the cloth. As it is cotton, it won't burn easily. The terrycloth will absorb surprising amounts so even bigger spills get removed without trouble and before they 'bake in' and are a nightmare waiting for you when you're finished. Be careful though: damp fabric transfers heat very easily, so don't burn yourself. If you are scared of getting burned, use an ordinary cotton kitchen towel, the kind you use to dry your washing up. (Edda)
Do you want eliminate the bad smells in your fridge? Simple put a little container with some bicarbonate of soda and bad smells will stay away (Curlylu)
Boil half a lemon in your kettle to remove stains from the water (jaxstar84)
GENERAL FOODIE HOUSEHOLD TIPS
If you have small children and they put chewing gum onto their clothes, place the item in the freezer and it will be easy to remove once it is frozen (sorry this can't be use with carpets, rugs, animals or hair (Shazza13)
Try vinegar as a substitute for fabric softener - especially for undies as fabric softener is bad for elastics, but vinegar is excellent, and helps preserve colour (AnLi)
Lemon juice: Surface cleaner, stain remover, deodorizer. Cut in half and leave in fridge to absorb smells. Mix with salt to clean copper and brass. Mix with water to whiten whites and brighten colours. (Kitchengoddess)
Bicarbonate of soda: Deodorizer. When mixed with water produces an alkaline solution that dissolves dirt and grease. Use dry to lift stains from carpets (e.g. red wine) and marks from surfaces. Good for cleaning shower curtains. (Kitchengoddess)
Malt vinegar. Surface cleaner, stain remover, descaler, cuts through grease, deodorizes and acts as mild disinfectant. Dilute mix is good for cleaning windows (apply on scrunched-up newspaper). (Kitchengoddess)
Olive oil - Use sparingly as furniture polish and fingerprint remover for stainless steel. (Kitchengoddess)
Sunlight: Bleacher. Excellent for whitening infants’ nappies. (Kitchengoddess)
Tea-tree oil: Antiseptic, disinfectant. Effective on mould and mildew. Dilute as deodorizer for musty clothing. (Kitchengoddess)
White-wine vinegar. Surface cleaner, stain remover, limescale descaler, cuts through grease, deodorizes and acts as mild disinfectant. (Kitchengoddess)
Olive oil and lemon juice - furniture polish (Rhyleysgranny)
Vinegar and water-windows/glass (Rhyleysgranny)
Vinegar removes soap scum on shower doors. Keep it in a spray container (Rhyleysgranny)
Vinegar brings granite worktops up a treat (Rhyleysgranny)
After you clean your windows with white vinegar, rub them with couple of day old newspapers, really makes them shine (Cupcake chaos)
Need to polish your copper? Ketchup! (Edda)
Bicarb of soda to get rid of smells, clean the loo, all sorts of uses (cooking caroline)
To get rid of stagnant carpet smells a solution of bocarbonate of soda and water dabbed onto the affectd area and then blown dry with a hair works, it has to be repeated several times, but well worth it. (crafty cookie)
Also, try sprinkling bicarbonate of soda over the carpet. Leave for a while then hoover up (Rhyleysgranny)
Soapy water kills aphids on your roses! (jaxstar84)
CHEF'S MAINTENANCE! FOODIE BEAUTY TIPS
If you have sore, dry feet, put some bicarb in some warm water and soak your feet in it, makes them lovely and soft. You can also put some in your bath and have a soak (Shazza13).
Rolled oats tied in a stocking or muslin and put under the hot water in a bath makes a really soothing bath for your skin. You need really to squeeze the milk out as it soaks and you end up with a milky bath (sometimes with little flecks of porridge in it but all in a good cause I assure you!) (Kiwibird)
Cold used tea bags or slices of cucumber placed on the eye lids to take away tired and achey eyes. (Crafty cookie)
Warmed up olive oil, dip a piece of cotton wool in and place in the ear to remove stubborn ear wax. (Crafty cookie)
An egg yolk, mixed with banana and a table spoon of olive oil is a nice face mask. Give it about half an hour and your skin looks nice (The White Rabbit)
Tomato ketchup is good for taking the 'green' tinge out of highlighted blonde hair afer swimming in chlorinated water. I have done this myself and it made me gag in the shower but worked a treat. Just make sure you've got some lovely smelling conditioner on hand to combat the smell! (soozyb)
A very good pep-up mask for dull, tired hair is a mask made of 1 part vodka, 2 parts mayo. Or: 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon whiskey, 1 teaspoon lukewarm olive oil. Don't rinse your hair with hot water though! The egg might curdle. Yuk! (Edda)
A good thing for acne-prone skin is a paste made out of ground dahl and turmeric, mixed with a little boiled and cooled water. (Edda)
Hair bleach needed? Chamomile tea as a last rinse. Use two bags and save them. Apply the bags on the eyes to combat swollen eyes. (Edda)
To clear greasy skin: Beat loose some egg white, apply to skin, allow to dry. The tightening of the egg whites feels horrid but most of the excess grease in the skin will have gone after you rinse the egg whites off and a lot of the blackheads (if you have any) will just have squeezed themselves out. (Edda)
To have shinier hair: a drop of vinegar or lemon juice in the rinsing water. (Edda)
Oily skin can also be helped by using a mask made out of grated cucumber (or sliced, whichever you prefer. Works great on puffy eyes too. (Edda)
Brittle nails? Almond oil, olive oil, or lemon zest (rub the nails with the stuff and rinse with tepid water). (Edda)
Dry skin on the feet and no money for a pedicure? Rub with a mix of olive oil and salt. Rinse off with tepid water. (Edda)
Rolled oats are known to be great as an exfoliant. So is mashed banana with a bit of salt. (Edda)
If you've got some almonds left over and you're afraid they're a bit stale, grind them up, pour over hot water and use the strained liquid as a hair mask or a conditioner. Great for dry hair I'm told. (Edda)
After too much washing up mix two teaspoons of olive oil with one teaspoon of sugar and use as a hand-rub. This exfoliates, brightens and nourishes your hands and nails all at the one time (Fiorenza).
KITCHEN PHARMACY
Tea tree oil supposedly keeps headlice away, 3 drops on a childs head every morning (Cupcake chaos)
Do you sometimes get those little, maddening, hard and infected bits of skin sticking up at the sides of your fingernails? Apparently garlic juice stings like mad but is an excellent natural antibiotic. Doesn't smell all too nice, but still... If you're desperate enough...? (Edda)
Bicarbonate of soda and water dabbed onto insect bites and heat rashes takes the itchy feeling away. (crafty cookie)
Vinegar for stings is brilliant and cheaper than anthisan (Crafty cookie)
Keep some white vinegar in your beach bag to put on jelly fish stings (JillyB)