Sherri's Helpful Hints

Handy Kitchen Tips

Butter the rim of a pan in which you cook rice or macaroni so it won’t boil over.

To keep milk from sticking to a pan, brush the bottom of the pan with butter before pouring in the milk.

To easily measure molasses, honey or syrup, dip cup or spoon either in hot water or brush with oil.

For lighter fritter batter, substitute an equal amount of club soda or beer instead of liquid called for.

For flakier pie crust, substitute 1 teaspoon vinegar for 1 teaspoon of the cold water called for in the recipe.

Brush uncooked pastry shells with beaten egg white, or sprinkle with powdered sugar before filling to prevent soggy crusts.

When cutting cream pies, first dip knife in hot water so that none of the filling will stick to it.

For ease in flouring meat, poultry or fish, shake pieces in a plastic bag containing the flour and seasonings.

To keep a cake longer, place half an apple in the cake container when storing.

To revive wilted parsley or dill place in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes.

To clean and re-hydrate lettuce, fill sink with cold water and let soak for 15 minutes. Dirt will sink to bottom and lettuce will crisp up a bit.

To easily unmold gelatin salads or desserts, lightly brush mold with oil before pouring in the mixture.

When using a glass bakng dish for cakes, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

To squeeze juice from a lemon or other citrus fruit, place it in the microwave for a few seconds. Heat a cold lemon (right from the fridge) on high for about 40-45 seconds. You won't believe how much more juice you'll get from it.

If you use a lot of spices and herbs and hate to dig through a cabinet looking for them, here is a solution: Sticky-back velcro strips. Stick the hook part on the bottom of over-the-counter cabinets - Then stick 1 inch pieces onto the tops of spice jars so the jars hang in full view (all the way to the back of the cabinet, next to the wall). Grab and rip loose when you are ready to use the spice. When a jar is empty, simply save the old cap and switch it to the new jar. You can buy Velcro by the yard at a fabric store.

Forget the gadgets and techniques for peeling garlic. If you're mashing it using a garlic press, it doesn't have to be peeled at all. Just put the unpeeled clove in the press, squeeze, then remove the papery peel, which is left behind.

When food is stuck on pans to save elbow grease and pan, put hot water in pan to cover food that is stuck on, return to burner get going to a low boil and use a Wooden spoon (not to scratch or pan ) and stir into the food stuff and it will come loose and float around pan. What is left will come off with a dishcloth in hot soapy water. Hope this helps.

Save time, energy and an extra pan to clean by not boiling your lasagna noodles. When ready to assemble, just layer the dried noodles in the same way you would if they were pre-cooked. The moisture from the sauce will be absorbed into the pasta. Just be careful to make sure the sauce contains enough liquid (be sure to check on it from time to time as it bakes, adding small amounts of water, if necessary).

Using a block of cheese such as 1 lb. or smaller, you can slice the cheese on the flat easily with a potato peeler, and get uniform cheese slices, for making grilled cheese sandwiches. Using the potato slicer on the corners of the block of cheese you can get great shredded cheese for tacos and garnish. Easy cleanup and quick.

To avoid crying when peeling onions, put them in the cooler for a while or put them in ice water.

Measuring vegetable shortening into measuring cups can be quite messy. I hated washing the measuring cup afterwards.. But if you place Saran wrap into the measuring cup before, than all you have to do is lift the plastic wrap and shake out the shortening! And the best part is you don't have a dirty measuring cup!

Corn should never be husked [that is prior to preparation] -- it should be put in the microwave for 4-5 minutes with the husks intact. The results are fantastic -- best corn we have ever eaten. And no pots of water to boil and clean up afterward.

When slicing cinnamon roll dough or sticky bun dough, use a piece of dental floss instead of a knife! Just place a length of dental floss ( doesn't seem to matter if it's unwaxed or waxed, just not flavored!) about 18" crosswise underneath your roll of dough. Bring the back piece all the way forward and take the front piece clear to the back, gently pulling both ends until the floss cuts the dough! I found this works much better than trying to slice with a knife - the filling stays put! Dental floss is also an excellent way to slice cake, especially when you have a lot of it!]