DesertTinker

Today I learned… Thanks! I’ve not run across these. Very clever design. Here’s how to use them, for the uninitiated.

There’s no ironic smile with a tear emoji, so you’ll have to imagine it. Inherited left behind personal favorites are a rough thing to have to deal with, you don’t want or need them, but there’s still that connection/guilt until you finally ready get rid of them.

Don’t expect much. We’ve gotten a Swiss Colony assortment pack for the last 10 - 15 years, petit fours are always included. Keep your expectations low. The quality always seems to take a little slip every year.

@Shel_B, @Smithy Here’s a clip where Julia Child uses the “finger in loop”, but it’s on the countertop.

No clue how common it is, I know I’ve seen it done by family, possibly on (now vintage) tv cooking shows, Julia Child in the black and white days? Usually using a larger bowl, as stated before, heavier mixture, or whisking for a prolonged time.

Here’s the full image from 2023, can’t find 2024.

One can also lip a finger or thumb through the ring to get a better grip, handy when mixing stiffer doughs/batters or whisking operations where you’re cradling the bowl in the crook of your arm. Love my vintage set, an amazing yard sale find years ago, think the were $5 for the four piece set. Just saw @Laurentius reply. I wash my hands thoroughly if I’ve got ‘fecal fingers’. 🤣

Also, check the home storage section in your local big box stores. I’ve had luck finding suitable containers that way. Be sure to have your measurements and take something to measure with when you shop, the printed dimensions are frequently misleading due to tapering of the sides, reinforcing ribs, etc.

I used a whisk and a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Ten minutes is a lot of whisking when one doesn’t do it often.🤣

I made a batch a week ago. First taste highly alcohol forward, waited a couple days, second taste dramatically mellowed, but also too thick to pour. I used a clean chopstick to encourage a taste out. Does it thicken and then reliquify?

Bagged individually? As long as there’s room for the water to circulate freely you should be good. It would be a good idea to start with hot-ish water, and cover it with plastic wrap, foil, insulation, anything to help reduce evaporation/heat loss. Here’s some info I had saved from the Chefsteps Joule site. “In a well-insulated, covered container, Joule can heat up to 10 gallons (40 liters) of water. In a covered pot, it can heat about 5 gallons (20 liters). When you're cooking without a cover, we generally recommend limiting water volume to about 2.5 gallons (10 liters).”

Heads up for those who want to make Nina Gluck’s Eggnog, but live in a state that doesn’t allow the high proof Everclear. I stumbled across this company in Maine that distills and distributes 200 proof “culinary solvent”. See here to find out if you’re in a state that they can ship to. They sell both organic and nonorganic in sizes ranging from 2 ounces up to 5 gallon containers. I placed an order last night (Sunday), it’s scheduled to arrive on Friday via FedEx.

I’ve done it before. It’s a bit less messy than the boiling water method, but it is a bit slower. Here’s what the National Center for Food Preservation recommends for method and times. It seems like it would be adaptable to the steam oven.

Silicone spatula for folding here. The GBBS ovens are from Neff (no eG friendly link available), most likely the N90 series, from my limited searching. Since you have the time, here’s a link to a blog post regarding the GBBS ovens.

@pastrygirl Have you considered an impulse sealer (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)? No vacuum, but a better seal than folded and taped.