The Quintessential eG Kitchen Tips/Trucs

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, chromedome said:

but I'm not (so far) enjoying the stoop-to-get-anything aspect of it.

I am with you on that. Stooping is one challenge. The other challenge again is peculiar to me and people with my particular visual issue. I can see things at eye level much more so than things at floor level.
When I first got my fridge with the freezer drawer at the bottom I was delighted. Circumstances changed. I think I could work much better now with the freezer on top. 

[Porthos]

This may be effort than some might want to do, but I can't read my own hand-printing any more:

 

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 9/2/2022 at 4:01 PM, Anna N said:

I am with you on that. Stooping is one challenge. The other challenge again is peculiar to me and people with my particular visual issue. I can see things at eye level much more so than things at floor level.
When I first got my fridge with the freezer drawer at the bottom I was delighted. Circumstances changed. I think I could work much better now with the freezer on top. 

In my experience, it depends on the frequency you use either level.    I need access the freezer only several, maybe 4 times, a week.   The fridge, multiple times a day.

[chromedome]

A minor tip, but the jar lifter from your canning set works really well for removing ramekins from their water bath.

 

I made creme brulee for a stepdaughter today (our little tradition) and did just that, and thought I should maybe post it.

[Bernie]

Well here is one that few think of...

Line ramekins/meatloaf tine/casserole/pie dishes with parchment to make removal easier and washing a breeze.

But how you ask? Isn't it fiddly.

Get a piece of parchment and screw it up tightly into a ball.

Straighten it out and screw it up again!

Now it will be easily be pushed into the corners of the dish. don't worry about overlaps. The wrinkles make it easy and don't show up because the wrinkles make it so flexible the food pushes the paper into the corners.

You can trim the edges after the food is in the dish but leave enough for "handles" to remove the contents whole

[BeeZee]

I was skeptical when I saw it posted online, but you can prevent cut apples from browning by soaking for 10 minutes in a salt water solution (1/2 tsp sea salt dissolved in 1c water). Rinse them off to remove the salty water, pat dry, and good to go. I took a bag full of slices for golfing snacks and they were fine for 5 hours. I've read of a similar method using honey diluted in water, but I may save that for a time when I can wash my hands if needed.

[Smithy]

Bumping this up to point out that there are a lot of clever ideas going on over here in the Absurdly, Stupidly Basic Cooking Questions topic about freezing buttermilk, juices, lemon zest, and other items in small portions for later use. Egg cups. Ice cube trays. Zip-top bags, even.

 

What do you like to use for freezing small portions when you have too much of something? All too often, I freeze things like excess broth in quart-sized containers, and still can't use it all. I need to cultivate more small-sized containers, or invest in a few extra ice cube trays.

[Darienne]

26 minutes ago, Smithy said:

What do you like to use for freezing small portions when you have too much of something? All too often, I freeze things like excess broth in quart-sized containers, and still can't use it all. I need to cultivate more small-sized containers, or invest in a few extra ice cube trays.

I think this forum is at least all over Canada and the USA: buynothingproject.org  It's where I live and I do belong to the local chapter.  So when you need something like....small sized cottage cheese containers....or whatever...you ask on the forum and if someone in your area has them, then Bob's your Uncle.  I've received wonderful things using this forum...and also given our own things away to someone who is only too pleased to get them...like our collection of Chinese dishes and bowls no longer in use because we don't entertain any more.  

 

(I was about to thank you for pointing me in the direction of this thread...and then discovered that I already belonged.  Duh.)

Edited February 4 by Darienne (log)

[blue_dolphin]

41 minutes ago, Smithy said:

What do you like to use for freezing small portions when you have too much of something?

When I make stock, I reduce it 3X and freeze in 1/3 cup sized ice cube trays (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) which I find handy as each cube is equivalent to a cup of stock. 

I also freeze tomato sauce in the same cubes.  1/3 cup is good for a single serving of pasta or a good-sized pizza. 

I freeze extra egg white, egg yolk or beaten egg in smaller cubes, generally weighing and aliquoting 1/2 large egg equivalents (30g white, 10g yolk, 25g beaten egg) in smaller ice cube trays (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). 

Both of the above get transferred to zip-top freezer bags, which I wash and reuse as much as possible.  I have 2 sets of those silicone ice cube trays.  Red for savory stuff that might contain onion or garlic, blue or pink for everything else. 

I freeze a lot of stuff in flattened zip-top freezer bags and break off what I need. These can be stored upright and I can usually tell what's what by the color. At the moment, my freezer has lime juice, lemon juice, tamarind chutney, tamarind paste, caramelized onions, red and green Thai curry pastes, tomato and onion masala from Dishoom, Romesco, pesto, puréed chipotles in adobo, sun-dried tomato purée, and a variety of cooked beans stacked up this way. 

 

 

Edited February 4 by blue_dolphin
to add tomato sauce (log)

[Smithy]

23 minutes ago, Darienne said:

I think this forum is at least all over Canada and the USA: buynothingproject.org  It's where I live and I do belong to the local chapter.  So when you need something like....small sized cottage cheese containers....or whatever...you ask on the forum and if someone in your area has them, then Bob's your Uncle.  I've received wonderful things using this forum...and also given our own things away to someone who is only too pleased to get them...like our collection of Chinese dishes and bowls no longer in use because we don't entertain any more.  

 

(I was about to thank you for pointing me in the direction of this thread...and then discovered that I already belonged.  Duh.)

 

My best friend, who lives in San Diego, is part of a Buy Nothing group. I didn't know that it was buynothingproject.org until now. Thanks for that!

 

9 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

When I make stock, I reduce it 3X and freeze in 1/3 cup sized ice cube trays (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) which I find handy as each cube is equivalent to a cup of stock. 

I also freeze tomato sauce in the same cubes.  1/3 cup is good for a single serving of pasta or a good-sized pizza. 

I freeze extra egg white, egg yolk or beaten egg in smaller cubes, generally weighing and aliquoting 1/2 large egg equivalents (30g white, 10g yolk, 25g beaten egg) in smaller ice cube trays (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). 

Both of the above get transferred to zip-top freezer bags, which I wash and reuse as much as possible.  I have 2 sets of those silicone ice cube trays.  Red for savory stuff that might contain onion or garlic, blue or pink for everything else. 

I freeze a lot of stuff in flattened zip-top freezer bags and break off what I need. These can be stored upright and I can usually tell what's what by the color. At the moment, my freezer has lime juice, lemon juice, tamarind chutney, tamarind paste, caramelized onions, red and green Thai curry pastes, tomato and onion masala from Dishoom, Romesco, pesto, puréed chipotles in adobo, sun-dried tomato purée, and a variety of cooked beans stacked up this way. 

 

 

 

That is such a stunningly pretty mental image. Pictures, please? And then will you come organize our freezer?

[Kerry Beal]

7 hours ago, Smithy said:

Bumping this up to point out that there are a lot of clever ideas going on over here in the Absurdly, Stupidly Basic Cooking Questions topic about freezing buttermilk, juices, lemon zest, and other items in small portions for later use. Egg cups. Ice cube trays. Zip-top bags, even.

 

What do you like to use for freezing small portions when you have too much of something? All too often, I freeze things like excess broth in quart-sized containers, and still can't use it all. I need to cultivate more small-sized containers, or invest in a few extra ice cube trays.

I seem to recall once upon a time - we discussed the stainless version of the traditional aluminum ice cube trays that are hinged and when you pull up on the handle it breaks the ice into pieces. Folks were making the cubes and then freezing them in freezer bags. Course you can do the same with silicone ice cube trays. 

[Alex]

7 hours ago, Darienne said:

I think this forum is at least all over Canada and the USA: buynothingproject.org  It's where I live and I do belong to the local chapter. 

 

I looked at the website, and it sounded like a great idea. Unfortunately, most of the reviews of the app said that it was extremely buggy, and that it continually pestered the user for a paid upgrade. It sounds like your experience has been different.

[chromedome]

You can check on Facebook for a local Buy Nothing group page, and join/participate that way. I was a bit surprised that you can't just participate through the website, but (shrug) it's their party, they can force the app if they want to.

I make a very deliberate practice of not installing any app unless I have an absolute need of it and there's no workaround, but there is a local group on Facebook so I've applied to it and will at least lurk for a while and see how active it is.

[Darienne]

10 hours ago, Alex said:

 

I looked at the website, and it sounded like a great idea. Unfortunately, most of the reviews of the app said that it was extremely buggy, and that it continually pestered the user for a paid upgrade. It sounds like your experience has been different.

Completely different.  Perhaps it has something to do with the locale.  My district is almost completely rural...maybe that makes a big difference.  I've yet to see anything commercial or inappropriate posted on it.  And a couple of young women administer the posts.  It seems that most of the items are baby clothes, oddments of furniture no longer wanted, Christmas items (I contributed big time in this one), paving blocks....  I've gotten empty cottage cheese size plastic containers needed to store homemade chicken broth in the dog freezer when our wonderful little Mandy wouldn't drink water but would certainly drink the broth in great quantities.  I think that's about as exciting as it has gotten for us.

[Darienne]

2 hours ago, chromedome said:

You can check on Facebook for a local Buy Nothing group page, and join/participate that way. I was a bit surprised that you can't just participate through the website, but (shrug) it's their party, they can force the app if they want to.

I make a very deliberate practice of not installing any app unless I have an absolute need of it and there's no workaround, but there is a local group on Facebook so I've applied to it and will at least lurk for a while and see how active it is.

Facebook must be where I found it. As far as I know I've not installed any apps in our computer life which is very basic.  And I can't do Zoom on my desk computer.  And our cell phones are the most basic you can buy and you cannot even text on them.   We really have not joined the computer generation.  

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

Facebook must be where I found it. As far as I know I've not installed any apps in our computer life which is very basic.  And I can't do Zoom on my desk computer.  And our cell phones are the most basic you can buy and you cannot even text on them.   We really have not joined the computer generation.  

It looks like there are a lot of local Facebook versions - I deleted the app as soon as all it was showing me was things in SFO.

 

 

[Darienne]

19 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

It looks like there are a lot of local Facebook versions - I deleted the app as soon as all it was showing me was things in SFO.

 

 

Sorry I'm not up on abbreviations....San Francisco?  

[Kerry Beal]

9 minutes ago, Darienne said:

Sorry I'm not up on abbreviations....San Francisco?  

yes