Keeping Basil or Others Herbs Fresh
Do you know how to keep fresh herbs fresh? The key to making herbs last and stay fragrant for days (and even weeks) after purchase is to treat them like the living plants they are. That means you do NOT store fresh herbs in the refrigerator. Fresh basil leaves quickly turn black and slimy, and lose their signature spicy sweet flavor when refrigerated. The best method of basil storage is to keep the fresh herbs in a jar of water on your kitchen counter
top.
by Jean Smith Lanoue on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 1:17pm
by Jean Smith Lanoue on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 1:17pm
Ingredient
Amount
Substitution
Baking powder 1 tsp ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar
Buttermilk 1 cup 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 tbsp vinegar plus milk to
equal 1 cup, or 1 tbsp lemon juice plus milk to equal 1 cup
Cake Flour 1 cup 1 cup minus 2 tbsp sifted all purpose flour
Chocolate 1 ounce 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tbsp butter or margarine
Cornstarch 1 tbsp 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Corn syrup 2 cups 1 cup granulated sugar
Cream, light 1 cup 1 ½ tbsp butter plus whole milk to equal 1 cup
Cream, whipping or heavy 1 cup ½ cup butter plus whole milk to equal 1 cup
Egg, yolk 2 yolks 1 whole egg (can be used for baking but not for
piecrust or a sauce)
Egg, whole 1 egg 2 egg yolks (for baking, 2 egg yolks plus 1 tbsp
water) OR if just one egg short for a recipe substitute 1 tsp of
cornstarch
Garlic 1 clove 1 tsp chopped garlic, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1/8 tsp
garlic powder, ½ tsp garlic flakes = ¼ tsp granulated garlic, ½ tsp
garlic juice
Herbs, fresh 1 tbsp 1 tsp dried herbs
Honey 1 cup 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar plus ¼ cup liquid
Lemon juice 1 tbsp 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
Milk, skim 1 cup 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk plus ¾ cup water
Milk, whole 1 cup ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water
Molasses 1 cup ¾ cup granulated sugar
Molasses 1 cup 1 cup light corn syrup (makes light coloring)
Mushrooms, fresh 1 lb. 12 ounces canned mushrooms, drained
Mustard, dry 1 tsp 1 tbsp prepared mustard
Sour cream 1 cup 3 tbsp butter plus buttermilk or yogurt to equal 1 cup
Sugar, brown 1 cup 1 cup granulated sugar
Sugar, granulated 1 cup 1 ¾ cup confectioners' sugar (do not
substitute for baking)
Tomato juice 3 cups 1 ½ cups tomato sauce plus 1 ½ cups water or 1 can
(6 oz. size) tomato paste plus 3 cans water, dash salt and dash sugar
Tomato sauce 1 cup 1 can (3 oz. size) tomato paste plus ½ cup water
Yogurt 1 cup 1 cup buttermilk
Before pouring milk into a pot for boiling rub butter along the top edge and inside lip of the pot. When the milk foams up, it will stop over spilling when it hits the butter.
Buy large lemons and limes, they tend to be much sweeter. Make sure that the skin is thin, those are much juicer. To obtain more of the juice from lemons, limes or oranges, microwave on high for 30 seconds and then let stand for a couple of minutes before cutting and squeezing. Rolling them between your hand and the counter will also help release more juice.
Want to know the secret to keeping onions fresh for future use? Your freezer! Frozen onions are easy to prepare. Just chop and place the minced onion on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for about an hour. Transfer the frozen onions to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to a year. Frozen onions are best used in soups, sauces and casseroles and should not be defrosted before use. Keep reading to see how to remove the onion odor.
Storing Onions:
Sweet onions are high in water and sugar content so they require more care when storing; treat them gently to avoid bruising. Store away from potatoes because they’ll absorb water. Generally, sweet onions will keep for 4 to 6 weeks or longer. Cut onions should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Favorite ways to store “sweets”:
In the refrigerator: Store in a single layer in the vegetable bin on paper towels. Or, for longer storage, wrap in foil.
In pantyhose: Take a leg from a pair of clean, sheer pantyhose, drop an onion into the foot, tie a knot and repeat as necessary. Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Cut above the knot when ready to use.
On racks or screens: Place on elevated racks or screens, not touching, in a cool area.
In the freezer: For long-term storage, sweet onions can be frozen, but their texture changes so frozen onions should be used only for cooking. Chop and place on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. When frozen, place in freezer containers or bags. To store whole onions, peel, wash, core and freeze in a freezer-proof container or bag.
Drying: Chop and dry in the oven, using the lowest setting. Remove when thoroughly dry but not brown. Store at room temperature in airtight containers.
One large onion = about one (1) cup chopped onion.
One medium onion = about 3/4 cup chopped onion.
It is so hard to remove the smell of onions, garlic or fish from your hands. One household tip for removing the blade of a stainless steel knife. Well I prefer to use a spoon or the stainless steel faucet. In fact, you can even buy stainless steel ‘soaps’, which are just hunks of stainless steel that are about the same shape and size as a bar of normal soap. See stainless soap