STORING SHELLFISH

When buying shellfish it is the best to buy live if possible. If you buy them and then find that you will not be able to cook them on the same day, you can freeze them for future use. Freezing the shellfish will preserve the fresh taste longer than refrigerating. Ideally you will always want to prepare any seafood the same day that you purchase it if at all possible.

Shrimp – Before you freeze, you will want to rinse the shrimp well and remove the heads. You can freeze shrimp cooked or uncooked in a tightly sealed freezer container for no longer than 3 months.

Clams, Oysters and Scallops – Remove the meat from the shell, do not freeze any of these in the shell. Place the meat in a tightly sealed freezer proof container and freeze for no longer than 3 months.

Crabs, Lobsters – You will prepare and cook your crab or lobster as if you were going to sit down and eat it. Once the meat has cooled remove all of the meat from the shells and place into tightly sealed freezer proof containers. Crab and Lobster should only be frozen for up to 1 month.

STORING COOKED PASTA

You have just made a huge pasta dinner, and no one was hungry. Now you have a ton of noodles left over.

You hate to throw them out, but how do you keep them? The easiest way to store pasta is to freeze it.

To do this just place the pasta back in the colander and rinse it off under cool tap water. This will remove any extra starch from the noodles and make them more manageable for the next step.

Place the noodles into plastic containers, seal well and freeze until firm. (allow about 3-4 hours)

Remove the containers from the freezer and remove the pasta from the containers. Place the frozen pasta blocks into large freezer bags and seal well.

Note the date that the pasta was made on the bag. Now just place the pasta in the freezer until it is needed.

The pasta can be frozen for up to 6 months in this manner.

To defrost the noodles, simply pull out how many blocks of pasta you will need.

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.

Once the water is boiling, add the blocks of pasta into the water and cook until reheated, usually around 2-4 minutes depending on quantity of noodles.

STORING PIE

After you have baked your pie and served it to your family or guests, it is important that you store it properly also.

Fruit pies can be stored at room temperature for one day if they are covered. They will fare the best if you refrigerate, usually 2-3 days depending on the pie type.

Don’t forget that any pies containing eggs or dairy products must be covered tightly and refrigerated. Do not let these pies sit at room temperature or warmer for longer than 1 hour or harmful bacteria can start forming.

STORING RICE

When making dinner we all know that cooking rice can be a pain. It takes a long time to cook, and sometimes planning does not go well and the rest of your meal is waiting for the rice to finish.

The next time that you are making dinner with rice or just have some spare time make up an extra batch or two. Scoop the cooked rice into small storage containers and freeze until firm. (allow about 3-4 hours) Remove the containers from the freezer and remove the rice. Place the frozen rice blocks into a large freezer bag and seal well. Note the date that the rice was made on the bag. Now just place the rice in the freezer until it is needed. The rice can be frozen for up to 6 months in this manner.

To defrost and use, simply pull out how many blocks of rice you will need to prepare, remove from the bags and place in a saucepan. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of water for every 1 cup of cooked rice that is in the pan. Place the saucepan over med-low heat and cover. Simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally to break up and frozen chunks.

KEEPING COTTAGE CHEESE

You just bought a container of cottage cheese when you were shopping. You get it home and you are wondering how you can keep it fresh for longer.

You use it occasionally for lunches or in a recipe, but not every day.

Once you get it home, sounds pretty silly, but make sure that the lid fits tight and place it in the refrigerator upside down.

When you use it and replace it in the refrigerator again and flip it upside down.

By doing this it will make sure that the curds are evenly coated with the surrounding liquid.

FREEZING SOUP

When you are making up large batches of soup to freeze, you can try this little trick for soup that is easier to store and reheat.

Grab a large coffee can that is empty and place on your counter.

Place a large zip lock bag into the can.

Pour in your soup that has been cooled and seal the bag.

Now place the soup, can and all in the freezer.

Once the soup is completely frozen, remove the bag from the can and place back in the freezer.

Your can is now ready to use again.

HOW TO STORE YOUR BAKING STONES

You got the best baking stone and just love using it, but the question is where do you store it.

Everyone's first inclination is to store it in the oven. This is not a good idea.

Baking stones can be brittle and can break if subjected to abrupt temperature changes (like turning on the broiler when you forgot that it was in there)

Each manufacturer has different specifications for storage.

Your stone should have come with an instruction sheet letting you know how to store it, if you are unable to find that, just look up the information on the companies web site.

PRESERVING YEAST

To extend the life of baking yeast, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months past the expiration date.

If you do not use baking yeast very often, you can also keep it in the freezer for up to one year past the expiration date.

The expiration date is clearly marked on the packaging of the baking yeast when you buy it.

If you are going to freeze it, place the baking yeast in a tightly sealed plastic container.

Make sure that you bring it back to room temperature before using if you freeze it.

RECYCLED VEGETABLES

Since this is the cooking and eating time of year we tend to over do it sometimes.

You have cleaned up after dinner and found that you have just a few spoonfulls of vegeatables left.

Not enough for another serving, but still enough that you hate to throw away.

Place them into a larger tightly sealed freezer proof container and freeze.

Now whenever you finish a meal and find that you have more left over, add to the container.

The next time that you are making soup or stew, simply pull out your collection of vegetables and add them to your creation!

WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THIS OIL?

You are deep frying dinner and when you are done you are pondering whether you should keep the oil or toss it out.

Old school was to let the oil cool and store it. This is no longer the case.

Once you use oil for deep frying, when you are done you need to throw it out.

The food that you cook will leave little particles, and even if you take the time to strain it, the oil could go rancid.

The next time that you used it you could end up getting sick from the rancidity or the oil could catch fire because of the extra proteins and sugars that are left in the oil along with the basic structure being broke down from the initial use.

HOW LONG CAN I FREEZE POULTRY

In case you were wondering, here is just a rule of thumb for storing poultry in the freezer:

IS MY FOOD SAFE TO EAT??

If you work all day, go on vacation, or even just want to keep an eye on things try this little trick to let you know if the food in your freezer is safe to eat.

Take a ziplock style bag and fill it with 4 or 5 ice cubes and place in the top of your freezer.

If you ever open your freezer and see that the ice cubes have melted and refroze into a solid block (or is still water) chances are the food in your freezer is not safe to eat anymore.

HOW LONG CAN I KEEP FISH IN THE FREEZER

This little table will help you to decide if that fish that you had in the freezer is still edible....

Cold Cut Containers

You bought some cold cuts from the deli, but now that you are home you are not sure how to store it.

The easiest way to store deli meats is to place them into an airtight container or new zip lock bag. Place the containers toward the back in the coolest part of the refrigerator.

No matter which method you use, the meat will only stay fresh for 3 to 5 days after your purchase, so don't buy more than you think that you will use.

Storing Cheese

Your kids love cheese, but you want to try to find a way to keep it from molding in the fridge.

Cleanliness is the start. Before handling cheese, be sure to wash your hands well.

If you buy cheese that is wrapped in cheese paper, keep the paper and wrap the leftover pieces in it until you are ready to use it.

If you don't have cheese paper you can wrap softer cheeses, like mozzerella or cream cheese in wax paper. Harder cheeses like cheddar or parmesian, you can wrap in aluminum foil.

Clear a small space in your crisper drawer and place the cheese there. Cheese likes it when it is cold and humid. If it is too dry, the cheese will dry out and crack.

CHEESECAKE STORAGE

Here are a few useful tips to help you make a successful cheesecake. Although a cheesecake is quite simple to make, the right techniques can help make it a success every time.

For optimum presentation and flavor, once the cheesecake is cooked, it should be thoroughly cooled and if possible chilled for at least 2 hours before serving.

The cheesecake will actually develop deeper flavor after it has been refrigerated for a few days.

After the cheesecake has been removed from the oven and cooled at room temperature for about a half an hour, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator with out any covering to complete the cooling process.

Once the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled remove it from the refrigerator and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can store a cheesecake this way for up to a week.

To serve, just remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator, cut off the number of pieces that you would like to serve, and place on serving plates.

If you wish, you can let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for about a half an hour before serving to bring out the creamiest flavor of your creation.

FREEZING VENISON

Hunting season is upon us again. Venison is a staple in our house and there is not a time that we don’t have any in the freezer. I have chosen the option to process my own meat instead of taking it to a butcher. It does take a long time, but it is definitely worth it in the end.

When I know that a deer is on the way, I will run down to the local butcher and pick up about 5-10 lbs of beef fat. It is very inexpensive and if I don’t use it all, I just freeze it until the next deer comes along.

Personally I don’t do any fillets or steaks except for the back straps. Once I pull the back straps, I cut all of the remaining meat off of the animal and place it into large tubs that I then place in the refrigerator until I am ready to process.

Once the deer has been totally stripped, I will take the containers from the refrigerator and rinse each piece of meat. Inspect each piece carefully for any hair, gristle or foreign matter. Even one piece of hair will give your meat a “gamey” taste.

Once the meat is rinsed and inspected it goes into another clean container and back to the fridge until I am done inspecting all of the meat.

Now comes the fun part! You will need an electric grinder or a good mixer with the grinder attachment. Using the larger grinder attachment (about ¼ inch holes) grind up all of the meat from one container.

Using a guesstimate, grind up enough fat that would be about 10% of the weight of your meat. Mix the fat and the meat together well. Now, grind again. This will mix the meat and the fat thoroughly.

Place the ground meat back into the refrigerator until you are ready to package. Process all of the meat in this way before starting your packaging process.

It is very important to use the proper paper for packaging. Purchase a large roll of freezer paper from your local paper supply, butcher or warehouse store. Cut off about as many large squares as you think that you will need.

Weigh or measure out the amount of meat that you want in each package. Place the meat in the center of a square of freezer paper. Fold one corner down so that it covers the meat and fits snugly. Take the points to the left and right of your fold and fold them across at a 90º angle forming an envelope. Now roll the meat toward the final point and run a piece of tape well around the outside of the package securing well.

Write the month, year and type of meat in the bundle and place in the freezer. For the initial freezing, make sure that you space the bundles out and try not to layer them until they are mostly frozen. Once they are thoroughly frozen you can stack them all together in one area of the freezer.

Venison can be frozen for 9 or 10 months if the temperature is kept constant and no thawing occurs.

Bulking Up

You are trying to be more cautious with your money, therefor you are shopping more sales. Meat is on sale, but the only problem is you don't know how long it will last in the freezer.

When I get it home I break down the packages of meat into family sized servings. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then I wrap it securely in foil. With a permanent marker I indicate the type of meat in the package and the month and year that I bought it.

Chicken:
Uncooked - 1 Year
Cooked Meat Only - 4 months
Cooked/Prepared/Casserole-3 months

Beef:
Uncooked Beef - 9 year
Cooked Meat - 6 months
Cooked/Prepared/Casserole-3 months

Pork:
Uncooked Pork - 6 months
Cooked Pork - 4 months
Cooked/Prepared/Casserole-3 months

Frozen Fruits/Vegetables - 1 Year

Baked Bread Products and Tortillias - 4 months

Butter (sealed in plastic bags to prevent flavor pickup)- 6 months

KEEPING HOME BAKED BREAD FRESH

During the summer it is hard to keep bread from getting too hot and molding quickly, especially when it is home made or with out preservatives.

To help try to keep the bread fresh a bit longer, wrap any leftovers in wax paper, then an airtight storage bag and store in the refrigerator.

This will only extend the life for a day or two, so make sure that you eat any fresh bread as soon as possible to minimize waste.

If you don't think that you are going to be able to eat all of the bread before it goes bad, using a knife or a pizza cutter cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes and set out to dry for a day or two in a well ventilated area. You can then place them into an airtight storage container. Now when a recipe asks for breadcrumbs all you have to do is crush the bread and add to your recipe. You can also use the bread cubes for croutons or stuffing.

SOFTER BREAD

If you are having problems with keeping your bread soft. You have tried all the fancy breadboxes and quick fixes, but nothing really seems to be working. Try this quick tip to keep it moister.

When I get my bread home, I remove the plastic or wire clip that is keeping the bag closed with a tightly closing kitchen clip. This will help keep your bread fresh for at least 3-4 days.

If you don't use bread very often and want it to stay soft for about a week or so, try placing a cleaned and dried stalk of celery into the bag with the bread and tightly seal it. The bread will remain softer because the celery provides just a bit of moisture.

When keeping bread for longer than 4-5 days, spot check before each use for any mold that might be forming.

STORING TEA

When you buy your herbal tea, you will be tempted store it in the refrigerator like coffee.

Tea should not be stored in a humid environment.

If you store it in a tightly sealed airtight container in your pantry, it will remain fresher without abosorbing scents and flavors from other foods around it.

Tea should be used no more than one year from the purchase date.

FREEZING NUTS

To keep nuts like walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts fresh, double bag in tightly sealed freezer bags and place in the freezer.

Most nuts can be kept this way for up to 6 months.

When you are ready to prepare, just pull from the freezer and chop.

Dried Fruit Dried Up

Since dried fruit is one of those things that you just don’t use very often, it can dry out quickly if not stored properly.

The easiest way to store it to maintain the optimum amount of freshness is to keep it from the air.

Place the fruit into an airtight container and store in a cool dry cupboard for up to 2 months, or place in the freezer for no more than 6 months.

If you didn’t freeze the fruit, and you look at the fruit and it looks and feels less than fresh, you can try refreshing it.

To refresh dried fruit, you can place the dried out fruit in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the fruit generously with water and cover with aluminum foil.

Place the baking dish in the oven that you have preheated to 350º.

Remove from the oven after about 10-12 minutes and let cool. Once cool, add to your recipe and prepare as normal.

A GOOD EGG

An egg, is an egg? Right?

Not so if you are starting to get serious about cooking. Great tasting dishes depend on great tasting ingredients, and the egg is not one to get looked over.

When shopping for eggs, take the time to open each carton and inspect the eggs. Are they kept in a refrigerated compartment? Do they all look uniformly white with out any thin spots on the shell or cracks? Pick up each egg; do the all come out of the carton easily?

Once you have found your perfect dozen eggs, don’t stop caring for them when you get home. Place them in the refrigerator immediately with the large end up. Eggs should be used within 1 week of purchase, although you can keep them for up to 5 weeks if refrigerated properly.

Can’t decide if you should be healthy and buy brown eggs? Take your pick. It has not been prove that there is any additional nutritional value between a white egg and a brown egg.

LEFTOVER LEMON

You have a recipe that asks some lemon juice and peel, but you don’t know what to do with the rest of it.

You hate to throw it out, and it won’t keep for long in the refrigerator, what do you do?

Simply drop the unused portions of lemon into a zip lock bag, write on the date, and place it in the freezer.

The next time that your lemon recipe asks for lemon, pull out the frozen pieces and defrost as much as needed for use.

Lemon should store in the freezer for no more than 6 months.

FREEZING WHIPPED CREAM

You have just made the best dessert for the family and topped it with whipped cream.

Now that you are cleaning up you are trying to decide what to do with the left over whipped cream.

You hate to throw it away, but it does not store well in the refrigerator.

The answer is simple: freeze it.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Spoon the whipped cream into mounds on the lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer.

Freeze until set, then cut apart the waxed paper and store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer until ready to serve. (No longer than 1 month)

Now, when you need whipped topping for a dessert, pull the number of whipped cream puffs that you need from the freezer, let sit at room temperature for 5-7 minutes, remove the waxed paper, and place on top of your dessert.

KEEPING CELERY FRESH

You always pick up some celery from the grocery store. When you get it home and go to use it, it is kind of rubbery and limp. The next time you buy celery, try this to help preserve it better:

When you get home, trim off the ends of the celery and the base.

Now trim the celery so that it will fit into a tightly sealed container.

Pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the container and place your celery in the water.

Cover tightly and refrigerate.

Now your celery will be nice and crispy for about a week.

COOKIE TIPS VI

If you are going to make cookies to mail, make sure that you select a recipe that will transport well. Moist Fruit Filled, Drop, and Bar cookies will travel the best.

Place the flat sides of 2 cookies (bottoms) together. Wrap the cookies together with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place the packets of cookies into storage containers or small boxes before placing in box for shipping.

Use Hot Air Popcorn, bubble wrap or newspaper between the containers in the box to cushion.

If shipping cookies with icing, place a piece of waxed paper between the icing and the wrap to prevent the icing from sticking.

The recipient will appreciate all of the effort with fresh homemade cookies, not crumbs!

COOKIE TIPS V

The key to fresh cookies is proper storage. If not sealed properly, they become hard and dry or moist and soggy.

If your cookies dry out too much, add a slice of bread or a wedge of apple to the container. Seal for 1 or 2 days, cookies will absorb the “gentle” moister and soften again.

Cookies that become moist/soggy when they were stored can be dried out by heating the oven to 300ºF and placing a single layer of cookies onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 2 – 3 minutes, or to taste.

COOKIE TIPS IV

Before cookies are stored, make sure that they are completely cooled on a wire rack. Warm cookies will create condensation in the storage container making the cookies damp/mushy.

Cookies can be frozen ahead of time, then defrost when needed. To thaw cookies that were frozen, heat oven to 300ºF. Place cookies onto a baking sheet and reheat for 2-3 minutes until defrosted to taste.

When storing cookies make sure to store soft cookies and crunchy cookies in different containers.

BOILED EGG BLUES?

Peeling boiled eggs is one of the most dreaded duties in the kitchen. A few simple steps will help you have the perfect egg every time.

Do not boil fresh eggs. When I buy eggs each week, I remove the eggs from the previous week and set them aside for boiling. I then place the new eggs in the egg rack for daily use.

Place the week old eggs into a pan of cold water. Over med-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the stove and place in the sink. Run cold tap water into the pan for several minutes. Turn off the water and place about a cup of ice cubes into the pan of water to facilitate cooling.

Once the eggs are cool, you can place in the refrigerator and they should keep for a week to 10 days.

When you are ready to peel, turn on the kitchen water to a slow stream. Crack the egg on a hard surface and place the egg in the palm of your hands. Rolling the egg back and forth in your palms under the water, apply gentle pressure. The shell should separate from the egg and peel off easily.

COOKING WITH FRESH GINGER

Ginger comes in a large root form and can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores.

Typically recipes only ask for a teaspoon and after you are done cooking you are left with more than you used.

To store the unused portion of ginger, wrap it in waxed paper and place in a plastic bag.

Write the date on the bag with a marker and place in the freezer.

When you are cooking, you can remove the ginger from the freezer, cut off the amount that you need and re-freeze the remaining.

Frozen, Ginger should keep for 3-4 months.

Selecting Mangoes

You are looking at the Mangoes at the market, but you have no idea which ones are ripe.

Unlike other produce you cannot necessarily tell if it is ripe by coloring. You may see streaks of red, green, orange.

You want to look for fruit that is barely soft when squeezed gently. It should have the same feel as a ripe peach. You can also smell around the stem for the fruity aroma.

Leave it behind if it is too soft or has any soft spots or bruising.

If the mango is still a bit too firm for your taste you can let ripen at room temperature. Once they are ripe you can keep in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days.

PANCAKE/WAFFLE TIPS

When making pancakes or waffles, combine all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until mixed. Now you can pour the batter onto the hot Waffle Iron or Griddle and have less to cleanup after the meal as well as a lump free breakfast.

Made too much? Not a problem! Just cool the extra pancakes and waffles on a wire rack. When cool, place in plastic freezer bags and freeze. Now when you want a hot breakfast in a rush, just pop into the toaster or a toaster oven to re-heat.

Storing Soup

You have a ton of leftovers and you decide that the best way to use them up is to make some soup and freeze until you need it. Will all soups freeze the same? Here is some information that will help you learn how to store it.

Chicken, beef, or Turkey soups freeze exceptionally well.

When you get ready to freeze the soup do not leave in or use potatoes/rice/pasta. You can add them after you have reheated it. They can all get really mushy when frozen and reheated.

After you are done preparing the soup for freezing pour it into sever smaller containers. These may not be the containers that you freeze it in, it will just help it to cool faster to prevent bacterial buildup.

Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, pour into the containers that you will freeze the soup in. Leave at least 1" of space for expansion at the top of the container. This will keep the lid from getting blown off in the freezer as it finishes the freezing process.

If you are freezing bean soup, it may be super thick when you thaw it as they tend to thicken when you freeze. Be prepared to add some broth or liquid when reheating.

Make sure that you write the date that you freeze your soup on the container. You should not freeze for longer than 3 months.

Fish soups are best served fresh, and it is not suggested that you freeze.

Moldy Cheese

You like to buy bricks of cheese, but you hate to pull it out of the refrigerator and find that it has grown a furry.

The next time that you get ready to store it follow these simple steps to keep mold from forming as quickly.

In a small bowl combine 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Grab a cloth napkin and soak it in the salt water solution. Wring out the napkin well and wrap it around the cheese. Place the bundle into a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator.

The salt will help prevent bacteria from growing as quickly.

Protecting Fruits and Vegetables

You are trying to think greener and recycle as many things as you can. So far it has been pretty easy, but you occasionally find an item that you have a hard time thinking of a use for.

You recently received a box that had some bubble wrap in it. Yes the common use for that is to protect items in shipment, then a few minutes of fun popping the bubbles. There is actually another use that will help you also!

Cut a sheet and place it in the bottom of your vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. Now when you place your fruit and vegetables in from banging around and getting bruised every time you open and close the drawer.

Storing Silver

You just got done cleaning the silver, again, and you are secretly wishing that there was a way that you could help prevent the tarnish from building up so bad while it is being stored.

The answer may be as close as your child's play room. Find some chalk, sidewalk chalk will work also. Place a few pieces in the cabinet that you store your silver in. The chalk will absorb moisture, thus reducing the amount of tarnish on your silver.

Meatball Madness

So the last time that I went shopping I found a bag of meatballs that tasted so fabulous that I had to buy them. I love using them for quick and easy dinners. Only problem is they come in a HUGE bag! I was scared that they would freezer burn before I could use them all.

After pondering the storage options I remembered my food sealer. This worked Perfect!

I placed the number of meatballs that I need for each meal into a bag and sealed it. Now when I am ready to fix dinner, I just grab a package and I am ready to go!

Storing Coffee

You have heard it all. Store coffee in the freezer, store coffee in the refrigerator, store it in the pantry.

There are so many different ideas out there, which one is right?

Coffee will loose it's flavor when exposed to air. So actually all of the above is correct, depending on how you use your coffee.

Always store the coffee in the an air tight container. That does not change. But here is where it does:

Pantry - Store it in the pantry if you plan on using it within 2 weeks.

Refrigerator- If you don't use it as often you can store it in the refrigerator for about a month.

Freezer - If you only use coffee occasionally, you can store it in the freezer. It should stay fresh for up to 3 months.

Wintery Egg Whites

You have an extra egg white, but you can't use it right now. You wonder if you can freeze it. Well, the answer is yes, you can freeze them.

It is best if you freeze them one at a time in say an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer to a tightly sealed bag.

When you are ready to use them, remove from the freezer the night before and thaw in the refrigerator, or microwave on low for 30 seconds or until thawed, but not cooked.

If you use frozen egg whites for dishes that you have to whip, you will not have the volume that a fresh egg white will give you. They are however perfectly fine for baked dishes or in an omelet.

Garlic Prep & Storage II

My family loves garlic. It does take a bit of time to prepare so I have found this simple solution to always have some on hand.

When you go shopping, pick up a few heads of garlic.

When you get home chop up all of the garlic at once and place into an airtight glass container.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil for each head of garlic, then seal tightly.

Place the jar in the coldest shelf of your refrigerator.

Now you will have fresh chopped garlic whenever you need it for up to 2 weeks.

Storing Fresh Cilantro

You just went shopping and found a great bundle of fresh Cilantro. You get it home, and you are wondering how you can store it so that it will last the longest.

First grab a large bowl and fill it up with cool water. Break the bundle into the bowl and rinse well. Pick through the bunch and discard any pieces that are starting to die or look decayed.

Remove from the water and gently shake off any excess water. (You are not going to want to use a salad spinner as it will bruise the leaves)

Grab a vase, jar or glass and fill with water. You will want a container that will hold the herb snugly with the leaves just above the rim. Place your herbs in the container of water making sure that all of the stems are in the water.

Grab the produce bag that you brought your herbs home in and gently place over the top.

Place the jar in your refrigerator and monitor it. Every couple of days you will want to check the water, if it starts to look murky, dump the water and replace the water. Trim off any stems that might look like they are going bad.

Cilantro should stay fresh for about 2 weeks if stored in this manner.

Soggy Salt

You grab the salt shaker to spice up your dinner and nothing comes out.

You pop off the top and notice that once again it is all caked at the bottom.

An easy way to help prevent the caking is to pick up a package of oyster crackers.

Drop a couple in your shaker then add salt. The crackers will absorb extra humidity and help prevent your salt from caking.

When your shaker is empty, discard the crackers and add a couple of new ones before re-filling.

Preserving Oregano

You just went shopping and found a great bundle of fresh Oregano. You get it home, and you are wondering how you can store it so that it will last the longest.

First grab a large bowl and fill it up with cool water. Break the bundle into the bowl and rinse well. Pick through the bunch and discard any pieces that are starting to die or look decayed.

Remove from the water and gently shake off any excess water. (You are not going to want to use a salad spinner as it will bruise the leaves)

Grab a vase, jar or glass and fill with water. You will want a container that will hold the herb snugly with the leaves just above the rim. Place your herbs in the container of water making sure that all of the stems are in the water.

Grab the produce bag that you brought your herbs home in and gently place over the top.

Place the jar in your refrigerator and monitor it. Every couple of days you will want to check the water, if it starts to look murky, dump the water and replace the water. Trim off any stems that might look like they are going bad.

Oregano should stay fresh for about a month if stored in this manner.

Fresh Rosemary

You just went shopping and found a great bundle of fresh Rosemary. You get it home, and you are wondering how you can store it so that it will last the longest.

First grab a large bowl and fill it up with cool water. Break the bundle into the bowl and rinse well. Pick through the bunch and discard any pieces that are starting to die or look decayed.

Remove from the water and gently shake off any excess water. (You are not going to want to use a salad spinner as it will bruise the leaves)

Grab a vase, jar or glass and fill with water. You will want a container that will hold the herb snugly with the leaves just above the rim. Place your herbs in the container of water making sure that all of the stems are in the water.

Grab the produce bag that you brought your herbs home in and gently place over the top.

Place the jar in your refrigerator and monitor it. Every couple of days you will want to check the water, if it starts to look murky, dump the water and replace the water. Trim off any stems that might look like they are going bad.

Rosemary should stay fresh for about 6 weeks if stored in this manner.

Cake Storage

You just had the most amazing cake dessert, but since there is some left you are trying to decide which in the best way to store it.

Most cakes that have a sugar frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To get the most out of it, tear off a piece of plastic wrap and cover any cut edges. This will help keep it from drying out.

Now just place it into a cake keeper or you can invert a large bowl over it.

Preserving Basil

You just went shopping and found a great bundle of fresh Basil. You get it home, and you are wondering how you can store it so that it will last the longest.

First grab a large bowl and fill it up with cool water. Break the bundle into the bowl and rinse well. Pick through the bunch and discard any pieces that are starting to die or look decayed.

Remove from the water and gently shake off any excess water. (You are not going to want to use a salad spinner as it will bruise the leaves)

Grab a jar or glass and fill with water. You will want a container that will hold the herb snugly with the leaves just above the rim.

Grab the produce bag that you brought your herbs home in and gently place over the top.

Place the jar on your countertop and monitor it. Every couple of days you will want to check the water, if it starts to look murky, dump the water and replace the water. Trim off any stems that might look like they are going bad.

Basil should stay fresh for up to a month if you store it in this manner.

Quiche Again?

When you are making quiche, you don’t have to toss any extra.

You can refrigerate any leftovers if they are tightly sealed and you can microwave to warm up.

Leftover quiche makes a great breakfast or lunch, and is often more flavorful than the first day that it was prepared as the flavors have had a chance to meld.

Brilliant Butter

When you are storing butter, you can keep it in the refrigerator for about one month.

If you are going to store it for longer than a week, make sure that you place it in a tightly sealed bag.

You can freeze butter for up to six months, but once again, make sure it is tightly sealed in a bag.

Saving Paste

You have some almond past that somehow got stuck in the back and you just found it.

It is a bit hard, but it is also expensive, so you don’t want to toss it. How can you save it?

The easiest way is to place the almond paste in a plastic bag. Next grab a piece of bread and place it inside the bag also.

Seal the bag and set aside.

The moisture from the bread will slowly be absorbed by the paste helping to restore it to the pliable texture that it was when you bought it.

HOMEMADE FRUIT BREADS

Ahhh, we all know and love the smell of fresh baked fruit bread. It does taste fabulous fresh out of the oven, but there is a better way to serve it! After you make your bread, let it cool on the counter. Once it is room temperature, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap or foil and let it sit overnight. The next morning when you open it and slice it, you will have a nice firm loaf that tastes fabulous. By letting it sit overnight the flavors will fully develop for a great loaf of bread.

After you make your bread, let it cool on the counter.

Once it is room temperature, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap or foil and let it sit overnight.

The next morning when you open it and slice it, you will have a nice firm loaf that tastes fabulous.

By letting it sit overnight the flavors will fully develop for a great loaf of bread.

STORING POPCORN

If you still buy popcorn that is unprepared sometimes you find that not all the kernels pop. You can prevent this

When you get your popcorn home place it in the refrigerator.

Once is has been opened, place a slightly damp paper towel in the tightly sealed container and this will help your popcorn pop light and fluffy.

KEEPING A STOCKED PANTRY

I have certain staples that I don't like to run out of. Ketchup, Mayonaise, Flour and Sugar to name a few.

I always keep a spare in the pantry. Now when I open the last one, I place it on the shopping list and get it.

No more surprises of running out in the middle of a recipe or meal.

SOUP STOCK STORAGE

If you decided to make up your own stock, you probably aren't going to use it right away.

I will usually make up stock after I have prepared a beef or chicken dinner that left me with some decent bones.

Just pour the finished stock into plastic containers and refrigerate immediately. It will keep fresh for a few days.

If you don't plan of using the stock for at least 6 days, place in the freezer after you have marked the container well.

You should be able to freeze it for 6 months.

If you find that you need smaller quantities of stock you can also freeze it in ice cube trays.

Once it is frozen, dump the trays into tightly sealed plastic containers or zip lock bags.

Each cube will be the equivelant of about a tablespoon of stock.

You can also freeze any left over stock from a can in this manner if you don't need all of it for your recipe.

FREEZING TIPS III

When you are preparing your meat for freezing, you want to make sure that you get the best kind of freezer paper as possible.

The kind that you can get in the grocery store is adequate for short term freezing.

If you want better quality paper check your local warehouse stores and see if they have any large rolls available. These rolls will be quite large and cost between $20-$50.

If you do not have access to any, just wander down to your local butcher and ask if you could purchase a roll or section of their paper.

FREEZER SAFETY II

If you place something in the freezer, check on it in about 24 hours.

If the item still is not completely frozen, check your freezer temperature.

The dial should read no higher than 0ºf. Usually between –10º to –20º is better.

If you think that your freezer is not keeping cold enough place zip lock style bag full of ice cubes in the top of your freezer.

If the freezer gets too warm the ice cubes will melt.

Each time when you open your freezer check to see if there is any water or frozen water in the bag.

If there is, it means that your freezer did not stay cold enough and your food may not be safe to eat.

FREEZING MEAT I

When you are freezing meat, make sure that it is wrapped securely in freezer paper.

The easiest way to wrap it is to cut out a piece of butcher paper 3x larger than your cut of meat in a square.

Place the meat at one of the points.

Holding the point to your meat, roll the meat toward the center of your paper.

Once you have reached the center of the paper, take the 2 opposing sides and fold them tightly over your meat.

Continue to roll the meat toward the last point and tape securely.

When you place the package in the freezer place it so that the seam is facing the top of the freezer.

If you do this then you have less chance of excess blood leaking out of the package and making a mess in your freezer.

STORING ONIONS

Store onions in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.

When you get them home from the grocery store, trim off any excess tops or bottms and place in a tighly sealed plastic container.

This will keep them cold and help keep the juices from evaporating as fast.

This will also help prevent your eyes from watering when you start to prepare.

ROLLED COOKIE HINTS IV

If you would like to make cookie dough up ahead of time, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

If you want to make them up sooner, you can refrigerate them in a tightly sealed container for 3 or 4 days.

NAPA CABBAGE

You are getting ready to prepare a new recipe and it asks for Napa Cabbage. You are not sure what it is, so you veture out to the grocery store.

Napa cabbage can also be named Chinese cabbage or Celery cabbage. Unlike the regular round head of cabbage that is the staple in most stores, the napa cabbage is shaped like a football and looks a little like leaf lettuce.

It has a sweeter taste and is much milder than the standard round cabbage. When you do find it, you will want to find a head that has tightly packed leaves that are frim and not floppy.

To store the cabbage once you get home simply wrap the head in paper towells and place back into the plastic produce bag and refrigerate. It will keep for up to one week.

When you are ready to use remove amount of leaves that you desire, rinse well under cool water and dry thoroughly.

You can use Napa cabbage in pretty much the same way that you would use standard cabbage.

EXTENDING BREAD LIFE

If you are like me, you are always trying to think economically, and sometimes you will have bread that goes bad before you get a chance to use it all.

Most purchased breads can be stored in the refrigerator past the expiration date that they have printed on the package.

Seal the bread tightly in an air proof plastic bag.

Your bread will be a bit firmer when serving, therefore will still be good for sandwiches and snacks and it will still taste fresh.

Once you notice that you are 5 days past expiration, monitor it closely for any mold or decay.

MAINTAINING YOUR FREEZER

Most people buy a freezer and stick it in the corner hoping for the best.

There are a few hints that will help you get the most out of your freezer.

To help maintian an even temperature in your freezer, never freezer more than 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of your freezer. If your freezer is 10 cubic feet, do not freeze more than 30 pounds of product.

If you add too much frozen food at once you can raise the temperature of the freezer too much and your already frozen foods may start to defrost.

Try not to overload or underload your freezer.

If you can keep it about 2/3 full at all times, this is the optimum space for allowing air circulation and minimal effort for the motor to work to keep the food frozen. If you don't have enough food to keep it full enough, fill it with containers of ice, or fill old milk jugs 3/4 full with water and place in the freezer until you have more food to put in.

Try to defrost your freezer every 2 months or if the ice reaches a depth of more than 1/2 inch.

Label and date all foods stored in the freezer with masking tape and a permanent marker.

Store foods that are similar to each other together. I found some small plastic coated wire baskets that I use to separate different kinds of food.

HOW LONG IS MEAT GOOD IN THE FREEZER?

Here is a helpful little table to let you know how long you can store some meats in the freezer:

BUYING FROZEN FOOD

When you are shopping it is important that you do everything possible to keep your frozen food frozen before it is time to prepare it.

Before you go shopping, take a look at your freezer and check to make sure that there is enough room in your freezer for the foods that you will be bringing home.

If it is warm outside or if you have a long drive from the store to your home drop a cooler in the back of your car.

Make the frozen food absolutely the last thing on your shopping list no matter where the freezers are located in your grocery store.

Take a look at the boxes and storage containers that the frozen food comes in, make sure that there aren't any rips or tears in the packaging.

When you are at the check out line make sure that all of the frozen food is bagged together.

HOW LONG IS COOKED/CURED MEATS GOOD IN THE FREEZER

Here is a handy little table to help you decide if that meat in the freezer is still good:

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHOCOLATE?

You just pulled out your chocolate to bake with it and ewwww...... It looks nasty with a white film all over it! Is it still usable?

If chocolate gets wet or damp, it will create a white “film” over it.

If you have some chocolate that this happened to it is not really pretty to use in most recipes.

You can however melt the chocolate for frostings or other recipes and it will still work just fine.

To make sure that this does not happen again, make sure that you store it in a tightly sealed container in a cool dry location.