Becoming a good cook isn’t as hard as you probably think it is. It is okay to experiment when you are cooking. Experimentation is the best way to find your cooking strengths. These suggestions will aid you in trying new ideas and also enhance your overall kitchen knowledge. Use the following advice to quickly help you get better at cooking.
Always have your spices stored in a dark and cool place. By storing them in excessive light and heat, their shelf life will decrease. If you store your spices in dark place with relatively low temperatures like a pantry, the spices will retain their taste and take longer to spoil. Using fresher spices can make tastier meals.
Here is a handy trick you can use to save your sauce. Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Add this mix to the sauce little by little until it becomes thicker. Make sure you add the solution slowly while stirring constantly or you risk thickening the sauce too much.
Boiling and other lengthy cooking methods strip vegetables of their important nutrients. When you use faster cooking methods, such as steaming and sauteing, vegetables keep more of the nutrients intact. The best way to make sure you get all the vital nutrients housed within veggies is to eat them raw.
Have you ever felt sorry for throwing away moldy fruits? Do you think it’s a good policy to cut off any moldy, rotten parts and save the rest of the fruit? No, it’s not okay to remove the moldy parts. No healthy method of saving any fruit that is partly rotted exists. These foods can cause you to become ill, as mold goes much deeper than the eye can see.
It is possible to do a lot of preparation beforehand in order to speed up the cooking process and make it easier. Browse through your recipes and see what parts can be prepared early, without fear of spoiling. Many of the preparatory steps can be taken a day before cooking. In this manner, even complicated recipes become simple and easy meals.
Make big portions when preparing stock. If you make a large amount of stock you can freeze it for future use. A rich chicken stock makes a savory base for soups, stews and other dishes. Just cool your stock and freeze it in heavyweight Ziploc freezer bags.
Track how much cooking oil you use. By measuring, you will be able to lower the quantity of fat and grease in your foods. This is the best way to monitor how much oil you use.
If you are making a meal that requires garlic, buy fresh garlic or grow your own. Usually when the garlic is most fresh, that is the point when it tastes the sweetest. Fresh garlic should feel firm, the cloves full, and the bulb should not be bruised or have any discoloration.
If serving salad, keep the dressing on the side, rather than pouring it on the salad. Amount and type of dressing are personal tastes, so let your guests dress their own salad. For an even more considerate touch, provide different kinds of dressings.
Every cook knows how important it is to organize their cooking supplies. If you refuse to organize your cooking supplies, you’ll take longer to find the utensils you need. Save time searching by keeping similar items stored together. As an example, keep all of your spices stored in one cabinet for ease.
Leftover flavors and scents can remain on your cutting board, even after repeated washing. Label the ending of your chopping board by marking it with ink. This will help you to identify the different sides of the board.
Spices should be replaced every six months. When a spice is kept for a while, it won’t have the same flavor. When you have to buy certain spices for specific dishes, be sure to give some of the spice away to a family or friend, if you do not plan on using all of it, before it will go bad.
If you have purchased unripened fruits, put them into a plastic bag that is perforated. When fruits go through the ripening process, they release ethylene gas. In the perforated plastic bag, the ethylene gas will stay trapped, allowing the fruit to ripen deliciously.
These tips can greatly help your cooking skills. Try each tip you’ve learned, even if it is only one time. Figure out the ideas that work best for you. Come up with a few tricks of your own. If you’re serious in your efforts, you’ll become a more proficient cook in a matter of days.
