Culinary tips that have changed your life

[ParsingFancy]

Haven't had one of these threads for a while!

Mine:

You can loosen the paper on garlic by twisting the clove. Better still, thwack clove with flat of knife to crush, pick paper off.

To chop herbs or anything small, hold the end of a curved chef's knife on the board with your spare hand, and just see-saw it up and down, back and forth.

To shred cabbage/lettuce/any leaves, roll leaves up like a cigar and slice.

To skin celeriac or swede, slice into discs, then place flat on board and cut down round the edges. Also works with pumpkin, though you don't actually need to peel butternut squash.

Anyone else?

[Mumzy]

When. Making an egg custard or bread and butter pudding sieve the egg/ milk mixture before pouring into container and baking. Makes a much smoother silky custard.
Microwave pumpkins and squashes on high and scoop out flesh. No need to peel (stab first before microwaving)
When making cakes have all the ingredients at room temperature makes for a better rise.

[ShatterResistant]

You can chop, then freeze, fresh herbs, and use just like fresh. Now I always have fresh parsley! (A friend freezes them in individual portions, but that may be going a bit far.)

[UnicornsPooGlitter]

Shatter, you can buy herbs frozen like that from Waitrose .

[rootypig]

Cut the ends off green beans by shaking the packet so they're all lined up and thwacking them off with a knife (ie you cut the end of the pack off too). Shake and repeat or other end. Sooo satisfying.

Scissors for everything.

That is really helpful Carpe!

[storynanny]

Roll pastry or biscuit dough in between sheets of cling film, no sticking to the work top or rolling pin.

[CarpeVinum]

Scissors for everything

What should one look for in kitchen scissors ? Cos I am most taken with the idea of scissoring rather than wrestling with a knife in hand.

Can they go in the dishwasher generally ?

Is it worth having a set of different types or is just one pair good for most jobs ?

[Drladybird]

A further rice cooking tip for a drier rice that is then perfect for frying or making into a pilaf:
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1 cup of water for around 8 minutes, with lid on. Turn off the eat and let it cook for further 6 minutes. The rice should then be cooked and the grains will be separate form each other.

Cooking big batches of dried pulses in a pressure cooker, freezing and then adding to meals as and when required.

[PoppyAmex]

Carpe when buying kitchen scissors, I'd make absolutely sure they can be taken apart (two parts).

I use mine a lot for things like raw meat, so it's definitely important it gets dismantled and washed thoroughly in the dishwasher.

[GertBySea]

To get the stone out of an avocado, cut in half lengthways. You'll be left with stone stuck on one side. Do a sort of Hi-ya into the stone with a carving knife to get a grip on it. Hold knife and outer edge of avo. Twist avo and the stone will come away stuck to the knife.

[GertBySea]

Overripe bananas can be mushed up and frozen. Defrost slightly and give to DCs as ice cream. Don't need to add anything. Yum.

[ParsingFancy]

To prepare a mango, slice down either side of the stone. Score flesh of cut-off slices into cubes - and

Cut or eat cubes off skin.

[ParsingFancy]

Peel bananas at the wrong end! I've never done this, but MN sez.

Apparently you pinch the non-stalk end and it just bursts open.

[Selks]

Gertbythesea, make sure you are not holding the avocado half when you Hi-yaa it.....

(Painful voice of experience...)

[MrsMarigold]

Ok you kitchen goddesses, can you please help me I've burnt five saucepans recently! They were all very nice John Lewis ones that we got as wedding presents - the black burnt stuff just won't come off despite soaking in vinegar, scrubbing wildly etc. My MIL suggested steel wool but it doesn't seem to have made a huge difference.

My top tips are frozen prawns, a lot cheaper than fresh and if defrosted overnight in the fridge they stay succulent,

Slice lemon for G&Ts and put in the freezer and use as necessary.

[ParsingFancy]

I feel your pan pain, MrsM.

Soak in bio washing powder? In warm but not hot water, as the enzymes stop working above a certain temp (um, maybe 50°C?).

[rootypig]

Yes try bio washing powder MrsM, enzymes stop or king above 37deg if biology A level in the dark ages serves.

Carpe nothing special! Other than fairly large. I would just buy kitchen scissors from John Lewis --my answer to everything

[rootypig]

*working, sigh

[monstergoose]

Short crust pastry in the food processor, quick, really tasty and short and no more hand ache from the rubbing in! P

[CreatureRetorts]

Dice onions: slice off the bottom, not the top first. Peel the onion. Then cut down toward the top in narrow slices. Then same again at right angles toward the top. Now turn on side, holding the bulb and slice again. Voila, quick diced onion!

Use a hand blender to whizz up tinned tomatoes before adding to bolagnese. Much nicer than having chunks of tinned tomatoes.

Get some miso soup paste - use this instead of stock to make an amazing asian chicken noodle soup - use chillies, garlic and lemon grass to jazz it up. Very healthy and delicious.

[Oblomov]

I too use scissors for most things.

[McPrice]

• bash out a chicken breast to make it seem bigger and go further also reduces the cooking time
  
• i have swapped smokey bacon in my spag bol for polish kobanos u can use less and its cheaper gives a wonderful smokey flavour.
  
• add the rind of parmasan to soups or stews to add depth of flavour.
  
• frozen micro rice is a godsend since having a baby
  
• make quick carbonarra with a tub of creme fresh to avoid splitting warm in a bowl over simmering water (like chocolate) to thicken with cheese
  
• my mum makes white sauce in microwave with cornflour and milk.

[MrsFrederickWentworth]

Or for grim burnt pans, non bio washing powder, boiled up for several minutes (don't let them boil dry....).

If the substance had grease, boiling with vinegar or rhubarb works.

My ma used to leave them outside for two days, saying that the change or temperature and dew worked..

[LittleBearPad]

Peel ginger with a teaspoon. It reduces the amount you waste compared to a knife. Just sort of scrape the skin off.

If making guacamole ahead of when you need it put the avocado stone in with the guac. It will stop it going brown.

[snice]

Treat broccoli as a flower-cut end off stalk and put upright into mug of water in fridge. Stays crisp for a week rather than going flabby/brown

[DameFanny]

I would never have thought of that with broccoli!