Tips N' Tricks Tuesday: Kitchen Ideas

Eggs and More!

*To preserve leftover egg yolks for future use, place them into a small bowl and add two tablespoons of salad oil.  Then put into the refrigerator.  The egg yolks will remain soft and fresh, and egg yolks kept in this way can be used in my ways.*

*You may determine the age of an egg by placing it in the bottom of a bowl of cold water.  If it lays on its side, it is strictly fresh.  If it stands at an angle it is at least three days old and ten days old if it stands on end.*

*To keep egg yolks from crumbling when slicing hard-cooked eggs, wet the knife before each cut.*

*Bread crumbs added to scrambled eggs will improve the flavor and make larger helpings possible.*

*A tablespoon of vinegar added to the water when poaching eggs will help set the whites so they will not spread.*

*When cooking eggs it helps prevent cracking if you wet the shells in cold water before placing them in boiling water.*

*Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling  It will help seal the egg.*

*Meringue will not shrink if you spread it on the pie so that it touches the crust on each side and bake it in a moderate oven.*

*When you cook eggs in the shell, put a big teaspoon of salt in the water.  Then the shell won't crack.*

*Set eggs in pan of warm water before using as this releases all white from shell.*

*Egg whites for meringue should be set out to room temperature before beating, then they can be beaten to greater volume.*

*If you want to make a pecan pie and haven't any nuts, substitute crushed cornflakes.  They will rise to the top the same as nuts and give a delicious flavor and crunchy surface.*

*To prevent crust from becoming soggy with cream pie, sprinkle crust with powdered sugar.*

*Cut drinking straws into short lengths and insert through slits in pie crusts to prevent juice from running over in the oven and permit steam to escape.*

*Put a layer of marshmallows int the bottom of a pumpkin pie, then add the filling.  You will have a nice topping as the marshmallow will come to the top.*

*If the juice from your apple pie runs over in the oven, shake some salt on it, which causes the juice to burn to a crisp so it can be removed.*

*Use cooking or salad oil in waffles and hot cakes in the place of shortening.  No extra pan or bowl to melt the shortening and no waiting.*