fried foods

TIP! For crispier French fries, let raw potatoes stand for 30 minutes in a cold pot of water. The potatoes need to soak because the fibers will be reinforced through the cold fluids which in turn makes them fry better.

Great cooking skills don’t happen naturally, and even those who possess them are capable of learning more. Cooking is something that is constantly changing, so our skills will continue to improve throughout our lifetime. If you need instant improvements to your skills with cooking, this article may help! These tips can really help you become a better cook.

Fresh Ingredients

TIP! Apples tend to be a big ingredient during fall and winter, but they tend to spoil quickly if not stored properly. Apples rot in dry warm air, so store them in loosely tied plastic bags in the refrigerator or a cool basement.

Nearly any recipe benefits from using fresh ingredients rather than the frozen or dried version. Use any fresh ingredients that are available. They are not only tastier in general, but they also tend to be cheaper, as well.

TIP! When preparing a meal for an important event, such as a date or a dinner with your boss, cook a dish you are already familiar with. Never experiment with a new ingredient or recipe in this situation.

Use a substantial amount of salt in the water when you are cooking pasta. This is the most effective time to season pasta. This is much more effective than trying to add salt to pasta that you have already cooked.

TIP! Always use fresh seasonings and herbs in simple dishes. Using dried herbs, like basil or oregano, is acceptable if a dish is complex and has many flavors.

Add a squirt of ketchup to the batter when making fried foods. Most people usually only use ketchup to dip their cooked foods in, but it is actually a great choice to dip uncooked foods into before they are dipped into the dry coating. The ketchup imparts an unexpected, but delicious tang to your fried foods, and will have all your friends asking for your secret.

Set the oven timer as well as a watch timer. By setting a watch, you will know when your food is done.

TIP! Rinse and dry your onions if you are using them in a salsa you are making that will not be eaten in 20 minutes or less. Sulfurous gas is a property of fresh onions.

Use a nylon or silicone cooking utensil when cooking on nonstick cookware. If you use a harder surface, such as wood or metal, it can scar up the nonstick coating, which means that you could end up with nonstick surface in your dinner. This not only ruins your food, but it could be a health hazard.

TIP! If you are on a diet or perhaps just health-conscious, you can easily make a flavorful, low-fat soup or stew. First, you will need to purchase a fat-free stock or broth.

When cooking vegetables, cook them as quickly as possible to keep their nutritional value. Vegetables which are cooked slowly can lose their taste and valuable nutrients. As an added benefit, these techniques tend to produce healthier vegetables in general. You should only cook them just as long as it takes for them to be done.

TIP! Skim the extra fat from soups and stews for healthier dishes. You can remove excess fat from soups and stews by skimming it off the top of cooled dishes.

If you are making cookies, and it requires the butter and sugar to be creamed together, the butter should be softened, not melted. If your butter melts completely, then put it back in the fridge to let it solidify again. You can also refrigerate the resulting dough. Your cookies will not spread as much if you use cooler dough.

TIP! When cooking, be creative. Don’t always stick to the exact recipe.

Don’t add the dressing until right before serving. Do not start cooking until the prep work is done. Cooking can get stressful when you’re working to deadline. Try to complete your preparations, so you can avoid scrambling later on.

TIP! Try this quick trick to salvage your efforts. Combine two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of cornstarch in a bowl and mix.

Protect your spice and herb collection by storing your jars at room temperature in a dark place. Humidity and heat, in addition to light, will cause spices and herbs to lose their flavor. Herbs and ground spices usually retain their flavor up to a year. Spices which are kept whole can retain their flavor for between three and five years. When stored in the correct place, they will keep their freshness for longer.

TIP! Doing all of the things you need to in order to prepare a meal is a vital part of the cooking process. Gather all of your ingredients well in advance.

As with any new endeavor, the discoveries you make when learning to improve your cooking are sure to excite you. You might just enjoy it as much as you enjoy consuming the meal! The hope is that with this information you’ll want to cook more, cook better, and cook a variety. Cooking is a never-ending journey.