While cooking food guarantees sustenance, the culinary arts offer something far more gratifying. Anyone can become a good cook when they have the tools and knowledge to learn. You will be able to use the information in the article below to create culinary masterpieces that you never thought possible.
Keep your spices and herbs in a dark, cool place. If they get exposed to any light, humidity or heat, their flavor will begin to weaken. Do not expect your spices to last more than a year. Whole spices can stay fresh for up to five years. If spices are stored properly there is a better chance that they will stay fresher for a longer period of time
Applying some salt on a cutting board when chopping fresh herbs is a good idea. This gives the herbs a little more flavor, but more importantly, it makes the herbs stick to the board better, so that they don’t fly everywhere as you chop them. You don’t need to add extra salt to the food you are preparing. This will over-salt the dish. The salt you put on the board will stick to the herbs and add a bit of flavor.
Fresh fruits, such as apples, avocados, bananas, peaches and pears are likely to turn brown when sliced and exposed to air. Using lemon mixed with salt water is the common way to stop this, but pineapple juice does a better job overall. The fruit doesn’t need to be soaked in it, because all you need to do is dip it in quickly.
Your spices should be stored in a cool place that is free of light. Leaving your spices out will expose them to moisture and light, which will diminish their quality. Keeping your spices in a cooler space with little light will enhance their flavor and shelf life. You’ll taste the difference in your dishes.
Homemade stock adds lots of flavor. Make a large batch, and then store it in your freezer. You should always have access to stock when you are cooking other dishes. When you prepare your stock from scratch, you will be certain that it is 100% natural, not loaded with preservatives.
When you are stir-frying, slice your cut of meat into thin pieces on the diagonal. This can be a very time consuming and somewhat difficult procedure. Remove the meat when it is firm (but not frozen) and slice at a 45 degree angle across the grain of the meat.
For the best cooking results, spices have to be replaced after six months. When a spice is kept for a while, it won’t have the same flavor. If you purchase a spice that you don’t use very often, give some of it to friends or relatives.
Cook your vegetables in chicken broth. By using chicken broth instead of water, you will add extra flavor to your vegetables. Broth can be found at nearly any grocery store, and is very inexpensive.
Trussing refers to the method of tying a turkey up with string for baking. This helps keep the bird’s legs and wings close to his body, helping it cook more consistently. If the legs and wings aren’t tied together, the tips could burn, cooking much more quickly than the main part of the turkey.
Cooking goes beyond placing food on your table. It can become a source of great satisfaction to you, in addition to being a delicious hobby. Becoming a confident cook can decrease your waistline and increase your savings account. Your next trip into the kitchen is likely to be a successful one if you keep this article’s advice in mind.