Did you know you can mellow out the flavor of raw onions by simply soaking them in in cold water?

First, chop or slice the onions, then place in a bowl of very cold or ice water and let soak for a few minutes. Drain and use. It’s that simple.

This quick soak takes the strong bite away that is associated with raw onions and will make the final product much more mild (and kid-friendly too).

So next time you are adding raw onions to a dish, do a quick cold-water soak first. Your friends and family will appreciate it!

Kitchen Tips making onions mellow, soaking onions

There are many reasons gluten-free baked goods can turn out poorly. And by poorly, I mean crumble, sink, explode, and appear to be useful only as a doorstop.

Sure, there are lots of factors, however, you can simply ruin any baked good by using old baking powder. Yep. If your baking powder isn’t fresh enough, it won’t work properly, making the end result have the wrong texture and rise.

So, if your like me and have no idea how long your baking powder has been sitting on your pantry shelf, do yourself a favor before you tackle your next baking experiment and test your baking powder to make sure it is still fresh enough to do it’s job.

Testing Baking Powder for Freshness

1. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in 1/4 cup of hot water. If the baking powder is still fresh, the water will bubble. If no bubbles, throw the baking powder out and buy a new container.

Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips testing baking powder for freshness

Perhaps it’s my love of all things retro (well, and all things food), but I was super excited when I read about the first ever national Can-It-Forward Day. Whether you are a veteran canner or a novice, there is so much to learn about preserving food, and that’s why gardeners, cooks, and the people at Jarden Home Brands (Ball & Kerr) and Canning Across America joined to together to create this excitingl event.

There will be how-to demonstrations streaming live form Seattle’s Pike Place from 8am til 4pm this Saturday, August 13 at FreshPreserving.com. And viewers can even ask questions and post comments. How cool is that?

They are also encouraging people to join in the action and can at home this weekend. And although preserving food is lots of fun, I’ll be honest, it’s also a little work. Okay, so maybe a LOT of work, depending one what you choose to preserve. So getting a couple friends or family members together and hosting a Canning Party is highly suggested.

Speaking of canning, I should note that my mom is a master preserver. Throughout my childhood, as summer drew to a close, her real work would just begin. Well water, small (non-air conditioned) kitchens, kids and pets underfoot, it didn’t matter, that food got processed. These visions of my mom and her best friend, fruit stained, sweating, and hauling hot pressure cookers across the kitchen have stayed with me for years; and has kept me away from experimenting too much with canning.

However, I have enjoyed, freezing, drying, and pickling; and they seem less of a hassle (or a danger). However, as I get older, and perhaps wiser, I realize the value in knowing where you food comes from and the importance of knowing what’s really in it. Not to mention the joy you have in the December when you open a jar of produce that you personally picked and canned at it’s peak so many months before!

So this year I am going to join the movement and do some canning. I hope you’ll join me and learn about canning this weekend. Go to FreshPreserving.com for more details!

Holidays & Special Occasions, Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips Can-It-Forward, learning to can

The humble potato, so unpretentious and yet so versatile. And typically inexpensive too!

Well, today I am posting a cooking tip that I think gives us even one more reason to love potatoes. Did you know potatoes can be used to thicken soups?

If you need to thicken a soup, you can simply add a peeled and finely diced russet potato into the pot. It’ll need to simmer long enough for the potato to break down, around 15-20 minutes. Puree the soup and you’ll have a thick, smooth soup without the extra calories and fat of cream, or the need to replace “flour” with some gluten-free thickener.

Although this isn’t a smooth, pureed soup, Baked Potato Soup gets it’s great, thick texture from the potatoes falling apart and releasing their starches.

Next time you need to thicken a soup, don’t forget about our humble friend the potato; it’s a smart choice, both calorie and flavor wise.

Kitchen Tips, soups gluten-free soup thickener, potato to thicken soups

Feta cheese is a crumbly, white cheese common in Greek dishes. It was originally made from sheep’s milk, but in America it is typically a cow’s milk cheese.

It is salt brined, and I always thought I hated it, because the few times I tried to use it for dishes, it was way to salty. My sister told me to try a different brand, that not all feta it too salty. I was so confused, but she was right.

So, I know not all feta is too salty, but sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t; this information is not exactly helpful at 5 o’clock when I am throwing together a pizza or pasta salad.

I was so happy when I read a tip that suggested opening and tasting feta the day before you plan on using it. This allows you to adjust the flavor some. If it is too acidic or salty you can rinse it under tap water, strain it, and soak it in milk overnight in the fridge. Of course strain it before using.

If it is too mellow for your tastes, you can sharpen it by soaking it in the fridge overnight in a brine or saltwater; 1 tablespoon salt for every 1 cup of water. Again, strain before using the feta.

Ta da! How simple is that. Perfect feta every time. Now I can buy feta cheese without worrying that I might be wasting my money on it!

Kitchen Tips salty feta, soaking feta