Savvy Secrets

Here are some great Savvy Secrets to help us keep our food fresh, courtesy of “Bottom Line”

1.   Avocado.   If you want to ripen an avocado, do not put it in the refrigerator.  Put it in a brown bag and leave it on the counter.  Once it is ripe,   put it in the refrigerator drawer or vegetable bin and it should stay fresh for about two weeks.  To save half an avocado and prevent it from turning brown, put lemon juice on the exposed avocado meat and then cover it with plastic wrap.  Another option is to put it in an airtight container with a piece of cut-up onion and refrigerate.  The sulfur that makes you cry when you chop onions also works as a preservative.  Incidentally, it’s a myth that leaving in the pit will help prevent browning – it will prevent browning only on the area directly under the pit.

2.   Bagels.  Bagels last about two months in the freezer.  Cut them in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap before freezing.  Don’t microwave a bagel when it’s time to defrost.  Microwaving will dehydrate a bagel and make it hard to bite into.  Instead, warm a bagel in a toaster.

3.   Bananas.   By the time little brown spots appear on the peel, a banana is getting close to being overripe.  Put a ripe banana in a plastic bag (with the peel on), and keep it in the refrigerator’s fruit bin.  The peel will turn black but the flesh of the fruit will be fine for several more days.  If a banana is too ripe for your taste, wrap it – peel and all – in plastic wrap and freeze.  When you are ready, defrost it and add the flesh to smoothies or pancake or muffin batter or make banana bread.

4.   Coconut.   To revive shredded coconut that has dried out, let it soak in whole milk for about half an hour.  Drain then spread it out on paper towels and pat dry.  You may want to use the leftover coconut-flavored milk when baking or in a smoothie.

5.   Corn.   If you buy too many ears of corn, you can freeze them with the husks on.  Break off the handle of the corn from the bottom end.  From the other end, the top, cut off the flopping-over silk tassels.  Place the corn in a freezer bag – about six full-sized ears fit into a gallon-size freezer bag.  Once you have squeezed out as much air as possible, seal the bag, securely.  The corn will stay good for up to six months.  When you’re ready to have corn, put the frozen  ear of cron, husks on, into the microwave and zap it for about four minutes before serving.

6.   Cream.  When you have cream left in its container, you can prolong freshness for several days by adding about one-eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda to the container.   (This small amount will not affect the taste.)  OR you can freeze cream in an ice-cube tray and use the cubes one by one.

7.   Eggs.   Keep eggs in their original container.  Eggshells are porous and if they are not in a closed container, they will absorb refrigerator odors.

8.   Flour.   If you keep white flour in an airtight container and in a cool, dry place, it will last about 15 months.  Whole-grain flour will keep for one to three months.  If you want to keep any flour longer, put it in the freezer.  When you are ready to use it, let it thaw to room temperature.

9.   Lettuce, Carrots, Celery.  Place the limp veggies in very cold water with a few slices of raw potato.  It should not take long for them to crisp up.  It works!

10.  Potatoes.  When you bring potatoes home from the store, keep them in a paper bag and put a small chunk of gingerroot in the bag with them.  It will prevent the potatoes from sprouting.

Thanks, Bottom Line!  More Savvy Secrets for us – more joy!