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Food Tip of the Day
Many food items are thrown away that could otherwise be saved with just a few little-known food-saving tips.
Potato chips often get soft and soggy. Potato chips can be warmed in an oven at the lowest temperature of the oven. This is usually 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes and cool before eating.
Cookies stay fresh longest when stored in an airtight container. Store with a slice of bread. The cookies will remain fresh longer.
Bread and rolls will stay fresh up to a week longer if a stalk of celery is placed into the storage container with the bread or rolls. The moistness of the celery is absorbed by the bread keeping it from getting dry.
There are several methods to keeping cheese from molding. An old-time practice is to lightly dampen a paper towel with vinegar. Wrap the cheese in the towel and place into a plastic bag or glass container. Vinegar prevents mold from forming on the cheese.
Another old-fashioned secret is to place a few sugar cubes in the container with the wrapped cheese.
One last tip to keep cheese fresh is to add a light layer of extra-virgin olive oil, vegetable oil, or a bit of butter to the cheese, then wrap and store.
Brown sugar is another food item that needs help staying soft and fresh. The most common way to keep brown sugar soft is to place a slice of bread in the container with the brown sugar. Change the bread every time the sugar is opened. Otherwise, replace when it starts getting hard.
Another way to keep brown sugar soft is to place a marshmallow in the container with the brown sugar.
Put the brown sugar in its original wrapping into a plastic bag. Place an apple in the bag. The apple will keep the brown sugar soft and fresh for months without touching the brown sugar. Replace the apple when it starts to shrivel.
Lastly, terra cotta brown sugar softeners can be purchased and used to keep brown sugar soft.
For more information on keeping food fresh read:
Keeping Cheese Mold-free
What Will Soften Brown Sugar
Author Marilyn Pokorney
Copyright Marilyn Pokorney 2022
