Wisdom From Grandma » Kitchen Tips and Hints

Grandma’s Tip for Picking a Good Ham

kthomas — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:37:21 +0000

Before Grandma bought a ham, she’d always squeeze it a little to make sure it was nice and firm. Once she found a few solid hams, she’d select the one with the least amount of fat on it. She said she never had a ham that felt soft turn out to taste good and a ham that was overly fatty was also overly salty.

Too Many Thanksgiving Leftovers?

kthomas — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 13:14:36 +0000

Grandma always cooked up a storm for the holidays and there were always a ton of leftovers. Although everyone enjoyed eating turkey, ham, sweet potatoes and stuffing for several days afterwards, Grandma was concerned that some of the food would go to waste.
Immediately after Thanksgiving dinner, she made up five plates of food, wrapped them, and stuck them in the freezer. A few months later, she would pull out her homemade tv dinners, and everyone would be able to enjoy that delicious Thanksgiving feast all over again.
Today, I still prepare enough extra Thanksgiving plates for the family and pop them in the freezer for another day. However, I use my Foodsaver to be sure the meal doesn’t get freezerburn. If you have a Foodsaver, be sure you freeze the plate for about a half hour to allow the liquid to firm up before sealing the meal. Otherwise, your green bean juice will end up in your pecan pie.

Grandma’s Tip for Freezing Berries

kthomas — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:53:27 +0000

Grandma loved to use blueberries, blackberries, and rasberries when she cooked, so it is no surprise that she grew and froze her own fresh fruit. However, Grandma had a simple secret that made it easy for her to use small quantities of frozen fruit. She washed the berries and placed them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once they were frozen, she popped them off the sheet and put them in a freezer bag. Since the berries were already frozen, they did not stick together and Grandma could simply take a few out of the bag whenever she needed them.

Grandma’s Tip For Getting the Salty Taste Out of Food

kthomas — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 15:47:17 +0000

Grandma would sometimes add too much salt to a dish. Since she didn’t believe in throwing out good food, she would skin and cut up two or three potatoes and add them to the pot. The potatoes would absorb the excess salt and save the meal.

Grandma’s Tip for Keeping Salt Shakers From Clogging

kthomas — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:40:43 +0000

Grandma’s salt shakers never clogged up, because she put rice in them. The next time you re-fill your salt shaker, add a few grains of rice to the container. The rice will absorb excess moisture and keep your salt nice and dry.

Grandma’s Tip for Keeping Chips Fresh

kthomas — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:38:09 +0000

If your chips taste soggy and stale during humid weather, try adding a slice of white bread to the snack jar. The bread will draw out excess moisture and keep your chips fresh and crisp.

Grandma’s Tip For Getting the Burned Taste Out of Food

kthomas — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 12:22:37 +0000

Even though she was an excellent cook, Grandma wasn’t perfect. Sometimes she would get distracted and forget to keep an eye on a pot of spaghetti sauce, soup, or beans. By the time she remembered to check the food, it would be starting to burn.
Usually, Grandma could save at least part of the meal if she worked quickly. She would carefully pour or spoon the top part of the food into a new pan and taste it to be sure it wasn’t contaminated by the burned food on the bottom of the pan. Usually, it tasted fine and all she would lose was the bottom layer of food. I am not the cook Grandma was and I’ve had to save quite a few meals using Grandma’s tip to get the burned taste out of food.

How to Get Rid of A House Mouse Grandma’s Way

kthomas — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:04:51 +0000

I love living out in the country, but there is one drawback. In the winter, field mice turn into house mice. Luckily, I have been able to use Grandma’s tips on how to get rid of a house mouse to keep them out of the pantry and the kitchen. Grandma always used a tin can lid to stop up any mouse holes. Then, she put a fresh Eucalyptus branch close by. Mice do not like the smell of Eucalyptus.

Get Rid of That Burned Food Odor Fast

kthomas — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 16:30:30 +0000

The stench of burned food, stinky sweat socks, or old dog has filled the house and guests are coming to dinner. How do you get rid of that unpleasant odor fast? Well, Grandma always grabbed a pot of water and a jar of cinnamon.
Dump at least a tablespoon of cinnamon in the water and put the pot on the stove to simmer. Soon, the pleasant odor of cinnamon will fill the house instead.

Grandma’s Buttermilk Substitute for Recipes

kthomas — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 18:22:59 +0000

When Grandma made her delicious muffins, she often did not have buttermilk on hand. Instead, she used one of her buttermilk substitute recipes. Her favorite used lemon juice. You simply add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk. However, if Grandma did not have a lemon, she added 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk, instead.