Show me the hint that makes baked goods fly out of my oven.
I wanna learn how to do THAT.
I was flipping through a cookbook I got from my Grandma Jean recently and came across a whole load of kitchen hints, some of which I’d never heard before. The cover has been torn off, so I’m not sure how old the cookbook is, but I’m guessing it’s likely from the 1950s, or possibly from the 1960s.
I know you love these little tidbits as much as I do, so here are 15 of my favorites from the list. Text in italics are my own comments.
- To remove stale smoke smell, place dish of vinegar in room overnight.
- A quick way to chop walnuts or other nut meats is to place them in a paper bag and roll with a rolling pin
- Instead of cutting a lemon for only a few drops of juice, just pierce it with a fork and squeeze out the desired amount. (And bonus, the seeds won’t get in your way, either!)
- If the yolk of an egg breaks when separating it from the white and mixes with the latter, you can remove it with a cloth dipped in cold water; the yolk will stick to the cloth.
- Before measuring syrup, molasses, etc: grease the measuring cup (with oil or butter for example) and the ingredients will not stick to it.
- If a pan is rinsed in cold water before heating milk in it, the milk will be less likely to stick to it. (I can’t wait to try this one! Milk is so hard to clean off a pan).
- Bake apples, green peppers or stuffed tomatoes in large muffin tins to keep them from losing their shape.
- Grease the lip of the cream or milk pitcher with butter to prevent the drip
- If no paste is available, the white of an egg makes an excellent adhesive. (Or should we say EGGcellent? Bwahahaha.)
- When frying with butter, put several drops of cooking oil in the pan first; then the butter won’t burn. (I’ve tried this! It works.)
- If blankets are too short during cold weather, sew a piece of cotton flannel to the end for the tuck-in. (My grandmas and my mom all have blankets like this—it’s BRILLIANT!)
- Fried potatoes will be deliciously golden brown if sprinkled lightly with flour before frying.
- Rolls and muffins which have hardened may be freshened by sprinkling with water, placing in a brown paper bag and warming in a hot oven for a few minutes.
- To remove fruit stains from white cottons and linens—pour boiling water through fresh stain from height of 2 or 4 feet. (This works like MAGIC. Place the stained fabric in the bathtub to prevent splashing hot water on yourself.) From washable colored fabric—sponge with cool water. If stain remains, work in warm glycerine, let stand for several hours. Apply vinegar, then rinse.
- To remove mildew from white cottons and linens or washable colored fabric—wash in hot sudsy water, rinse. If stain remains, moisten with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and place in the sun.
Now it’s your turn . . . what’s the best helpful hint you’ve learned from your mother’s or grandmother’s generation? Tell me below in the comments!
Image notes: The image in this post is from this cookbook in my Etsy shop. The hints are from a different cookbook in my own collection.
