12 Timeless Cooking Tips We Learned from Grandma

This series of cooking tips is proof that grandmas truely do know exceptional.
When I consider my grandma, I consider her inside the kitchen. Whether she turned into baking bread, making rice pudding, or keeping an eye fixed on her old skool stress cooker (who knew they’d grow to be latest once more?), many of her days had been spent over the range or on the kitchen sink. A suitable cook who lived to the ripe old age of ninety-one, she handed her cooking suggestions right down to my mother, who has carried out her pleasant to share them with me.
Whether we were born in 1900, 1950, or 1990, our grandmas discovered to cook dinner thru difficult paintings, trial and blunders, and hours upon hours in the kitchen. Just for amusing, I polled some foodies at Taste of Home for the tidbits of knowledge they were given from grandma and still use today.
1. Follow instructions first, test later
The first time you make a recipe, continually comply with the instructions precisely. Then you’ll realize how to tweak it in your taste the next time.
2. Take a while
Rushing is simplest going to bring about a big mess, skipped steps or ingredients, and perhaps even the want for a Band-Aid. Although we do suppose those excellent kitchen shortcuts so as to save you time are Grandma-approved!
Three. Make ideal gravy
When you upload a cornstarch slurry to a sauce (suppose turkey gravy), upload handiest a touch bit at a time. You by no means recognize how thick your gravy can be till it comes to a full boil.
Four. Brown first
When baking up a hearty dish, usually brown the meat earlier than you placed it in the oven. It makes the beef so much tastier.
5. Don’t cry
After cutting an onion, rub your fingers on a metallic kitchen faucet to do away with the scent and save you tears. This one is probably a myth, but it’s so sweet that we’ll give it a strive.
6. When doubtful, top with chips
Toward the cease of baking a savory dish, crumble potato chips on the top and cook dinner it a few greater minutes. The pinnacle of your dish might be fantastically browned with a nice texture and salty crunch. And that’s a long way from the handiest unexpected mystery element so that it will make your recipes manner better.
7. Take your frustration out on cucumbers
Smash cucumbers earlier than cooking to dispose of seeds, tenderize the flesh and assist them to take in flavor. Here are how: Cut cucumbers into 1-half of to two-in. Lengths. Lay skin side up on a reducing board. Place the flat side of a chef knife (or a cleaver or rolling pin) over cucumbers and whack down firmly however gently with the heel of your hand, much like smashing a garlic clove. When you’re executed, use them in those delicious cucumber recipes.
Eight. Add some acid
When making lentil-, bean- or broth-primarily based soups, add a bit splash of vinegar (half teaspoon) or squeeze of lemon at the very stop of cooking to brighten the flavors. The little contact of acidity brings the dish to existence. We’re inclined to wager Grandma knows some of these brief and clean fixes for commonplace cooking disasters, too.
9. Get creative with your eggs
The secret to creating creamy, gentle scrambled eggs with a rich, salty pork flavor? Add a few minced Spam. Yep, Spam.
10. Be organized for closing-minute visitors
Who can forget Grandma’s antique saying: If you drop silverware, it way surprising corporation is coming. A fork method a girl traveler, and a knife way a male visitor. That’s why you must always have something reachable to serve surprising visitors. You can begin with those grandma-authorized vintage faculty recipes.