Latest Cooking Answers

Why would I turn canning jars upside down for 15 minutes after removing from the water bath?

I am planning to can a plum chutney and have ordered the Stagioni 10 1/2 oz jars. Having only used Ball jars, I am not sure I understand why their website says

How can you speed up a genoise cake mixing?

I usually make a chocolate Swiss roll. The first step is to beat 4 eggs together with 115g sugar on a double boiler with warm (tap) water. I use a hand mixer

Is there a food that is halfway between a cheesecake and regular cake?

While living in Korea, there was one special bakery I found that had a cake that I can only describe as being halfway between cheesecake and regular cake. It wa

Preservative for pickles

What preservative should be used for pickling vegetables like carrot, cauliflower and green chillies which are parboiled and could be used without refrigeration

Soak clams with cornmeal: yes or no?

Many cook books advise that fresh clams should be soaked in salt water with a bit of corn meal added. The purpose is that the clams will consume the corn meal,

Black tea water: Does boiling water first make a difference?

When I make black tea, I usually put the leaves (or tea bags) into cold or room-temperature water before I start boiling it. I've noticed that certain cultures

Homemade pop tarts coming out too dry / crumbly

So I just recently attempted to make my own pop tarts using the recipe found here: http://rampantcuisine.com/cuisine/homemade-pop-tarts/ But the tarts came out

Low fat marinades that still work

I´m a huge fan of good meat marinades. However, marinades usually include a lot of oil and adding it to a high fat meat, e.g. lamb or pork is adding more

What water temperature should be used for instant coffee?

I just put instant coffee in my cup and pour the water. My question is, what temperature should that water be?

Why do purple snap beans turn green when cooked?

We often get snap beans from the CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture) that are either entirely purple or mottled purple. When cooked (at least when steamed or

Drying Picked Beans (Scarlet Runners)

My wife just harvested our first batch of beans and is wanting to dry them, so that we may use them for cooking goodness. How can we dry the beans once they ha

Is it possible to make a beverage that evaporates on contact with the consumer's tongue?

In one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Guinan makes a Tzartak Aperitif, which is described as: When made properly, the evaporation point of the dr

Would pastes made from vinegar and seeds other than mustard seeds be palatable? [closed]

I've started making mustard at home recently and wondered if I could make similar preparations from vinegar and other seeds, for example fenug

Gritty texture in cookies

I made this recipe last weekend and while it came out very tasty, there was the occasional gritty texture/crunch similar to sand at the beach getting in your mo

What is the easiest way to grind poppy seeds?

When I prepare a poppy seeds filling (e.g. for a pie), I currently use an old-style coffee grinder. It takes small amounts (like 2 tbsp at a time) of poppy seed

Should I use a metal pan or non-stick pan for cooking salmon on the stove top?

I am going to be cooking salmon for dinner tonight on the stove and debating whether to use a non-stick or metal pan. I was going to use the non-stick at first

Difference between Rajasthani "sev tamatar nu shak" and Gujrati "sev tamatar nu shak"

What is the difference between Rajasthani "sev tamatar nu shak" and Gujrati "sev tamatar nu shak". Do they use different spices or ingredients or method of cook

Coolest part of the fridge

If I need to cool something quickly or keep something at a lower temperature, do I put it in the top or bottom shelf of the fridge? Which part of the fridge is

How far ahead of time can I make or bake a bread with fruit and honey in it?

I want to make several loaves of a honey-apple challah for Jewish friends for Rosh Hashanah. However I am going to be out if town for Labor Day weekend. If I

What special knowledge or skills about coffee do baristas have?

What special knowledge, training or qualifications do baristas receive that make them more expert on coffee than any other front line food service worker or int

What causes seals to fail when canning?

My husband made and canned pickles 1 week ago. Tonight he noticed the seals were popped on all but one jar. One other time the same thing happened when he canne

Are normal cooking thermometers suitable to use as tea thermometers?

Can the thermometers you usually get in cook shops (e.g. meat thermometers) suitable to be used as tea thermometers? In particular, I am wondering whether the t

Temperature-stable spices

I would find it very useful to have a list of empirical data on temperature-stability of spices. Are there any systematical studies available? Which spices ca

How can I susbtitute unseasoned rice vinegar for seasoned?

I have unseasoned rice vinegar but a recipe that calls for seasoned. I assume I should add sugar and salt to substitute for seasoned vinegar, but in what propo

Can I use chopped white onion instead of pearl onion?

I'm making mustard pickles and it calls for pearl onions. Can I use white onions chopped up?

Test if whitish chocolate has bloom or is spoiled

My friend (who lives in a warm, humid climate) often has issues with chocolate, due to the formation of a light-colored coating on it. I believe it is just choc

Is marinade safe if it has had incidental contact with meat?

I just made a batch of soy based marinade, I then used a spoon to pour said marinade over some chicken, swirled it about, and mistakenly double dipped (put it b

Why do some recipes require or insist on the use of a wok over the use of a skillet / pan?

I have an electric stove. Many of the recipes from my Asian cuisine book call for a Wok to be used rather than a typical flat based pan. Why is there so much st

Can you tell how ripe a banana is by the actual fruit not the peel?

Hi I am doing a research project on banana ripeness and cannot find a way to tell the ripeness of a banana from the inside of it. I cannot use taste to measure

How important is fresh ground coffee vs a good coffee grinder?

Given a choice between using a good coffee grinder a few days in advance, or one of those whirly-chopper grinders immediately before brewing, which would you ch