Latest Cooking Answers

Sodium benzoate the correct amount

I would like to know the ratio for using sodium benzoate as a preservative in our jams and relishes. We state on our product that it's home made and no added pr

Reuse of Food Grade Tins

I am interested in using a food grade tin (such as this) to store small amounts of food, in particular for storing summer sausage or cheese for short periods of

Coconut rice; should it taste like coconut?

I made coconut rice yesterday with a simple recipe (coconut milk, water, tsp sugar, pinch of salt, rice, all in the rice cooker). I was a little bit underwhelm

How much cream should I make for my mini Oreo cream pies?

I'm making mini cream pies, in custard cups, and I just need to know how much cream to make to fill them all.

converting a muffin recipe to a cake recipe

I have a muffin recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins. The recipe calls for a 325 degree oven and a baking time of 20-25 minutes. I want to bake these in a 9

Can I use the leftover pickling brine?

I have some leftover brine that was leftover from making canned pickles, it was heated up to put in the canned pickles to make them. Can I use this brine again

Pulled pork too sweet

I made pulled pork and added too much brown sugar. What can I add to dilute it so it's not so sweet? Tried not adding barbeque sauce, but that didn't help.

Has there been some change in the varieties of broccoli sold in US supermarkets in the last few years?

Having eaten broccoli all my life, in the last year or two I have noticed some differences in most any broccoli, either fresh or frozen. The primary differences

How does the Croatian system of flour categorization correspond to the systems of Western Europe and USA?

1) In my country we have following types of wheat flour - T-400/T-450 and these 2 are white, T-500/T-550 (also white), T-850 (brown) and T-1100/T-1600 (black),

Are cooking thermometers essential?

I've been watching some cooking shows, and they seem very keen on there thermometers. They have prob thermometers, oven thermometers, meat thermometers, confect

Can instant oatmeal really expire?

I ask because I ate a package of Quaker instant oatmeal (maple/brown sugar) at work today, it was just kinda a single package sitting in our "snack pantry". I l

What is the difference between a thickener and an emulsifier?

I ask this because I have used a minuscule amount of Xanthan Gum to slightly thicken a chilli sauce I have made. However upon looking at the ingredients of many

Pickles (cucumbers) came out a little soggy after canning

I was very excited to use my water bath for the first time, as so far I have only made refrigerator (cucumber) pickles. This was also the first time I did not u

What can I use as a substitute for hoisin sauce?

Is there anything I can use as a substitute for hoisin sauce that's less salty or even salt-free? This is for a sauce to go with pork steaks.

Pickling whole cucumbers

I know you have to cut off the ends to make the pickles not soggy when making cucumber spears...but if this is the case how do people pickle whole cucumbers?

How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?

If I left food out of the refrigerator for some period of time, is it still safe? If I left it out too long, can I salvage it by cooking it mo

Problem in cake baking tray

I have purchased microwave safe cake baking pan but as soon as I use the pan in the microwave the spark is coming. What may be the problem ? In which mode shoul

Using frozen mince beef [duplicate]

I forgot to get my mince beef out of the freezer to cook tonight, so it's still frozen...Can I cook it straight from frozen or does it need to

What is the history of souvlaki and is there any benefit in cooking meat on a skewer?

I'm wondering about the origin of souvlaki. Was it only something of a convenience (easy to cook lots of pieces together)? Or does this way of grilling lead to

Using previously frozen salsa

I hope this isn't off base because I'm not asking for recipes, just suggestions that I might not have thought of. I made a HUGE batch of roasted cherry salsa

Is it advisable to season a chicken with salt after having brined it?

I've used a standard 5% salt and water solution to brine a chicken, after having brined it is it advisable for me to season the chicken with salt before cooking

Why did my chocolate eclairs fail?

I made chocolate eclairs, my second attempt copying exactly from Laura in the Kitchen on YouTube (full recipe here), and the pastry was not all well creamed and

How can I use a large quantity of raw almonds all at once?

I have a big practically unused bag of raw almonds that's been sitting in my pantry for a couple years. I got them as a gift when I used to munch on them more,

Soda carbonation

With the process below, why wouldn't the yeast eat all the sugar or explode the bottle whichever comes first? How does the yeast eat the sugar to make carbonati

Make fruit last longer in fridge?

I am single. When I buy strawberries or blueberries they don't always last until I get to eat them. Would they last longer kept in water? (in Tupperware) I kno

Help in identifying Scandinavian dessert recipe

Background -- I made this recipe as part of a group project (in college) that was preparing different foods from around the world. My group had Scandinavia, but

Do chefs use customer feedback to improve dishes? [closed]

I understand that chefs can gauge the quality of a dish by monitoring its popularity. However, suppose a chef wants to improve an existing rec

How to Sous Vide Filet Mignon to Medium Rare

I made my own Sous Vide with a crockpot and an Arduino and would like to cook a Filet Mignon cut to medium rare. However, a quick google search of '"sous vide

Pasteurized eggs in homemade mayo?

If you are using pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg yolks when making mayonnaise is it still necessary to leave the mayo out at room temperature for the recomm

How much is in a handful of spinach?

Yes, I know it's a volume unit, but I want to know how many grams does a male or female handful of spinach can hold. You'll see, a recipe calls for 2 handfuls o