Kitchen Tips
- In The Kitchen
Aside from all the alchemy that salt performs in terms of baking chemistry and food flavor, salt has a number of other great applications in the kitchen life.
- Test Egg Freshness
Put two teaspoons of salt in a cup of water and place an egg in it- a fresh egg will sink, an older egg will float. The air cells in an egg increase as it ages, making an older egg more buoyant. This doesn’t mean a floating egg is rotten, just more mature. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for any displeasing odour or appearance-if it’s rotten, your nose will tell you. (Bonus fact: if you have hard-boiled eggs that are difficult to peel, that means they are fresh
- Set Poached Eggs
Because salt increases the temperature at which water boils, it helps to set the whites more quickly when eggs are dropped into salted water for poaching.
- Prevent Fruits From Browning
Most of us use lemon or vinegar to keep peeled apples & pears from browning. You can also drop them in lightly salted water to help them keep their colour.
- Prevent Cake Icing Crystals
A little salt added to cake icing prevents the sugar in it from crystallizing.
- Remove Odours From Hands
Oniony-garlicky fingers? Try soap and water, then rubbing them on anything made of stainless steel (it really works), but you can also rub your fingers with a pinch of salt and vinegar combo.
- Reach High Peaks
Add a tiny pinch of salt when beating egg whites or whipping cream for quicker, higher peaks.
- Extend Cheese Life
Prevent mould on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth moistened with salt water before refrigerating.
- Save The Bottom Of Your Oven
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smoke and smell but will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
