Granny’s Kitchen Secrets

During recent cleaning and purging, something we are all doing a lot of, I came across a document in a book which has probably been hidden for dozens of years. It belonged to my grandmother and has some pretty simple household tricks, which, oddly enough, still apply today.

Here are some of them: I guess the concept of leaky ice-cream cones has been around forever. I know, many a time, I have had maple walnut running along my hand. The fix: stuff a small marshmallow in the bottom of the cone. When I make pancakes, they are always oblong, rectangular or just wonky looking. I wondered how restaurants get them so round. Grandma’s remedy: use a meat baster to ‘squeeze’ the mix onto the griddle. I hate getting a new potato with all kinds of sprouts growing from it. Apparently, a slice of apple in the bag will prevent that from happening. I love eating Rice Krispies squares, but making them is a sticky situation, unless you run your hands under cold water before pressing them into the pan. Presto, they won’t stick. Have you ever burned food onto the bottom of a pan? Try getting that off with elbow grease. Grandma would simply put a few drops of dish soap into the pan, add a little water and bring it to a boil. Clean as a whistle.

Here are a few more: When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to the water to bring out the sweetness. Freeze left over wine into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. Hey Grandma, what does leftover wine look like? Raw potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice, rub it on the stain, and rinse with water. Want to learn how to train ants? They never cross a chalk line. So, simply draw a line on the floor with some chalk and you can direct them where ever you want them to go. Have you ever had a splinter and can’t find the tweezers or the magnifying glass? Put a piece of scotch tape over the splinter, and 9 out of 10 times, it will take it out when you peel the tape off. Lastly, I watched Grandma put eggs in a bowl filled with water and salt. I asked why, and the answer was simple: if the egg sinks, its fresh; if it rises to the surface, it’s time to toss it. Make sure the water is cool. Jonathan van Bilsen is a television host, published author, award winning photographer and keynote speaker. Watch his new show ‘ Jonathan van Bilsen’s photosNtravel’ on: Rogers TV, the Standard online, and YouTube. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]