FDR: Handy Kitchen tips!

This is a collection of 'Handy' tips which can be used in the Kitchen to make cooking easier and better! All ardent  foodies are requested to contribute any tips known to them.

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

When peeling garlic, oil your fingers a little bit; the skin will be off in a giffy!

To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

 
 To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
 To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop-skillet will be much easier to clean.
 When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead-no white mess on the outside of the cake.
 If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato-it absorbs the excess salt for an instant fix up.
 Brush beaten egg white over pie crust and the pastry puffs before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
 Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
 To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh-if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
Place  a mini marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
When you cut a lime or any other sour fruit/vegetable, make sure you wash the knife after the job is done, this way you'll ensure that the knife's sharpness is long lived.
When peeling garlic, oil your fingers a little bit; the skin will be off in a giffy!
Store ginger in a freezer to prevent it from catching fungus (storing in a refrigerator will not help) and when you want to use it in cooking ,grate it; this way you'll get the most of it.
Always fry onions in a little oil and then grind. Raw onion paste will turn bitter immediately!
1. Hate bitter gourd/Karela? I think most of us do so reduce its bitterness, Keep the Karela in water and add a pinch of salt in it for 1/2 hour to remove the bitterness of it!