Friday, September 4, 2015

friday tips

Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed my tips last week to stretch your herbs and avocado.

I have been brainstorming all week to decide what to share with you today…and the answer was staring me in the face, on my counter.



how to ripen a pineapple!
Well, my dad always swears by turning it upside down. I have no proof that there is actual science to back this up, but we always do it and have delicious pineapple. The idea is that this distributes the juices and it ripens evenly. Try it, and let me know what you think!

By the way, do you know how to select a ripe or just about to ripen pineapple? In the store, if you tug on a leaf and it comes off easily and cleanly, its ripe.  Also, smell it. Like most fruits, if it smells sweet and fragrant, you can bring it home and slice it right away! It shouldn’t feel too soft to the touch either.

easy veggie peeling clean-up
This one is super simple, but whenever I’m peeling something (like carrots or potatoes), I place a sheet of paper towel over my cutting board and peel onto that, or peel it directly into the garbage disposal. The paper towel provides the quickest clean up and I can easily move on to chopping and dicing.

Speaking of carrots, did you know you can eat the tops of them like an herb? If you are lucky enough to have a garden, or just grab some with beautiful, full tops at the farmers market or store, don’t be so quick to toss them. 

Rinse them off and chop them up like you would an herb and use them in salads, sauces…anything! Just beware that they have a slightly bitter taste to them, so sautéing would work too if that’s not your thing.
(thanks to chopped for clueing me into this, and the kitchn for corroborating the story.)

ugly fruit finds a new life
Did you hear about grocery stores in France that are givingup to a 30% discount on “ugly” fruit? It’s amazing how much produce is wasted each year in the US just because of the look of it.


Keep this in mind when you are picking fruits and veggies, especially ones that you will eventually peel. Even fruits like apples, peaches and tomatoes are absolutely fine if they have imperfections but don’t feel too soft. Its more about how the fruit feels to the touch and not how the skin looks :)

Enjoy the weekend everyone and send requests for cooking and kitchen tips my way!

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