Cooking Hints and Tips   

Soups

                               

To pull the calcium out of chicken or turkey bones add 1 ounce vinegar to each quart of water up to 4 ounces total when you are making soup stock. It will not give a vinegar taste to the soup but will draw out ALL the nutrients in the bones. Make a quick stock flavoring for soups or stews by combining onion, garlic, and carrots in a blender with a small amount of water. Use cooking water from vegetables or beans to make a vegetarian broth or to add to soups or stews. Grease on soup or sauces can be soaked up with a paper towel laid on the top or can be carefully spooned off. If you have time, chill the soup, then remove the congealed fat. A leaf of lettuce dropped into the soup pot will absorb grease from the top of the soup. Remove lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose. Strain soup stock through a coffee filter to make it clear and debris free. Most soups freeze well, except those containing cheese, cream, or other dairy products since they may separate and curdle when thawed and reheated. Freeze soups without these particular ingredients, then add when gently reheating. Freeze soups in individual microwave-proof containers for a quick microwaveable lunch or snack. Instant soup stock will always be on hand if you save the pan juices from cooking meats. Pour liquid into ice cube trays and freeze. Place solid cubes in freezer bags or foil. Steak, roast, or poultry bones can be frozen in plastic containers or bags until needed for soup stock. Thaw the bones in the refrigerator before using. An excellent thickener for soup is a little oatmeal. It will add flavor and richness to almost any soup. Toss in a handful of instant mashed potato to quickly thicken thin stew. If you add eggs, milk, cream, or yogurt to soups or stews do so near the end of cooking to keep them from curdling. Croutons, pastry cutouts, yogurt, or sour cream liven up any soup. Use crumbled bacon in vegetable soups. Do not oversalt soups to which wine will be added. Most wine in soups tends to intensify the saltiness. If you accidently add too much salt to a soup or stew, add peeled raw potatoes to the pot and they will help absorb some of the salt as they cook. You can remove them before serving or just leave them as one of the ingredients. Though not essential, garnishes give soups a finishing flair that turns the ordinary into something special. Garnished soups look prettier than plain ones, and they usually taste a bit more interesting too. Give homemade soup an extra-special touch by adding a simple garnish. Sprinkle each serving with chopped fresh herbs, croutons or toasted almonds. Add a dollop of sour cream or yogurt or a dash of shredded cheese. Kids especially love some popped popcorn floating on top. Just make sure to match the garnish to the type of soup you're serving. To defat meat or poultry stock, make it a day ahead of time; refrigerate so the fat rises to the top and solidifies, then scrape it off. If you want to remove fat from soup or stew but can't wait for it to chill and congeal, drag a slice of bread across the surface of the broth to soak up as much grease as possible. Pour cooled broth from meat or poultry into a glass jar with a secure lid and refrigerate upside down. The fat will harden and remain in the bottom of the jar when you pour out the liquid for use in your recipes. To remove the grease from soups or stews, place a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap directly onto the top of the liquid before refrigerating it. Once it has cooled thoroughly, peel off the waxed paper and the grease will peel off with it. A pinch of sugar added to chicken soup will add better flavor. Parsnips added to chicken broth will add a sweet flavor. Soups and stews should only simmer (NEVER BOIL) when cooking. In a hurry to skim the fat from the soup? An ice cube floated in the soup will help to congeal the fat and make it easier to remove. Freeze the liquids from canned mushrooms or vegetables; use it in soups or stews later. Another way to thicken your soup, take some of the cooked vegetables out of the soup and puree in the blender. Then return to the original soup mixture.

                               

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