In my course of research, I came across several interesting tips and tricks about food storage, preparation and presentation. Here are some of them:

• Wrap celery in aluminium foil before placing it in the refrigerator; it will keep for weeks.



• If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato to absorb the excess salt.



• When a recipe calls for oil, garlic, and onions to be added to a pan, always add the garlic last. This keeps it from burning and tasting bitter.



• When ice cream is rock-hard, dip the scoop in hot water to make scooping easier.



• To perk up a wilting lettuce, add lemon juice to a bowl of water and soak the vegetable in it for one hour in the refrigerator.



• Instead of boiling vegetables, steam them to retain more nutrients & crispiness.



• Do not place potatoes and dry onions together as each gives out a gas that will shorten the life of the other.



• Store tomatoes with their stems facing down, and they will stay fresh longer.



• Bread, muffins & cakes should be removed promptly from their pans after baking to prevent steam from making them soggy.



• Concerned about your health? Reduce calories by using low-fat soured cream instead of milk or full-fat cream to enrich home-cooked sauces and soups.



• To keep marshmallows from turning hard, store them in the freezer. When they thaw, they feel and taste perfectly fresh.