Most people see view cooking as a chore. However, cooking can be an interesting and enjoyable activity. It’s also a good step toward a more healthy lifestyle. Good cooks are continuously learning and trying to improve their craft. Here, we will offer you some great tips to further your knowledge and love of cooking.

A pie crust should be baked a little bit longer than you would think. The color should be a darker caramel instead of the pale blond so many people do. When the crust is a golden color then you know the sugar has caramalized and you will have a sweet and crispy result.

Your meat need to be sliced thinly across the grain when you are preparing stir-fry. This may take some patience and it can be a bit time-consuming. Remove the meat when it is firm (but not frozen) and slice at a 45 degree angle across the grain of the meat.

Thin Strips

Freezing meat will make it more solid, and easier to cut into thin strips. Certain dishes require thin strips of beef, chicken or pork. Partially frozen meat is easier to slice as the cold temperature prevents the meat fibers from stretching and tearing. Allow the meat to thaw prior to cooking though, so that it can cook evenly.

A lot of people usually use apples for cooking things in the winter and fall months, yet a lot of people store them incorrectly and they spoil quickly. Store apples in a plastic bag in a cool, dry location to keep them fresher longer. Make sure you check them periodically, however, because even one spoiled apple can cause the others in the bag to rot very rapidly.

For healthier, lower-calorie mashed potatoes, add some cooked cauliflower to your tubers. Because cauliflower has a pretty bland taste, it blends well with the potatoes and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. As a bonus, cauliflower is the same texture and color as potatoes, so no one will be the wiser when you improve the nutritional content and lower the caloric content of your mashed potatoes.

Cooking vegetables quickly improves their overall quality. Vegetables that are cooked slowly lose a lot of their taste and nutrition. These cooking techniques are much healthier. Cooking better vegetables is all about cooking them for the least amount of time possible.

After you make sauce, pour the leftovers into ice cube trays and place them in the freezer. When you’d like to make a quick and easy meal later on, you just have to pop out a few cubes of sauce and reheat them in a pan. The sauce will remain edible even after being in an ice tray.

This way, you’ll have fresh fruit to use for cooking all year long. In addition, you’ll get to enjoy out-of-season fruits when no one else can!

You should always use cooking oil in exact measurements. Pouring straight from a bottle does not give you an accurate idea of how much fat you are using, which can result in overindulgence. By doing this, you will know exactly how much oil you use.

If you want to cook a roast quicker, leave the bone inside of it. This will speed up cooking time substantially. The bone absorbs some of the heat and distributes it inside the meat and roaster. Cut the meat around the bone before serving it.

Don’t throw away any leftovers from your turkey. Instead, cut it into pieces, then freeze it in a Tupperware container. The turkey will stay fresh for quite a few weeks if you follow these tips. It is a great way to ensure you can have sandwiches for weeks to come.

Many vegetables and herbs have a smell that has a tendency to remain on cutting boards, despite how many times you wash them. Separate the halves by using indelible ink on the cutting board so you know what belongs on each side.

Again, good cooks are always looking for new ideas. The real fun in cooking isn’t just rote memorization of recipes, but learning entirely new ways of looking at food. You also must know how to share your skills with others. Cooking is not only a skill to be learned, but a gift to be shared.