DEAR HELOISE: With so many different jams and jellies to choose from, I don’t just use it on toast anymore. Here are a few of the ways I use jams, jellies and preserves:
If you have no fresh fruit, use a tablespoon of jam or jelly on oatmeal in the morning.
Take the top rind off your favorite brie cheese, cover with jam or jelly and bake until warm.
Mix your favorite flavor with cream cheese and serve with crackers at your next party.
Add to yogurt.
- Kelly T. in New York
DEAR HELOISE: The directions for my coffee maker state to dispose of the glass coffee carafe if it has been boiled dry. I am wondering, why?
- Andree M., South Dakota
DEAR READER: Very good question, and an important safety one also. If a coffee carafe has boiled dry, the concern is from what is referred to as “dry-heating.” After this has occurred, the glass may have been compromised, causing it to crack the next time you use it. Rather than have that happen, it is recommended that you replace the glass carafe immediately.
DEAR HELOISE: When I boil dry beans (pinto, black beans, lima, etc.), I thoroughly wash my stainless-steel cooking pan, using hot water, soap and a nylon scrubbie. However, the pan always dries with an ugly, whitish film covering the inside bottom surface. I just cover the bottom with a little white vinegar, let it stand for a few minutes and re-rinse. The pan dries bright and sparkling.
- A Reader in Oregon
DEAR READER: Isn’t vinegar amazing? There are so many ways to use it around the house (and it’s inexpensive and eco-friendly).
Next time you boil potatoes, add a small amount of vinegar to the water. This keeps the potatoes white while keeping the pan from turning dark.
DEAR HELOISE: Most instant rice and potatoes come in boxes with a pull-out spout. After opening, I cover the entire end of the box with a sheet of clear plastic wrap and secure it with a tight rubber band around the box. No spills, and it keeps bugs from getting in.
- Mike in Kansas
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com
Food, Pages 36 on 03/26/2014