Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: How do you keep raisins in the larger containers from drying out and clumping?

-- Beatrice K. in Houston

DEAR READER: The best way is to put them in an airtight container or a plastic, sealable bag.

Once opened, if you don't plan to use the raisins within a couple of months, you may want to store them in the refrigerator to give them a longer shelf life.

DEAR HELOISE: Some boxes, such as for hot cereal, direct you to open them on the side by pushing in at a designated area. Usually you need to cut on the dotted lines to get the tab opened. When you close the tab, the opening is difficult to reopen. I solve this problem in the following way:

I get the tab to stick out of the opening and add on a piece of tape, folded over the top and underside of the tab, to create an extended tab.

-- Pamella S.,

Springfield, N.J.

DEAR HELOISE: I have found a great way to have hot dog rolls when I don't want to buy a whole package. I usually have frozen roll dough in my freezer, so I just take out a number of dough balls to equal the number of hot dogs that we expect to eat.

You do have to plan ahead a bit, as the dough balls should be removed from the freezer in the morning. Let them thaw (but not start rising -- usually takes about an hour), then roll the dough into "snakes" 4-5 inches long. Let them rise, and bake as you would regular rolls. They are much better than store hot dog rolls, and with no waste.

-- Sherrill M., Forest, Va.

DEAR HELOISE: When I made a banana pudding the other day and was in a hurry, instead of layering the pudding, the bananas and the wafers, I just made the pudding, cut up lots of bananas on top and poured the wafers on top. I gave it a good stir, and it turned out great.

-- Joan S.,

Hagerstown, Md.

DEAR HELOISE: When buying new jars of spices, open and remove the inner seal before putting them away. Nothing is more frustrating than having to stop and tend to the opening of a new bottle.

-- Blanche D.,

Whiting, N.J.

DEAR READER: Also, I cut the inner seal in half with a knife so it's easy to measure out the spice.

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 on 08/17/2016

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