Homemade Wine Vinegar

Make your own wine vinegar, using leftover wine, by following this easy recipe:

1 quart of wine
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Combine, place in sun, lightly covered with plastic wrap. Let rest for 2-3 days.

Always use a good wine –  never use one you wouldn't drink.

from Daniel Rogov, author of Rogov's Guide to Kosher Wines 2010, 2011

Self-Rising Flour - Make Your Own!                   

If a recipe calls for self-rising flour and your cupboard is bare...do not despair and simply make your own:

To 1 cup of flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  

                                                                              from White Lily® flour

Always Have Fresh Lemon Juice Ready

Can't resist buying a bag of lemons or limes and don't know what to do with the extras - freeze them like ice cubes!  Just juice the lemons/limes and fill an ice cube tray. When you need fresh lemon/lime juice, just pop out the needed cubes and "presto"...fresh lemon/lime juice.

The average ice cube is equivalent to two tablespoons or one ounce. For larger quantities, the following equivalents will help determine how many cubes you need:

2 cubes = 1/4 cup 
4 cubes = 1/2 cup 
6 cubes = 3/4 cup 
8 cubes = 1 cup

Egg-stra Good Tip!

Peeling hard boiled eggs — a tedious task at Passover! A "chef's tip" to make hard-boiled egg-peeling egg-stra easy!

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by at least one inch. Add some salt and 1 tablespoon white vinegar (secret ingredient; add more depending on the size of the pot and the number of eggs). Cover pot and bring to a boil. As soon as water boils, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 15 - 17 minutes. Place cooked eggs into cold water and let sit until cool.  They will be easy to peel and will not be overcooked.  

Fresh eggs are difficult to peel, so plan ahead and purchase eggs at least 5 days in advance.

Vanilla Cuts Acidity of Tomatoes

A teaspoon or so of vanilla in Italian tomato sauces or Mexican chili helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

                                     Vanilla Fun Tips

Some Sweet Tips

KosherEye would like to share some honey tips.

• Honey should NOT be refrigerated
• Oil measuring cup before adding honey – the honey will slide out easily
• Pure natural honey does not have a “use by” expiration date.
• Warm crystallized honey in microwave to return to liquid state

Fruity Floater For Punch Bowl

Slightly defrost a few packages of sweetened sliced frozen strawberries or frozen fruits. Place in a rounded or shaped bowl, which will fit inside your punch bowl. Add water; freeze well.  Defrost just before party — and place in punch bowl to serve. This will add color and flavor to your punch and keep the punch cold!

More Lemon Juice

Microwave a fresh lemon for 15 seconds and it doubles the juice you get before squeezing.

tip from Enid & Ann Stettner, Wild Thymes Farmes

Kosher for Less: Spices

Some dried spices (ground, chopped, powdered or whole) do NOT require kosher certification. This  list includes: allspice, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, lemon grass, marjoram, nutmg, oregano, thyme, turmeric and more. For complete list visit www.crcweb.org

Note: Spices for Passover do require special supervision.

Leftover Wine

Freezing leftover wine: If you have leftover wine, just add to a small sealable plastic bag and freeze. When you need just a bit of wine in a recipe, simply unzip the freezer bag and use.