TigerChef

With summer coming to an end, there are many delicious summer fruits and vegetables that are coming to an end along with it. It's a good idea to preserve some summer fruits and vegetables so that you get a taste of summer during the coldest, dreariest days of the long winter months. Here are some tips on how to can your fruits and vegetables safely.

1. It is important to always wash out the jars and the lids very well, with hot, soapy water. Make sure the jars are warm before filling them otherwise the hot food will cause the jars to break.
2. Fill the jars with the fruits or vegetables to its capacity before adding the hot brine. Make sure to leave the required amount of space at the head of the jar, between ¼” and ½”, so that you can secure the lid properly.
3. Get rid of 100% of the air bubbles before sealing the jars. Otherwise, the air bubbles can cause the glass jar to crack when it is being heated up.
4. In order to achieve the best canning results, make sure to follow the recipes down to a “T”.
5. Wipe the rims of the jar very well before fastening the lids on the jar, and then fasten as tightly as possible. ...continue reading
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When planning a picnic, we all like to have the perfect picnic picture in mind. The fantasy picnic package includes beautiful scenery with a gentle breeze, ice-cold drinks and delicious food, with smiling care-free faces. The reality picnic, however, can meet us with muggy weather, soggy sandwiches, get-me-outta-here faces, not to mention the unwanted bugs. Although we are not in control of the weather and some other variables, there are some things we can do to make our picnic as perfect as possible.

Picnic food is meant to be simple and easy. Make sure to pack food that will not need a fork and knife to be eaten. That’s where sandwiches come in. They also make the least of a mess. Less mess = less ants and bugs. Other foods that work well for picnics are cut up fruits and vegetables, crackers, and other finger foods. Foods such as chocolates and salads do not do well in heat. Do make sure that you have an adequate amount of food to go around since people tend to be hungry at picnic time.

Although most of us do just fine with a wicker basket and checkered tablecloth, some picnic goers are looking for more. If you can’t leave home without your trusty cooler, but have a hard time carrying it around, then the cooler on wheels would make a great addition to your picnic. ...continue reading

With temperatures reaching close or in the triple digits, the great outdoors is the preferred cooking spot over the kitchen. Here are some grilling tips to help you perfect your grilling experience.

• In addition to adding flavor to your dish, marinating also serves as a meat tenderizer, breaking down the fibers in the meat, giving it that ‘melt in your mouth’ texture. Adding something acidic, such as lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, an alcoholic beverage, coke, etc. to your marinade, will help tenderize the meat as well. The longer your meat marinates, the more buttery your meat will be.
• Although most people freak out when I tell them about trimming some fat off the outer edges of the meat to avoid charring, once they try it, they thank me. You want to serve juicy meats, not charcoaled ones and trimming the fat will do just that. You cut down on the flair-ups and the dripping fatty mess.
• Having to scrub burned food off the grill rack is one heck of a pain. It is actually quite impossible to get that rack looking like new. Using oil on the grill before placing your meat on will do you a lot of good. Slice an onion in half, fill a bowl with some oil, ...continue reading
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Most instructions for how to create smoothies will tell you to place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth, and serve chilled. Sounds easy enough, but how do you get just the right smoothness, taste and texture? Read on to find out.

1. Although fresh fruit is more refreshing then frozen fruit, it is the latter that will make your smoothie that much better for more reasons than one. Firstly, it will give your smoothie that extra chill, making it stay cooler for a longer time. Secondly, the frozen fruit gives it that extra thickness, making it a smoothie rather than a milkshake. Don’t like the idea of buying frozen fruit in the bag? Freeze your own fresh fruits, but make sure to cut the larger fruits into smaller pieces prior to freezing.
2. Ice cream and whole milk seems like a bit more than your diet allows, huh? Feel free to substitute frozen yogurt in place of the regular ice cream, and opt for the low-fat milk instead of whole milk. 
3. Forgot to make ice cubes? Consider waiting to make your smoothie until you get your ice cubes. Ice cubes are not added to smoothies just to make it cold. It’s what gives the smoothie the thickness it needs to call it a smoothie. Like your smoothie thicker than what the recipe yields? Add some extra ice cubes. ...continue reading
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