favor-“ette”: a pot tip

If you’re like me, fall and winter mean pulling out the pots – the large ones, that is – for soups, stews, pulled this and braised that.

I LOVE one-pot winter meals for many reasons – not the least of which is that most can be made in advance. And actually taste better after sitting overnight.

Years and years ago a family friend shared this tip with me, and it’s a great one if you do a lot of “one-pot” cooking too:

wax paper over a pot

Once your dish has cooled down enough to go into the fridge, slip a piece of waxed paper between the lid and the pot. Any condensation that occurs will collect on the paper – and stay there, instead of dripping back into your food.

Simply remove and discard the paper when you go to reheat your meal.

If you’re of the belief that it’s the “little details” that count, you’ll appreciate the difference this small change makes.

With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah converging this week, I’d like to take a moment to wish all of you a very happy holiday – or holidays – however you may be celebrating. I am thankful for so many things this year, and am so VERY thankful for you – my readers. Your comments, e-mails and support of my little blog truly means the world to me.

And of course, Babble links!

Make and Give These Unique Shortbreads for the Holidays!
Ganache is the “Multitasker” of the Kitchen!
Make Sufganiyot – Jelly Doughnuts – for Hanukkah!
Celery Root – the “Ugly Duckling” of Vegetables!

 

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4 Comments

  1. Shalagh Hogan on November 26, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    Funny, my husband just told me he’d learned from Chef Ramsay that the condensation could be a cooling conundrum. Waters down the food. Here you go again with the relevant tip. So, on behalf of Chef Ramsay, thank you Shari. And wishing you happy holiday(s) as well.
    Love,
    Shalagh



    • sherisilver on November 26, 2013 at 8:50 pm

      Ha! Love him – and happy happy to you too! xo



  2. gingerella on February 8, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    I don’t understand why the condensation is a problem. It is, after all, just liquid that was originally in the dish itself… so it would not actually ‘water down’ the dish when mixed back in… it’s just part of it. It seems to me that discarding this condensation would actually make the dish ‘dryer’ and you might want to add water to bring it back to its original/preferred consistency. That’s just my take on it.



    • sherisilver on February 8, 2015 at 6:21 pm

      It’s funny that you say that – I ALWAYS like my soups and stews on the “thinner” side. And not all dishes produce as much condensation. But if you eliminate it then you can control how much liquid you put back in when you re-heat the dish.



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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!