Granny’s Household Hints

Gather hints and keep them safe.
To make your home a clean, loving place.
Secret hints shared are like gold
Making you feel proud and bold.

BAKING:

1. Put new “non stick” baking tins in a cold oven without greasing them and allow them to heat up and cool down in the oven. Doing this will prevent cakes sticking in the future.
2. Reheat biscuits for a few min in a moderate oven if they are soft or soggy
3. To prevent baked custards from curdling, stand them in a pie dish that has about ½ inch water in it while baking
4. To make the creaming of butter and sugar easier, add a few drops of lemon juice
5. To speed up beating egg whites, add a pinch of cream of tarter.
6. To obtain more juice out of oranges and lemons, first warm them by dropping them into hot water
7. Rub bananas with lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring

COOKING:

1. To prevent cabbage from boiling over put a small piece of butter into the water. To prevent the odor rising place a piece of bread on top of the cabbage.
2. Cauliflower will stay white if you add a piece of lemon to the pot
3. Use a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to mashed potatoes to make them fluffy
4. If you cook peas in salt water the will loose their skins
5. Dip sliced tomatoes in flour before frying to keep them whole
6. To prevent sausages bursting. Prick them and dip them into hot water before frying.
7. To remove the skin of a sausage for sausage rolls, dip them in cold water first
8. Add a little glycerin to jam when boiling to prevent then becoming sugary
9. When boiling rice, add a spoonful of lemon juice to make it white and keep the grains separated
10. Before boiling rice, pasta etc, rub fat in the saucepan one inch down from the top to prevent boiling over
11. Spinach should be washed in hot water, (not too hot) to remove traces of grit
12. Wilted lettuce can be crisp again by laying them in hot water (not scalding) and leaving it until it is cold again
13. To prevent onions making your eyes water, peel them from the root up to the stalk
14. Rub your hands with salt before washing to prevent the odor of onions, fish etc

GENERAL:

1. To keep flies away from light bulbs and shades rub a little camphorated oil on them
2. Use spirit of camphor for hot plat marks on tables. It also helps for blisters on lips.
3. A good way to clean a thermos flask is to fill it with hot water and ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and shake well
4. Cold tea or tea leaves is good for plants, especially ferns
5. Add an ice cube or a teaspoon of salt, or a piece of camphor to the water of cut flowers to keep them fresh longer
6. A strong mixture of Jayes fluid will chase the ants away in your flower beds
7. To remove the glue used for labels on glass or plastic containers use “Doom” or “Brasso”
8. To keep your kitchen sink fresh and clean, mix 2 teaspoons of salt in boiling water and pour it down the pipe. This will remove grease build up. This should be done at least once a week.
9. A home made furniture polish: Equal amounts of turpentine, vinegar, boiled linseed oil and methylated spirits