Be A Better Chef With These Simple Cooking Tips

There are some things you need to know in order to become a terrific cook. This article will allow you to learn what you need to do to be an outstanding cook. Implement the following tips so that you understand what it is you need to do.

Find a dark, cool area in which to store herbs and spices. The flavor of the spices and herbs will decrease if they are kept in areas with light, humidity, and heat. Most ground spices will keep their flavor for at least one year. Spices that come in the whole form will keep their flavor for around 3-5 years. Their changes at longevity increase with proper storage.

Get the most juice out of lemons. Fresh lemon juice is much more tasty than the kind that comes out of a bottle, but it is sometimes surprising how little juice you can get out of a lemon. Heat the lemon in a microwave for 20 seconds on high power. Then, roll the lemon on your cutting board using as much pressure as possible. This way, you will get about twice the amount of juice out of the lemon, and your dish will be much more flavorful!

Freezing meat slightly before cutting it will help you to get a nice, even thin slice. This works great when you are cutting steak thin for philly's or if you need to cut pancetta into thin slices or strips. Do not freeze it solid; freeze it just enough that it is slightly firm.

Make sure you spread out your condiments when making a sandwich. Most people rush through the early steps of making a sandwich. They spread their condiments around in the middle rather than making sure they cover the entire piece of bread. Cover your bread from corner to corner with condiments for flavor in every bite.

Cooking methods like boiling tend to destroy a lot of the nutrients that are in vegetables. You can keep all those healthy nutrients by using a quick method of cooking like steaming or by eating the vegetables raw.

As previously mentioned, all good cooks have a few secret tips and tricks up their sleeves. Some people can cook naturally, but the rest of us need a little assistance to do our best. Thankfully, you now should have the tools discussed in this article at the ready to help you craft amazing food every time you cook!