Quick questions on ANYTHING (see first post for Freezing, Reheating, Slow Cooker, +)

lil_me

My Dad says Guiness freezes too well, his fridge broke that he stores it in and he ended up with Guiness lollipops :rotfl: needless to say he was gutted!

Squishy

This is probably going to sound stupid but do potatoes go 'off' or can I use them as long as they're not all black/green/moldy? I've a bag saying 'display until 05 Feb' and they're slightly soft but look okay otherwise.

lil_me

The green stuff is toxic (Solanum tuberosum poisoning I think it's called, might be wrong ) , but other than that should be fine.

loren83

Thank you! I now have Guinness lollipos.

Another question I read on OS that if you wrap a loaf or rolls in a tea towel straight out the oven they stay soft, is this a damp or dry tea towel??

tee_pee_2

just checked on pan. It's gonna be an overnighter I think. Still nice and burned!

RacyRed

loren83 wrote:

Thank you! I now have Guinness lollipos.

Another question I read on OS that if you wrap a loaf or rolls in a tea towel straight out the oven they stay soft, is this a damp or dry tea towel??

Dry, the condensation from the hot bread is enough moisture. Be careful though, if the bread has a good solid crust wrapping it up is fine, but if it is a soft crust loaf it can get too wet if wrapped immediately. I usually let mine cool a little first.

Another thing that helps keep it fresh is storing cotton wrapped bread in the microwave. I have no idea why but this really helps keep bread fresher for longer. I had 2 similar loaves recently, stored one in a cotton bread bag the microwave, the other in a cotton bread bag on the kitchen worktop. The one kept in the microwave kept a couple of days longer.

jennyjelly

Really dumb question guys.

I've had my Russell Hobbs SC for ages and use it all the time, but I've never used the 'auto' setting because I don't know what it does (bought it at a boot sale so have no instruction book).

Someone I asked thought it might make it cook on high for a couple of hours then turn down to low, someone else thought it was just to keep the food warm when it's finished cooking.

Anyone have any idea please?

squeaky

It can be either option depending on the make and model.

You could try contacting them here:-

http://www.russellhobbs.com/home/

jennyjelly

Thanks Squeaky. I've emailed them but don't hold out much hope - big companies want to sell new, not help us to hang on to old!

I'll post any reply I get.

debbycatz

Hi there

I'm just starting out on the 'home cooking' ladder and have recently made a couple of beef casseroles in the oven (beef, potatoes, carrots, swede). I throw the ingredients in and make up beef stock from a couple of oxo cubes. When all is cooked, it tastes great and everyone enjoys it......but, it is very watery and I have no idea how one is supposed to thicken casseroles ?? Sorry if it is a dumb question. I did attempt to mix some of the stock with cornflour and I was then going to make a thick paste and pour it back into the casserole dish in an attempt to thicken the stock but it went all lumpy and yukky.

Can anyone point me in the right direction please, I would very much appreciate it :beer: