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Back to Basics Episode 1: How to Boil Water
One of the ways we can reach that goal is by cutting the cost of the food we eat, and an easy way to do that is to cook from scratch! That old favourite "can't even boil water" is so true so in this series we are going back to basics, because there are a lot of people who simply don't know where to begin. And we are going to start with boiling water! There are a couple of ways to boil water, and while this may seem childish, knowing how to do this, and how to use that boiled water, is important.
You need to know just when water is actually boiling. Water is considered at boiling point when it reaches 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Do you remember that from primary school science?
Some recipes talk about a rolling boil. What does this mean? It means the water or whatever you are boiling, is rolling in the pot. You'll see lots of big bubbles, popping up and bursting very quickly over the surface of the water (or whatever). Knowing this is important because if you are trying to sterilise something in boiling water, perhaps jars for jam making, the water needs to be at a rolling boil, and cover the jars by 5cm for at least 10 minutes.
If you're making gravy, it needs to boil, at a rolling boil, for at least 1 minute to thicken and cook properly. Most recipes tell you how long something needs to boil, so you don't need to automatically know, thank goodness!
You need to know just when water is actually boiling. Water is considered at boiling point when it reaches 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Do you remember that from primary school science?
Some recipes talk about a rolling boil. What does this mean? It means the water or whatever you are boiling, is rolling in the pot. You'll see lots of big bubbles, popping up and bursting very quickly over the surface of the water (or whatever). Knowing this is important because if you are trying to sterilise something in boiling water, perhaps jars for jam making, the water needs to be at a rolling boil, and cover the jars by 5cm for at least 10 minutes.
If you're making gravy, it needs to boil, at a rolling boil, for at least 1 minute to thicken and cook properly. Most recipes tell you how long something needs to boil, so you don't need to automatically know, thank goodness!
The most common way to boil water is to simply take an electric jug, fill it with cold tap water and turn it on. And it boils. Most modern kettles and jugs boil very quickly - they can boil a cup of water in under a minute. That is convenient. And a rather expensive way to boil a cup of water. Electric kettles are quick to boil larger quantities too. My kettle can boil up to 1.7 litres of water, and in just a couple of minutes. Again, very handy but also very, very expensive. In this case convenience in the way of speed costs. Now water boiled in a kettle reaches boiling point, which is 100 degrees Celsius, and then switches off. If you pour the water into your tea pot or coffee mug as soon as it switches off you'll have the best chance of actually making your drink with boiling water. And for instant sauces and gravies, a little off the boil is OK - the powders will still dissolve and the end result will still be warm. A way to have a supply of almost boiling hot water for your tea or coffee or hot chocolate without having to boil the kettle every time is to use a thermos. I fill the thermos every morning after I boil the kettle and the water stays hot enough to make my cups of tea during the day. Just a little way to save a little money and have water hot enough for drinking.
The next fastest way to boil a cup of water is to fill a microwave safe mug with cold water and put it into your microwave and set on HIGH for 45 - 60 seconds. The time depends on the power of your microwave. But in that time the mug of water should be boiling, so do be careful when you lift it out of the microwave. I'll just say that boiling water in the microwave isn't recommended; it's unreliable and can cause the water to become superheated, which means that the water doesn't look like it's boiling, there usually aren't any or very many bubbles, but as you move the mug or jug the movement causes the water to erupt and it can cause serious burns.
Another method for boiling water is in a pot or kettle on the stove. If you're only boiling a cup or two of water, use a small saucepan. If you're boiling water for vegetables, use a pot big enough to hold the veggies, covered with about 3cm of water. Use a lid - it is true, a covered pot boils faster! When you're boiling a pot of water on the stove, don't wander off - it could boil dry and if it does, you'll run the risk of ruining your pot and possibly your cooktop.
Now you know how to boil water! No more excuses for not cooking!
As this series progresses, I'll be sharing basic recipes for basic meals, and showing you how I make them to feed my very hungry family without going over our grocery budget. But they won't be boring, even if they are basic. We like our food to have flavour and texture, to be appetising and appealing. And if a recipe can be easily doubled, well those double-up recipes just make my heart sing - who doesn't want to save time and money getting dinner on the table?
To do that you'll need some basic pantry items, and I'll be sharing the ingredients that are ALWAYS in my pantry. Remember, ingredients give you options and I'll share some of those options with you as you stock your pantry.
You'll be learning to use your kitchen appliances to their full advantage. We may be going back to basics, but we're not going to waste the tools we have at our disposal.
I'm a wife, mother, homemaker who feeds her family on a tight budget, who has some basic recipes and skills that I adapt often to make our meals better (and cheaper). I hope this series of little back to basics how-tos will help and encourge and inspire you as you live the Cheapskates way.
The next fastest way to boil a cup of water is to fill a microwave safe mug with cold water and put it into your microwave and set on HIGH for 45 - 60 seconds. The time depends on the power of your microwave. But in that time the mug of water should be boiling, so do be careful when you lift it out of the microwave. I'll just say that boiling water in the microwave isn't recommended; it's unreliable and can cause the water to become superheated, which means that the water doesn't look like it's boiling, there usually aren't any or very many bubbles, but as you move the mug or jug the movement causes the water to erupt and it can cause serious burns.
Another method for boiling water is in a pot or kettle on the stove. If you're only boiling a cup or two of water, use a small saucepan. If you're boiling water for vegetables, use a pot big enough to hold the veggies, covered with about 3cm of water. Use a lid - it is true, a covered pot boils faster! When you're boiling a pot of water on the stove, don't wander off - it could boil dry and if it does, you'll run the risk of ruining your pot and possibly your cooktop.
Now you know how to boil water! No more excuses for not cooking!
As this series progresses, I'll be sharing basic recipes for basic meals, and showing you how I make them to feed my very hungry family without going over our grocery budget. But they won't be boring, even if they are basic. We like our food to have flavour and texture, to be appetising and appealing. And if a recipe can be easily doubled, well those double-up recipes just make my heart sing - who doesn't want to save time and money getting dinner on the table?
To do that you'll need some basic pantry items, and I'll be sharing the ingredients that are ALWAYS in my pantry. Remember, ingredients give you options and I'll share some of those options with you as you stock your pantry.
You'll be learning to use your kitchen appliances to their full advantage. We may be going back to basics, but we're not going to waste the tools we have at our disposal.
I'm a wife, mother, homemaker who feeds her family on a tight budget, who has some basic recipes and skills that I adapt often to make our meals better (and cheaper). I hope this series of little back to basics how-tos will help and encourge and inspire you as you live the Cheapskates way.
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