Great Info Tips

Would you like fresher coffee? Then store fresh ground or whole bean coffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks to keep it at maximum flavor or place the container of coffee in the freezer for up to a year. Any unopened vacuum packed containers can be stored in the pantry for up to 1 year; Always start with a clean coffee maker to brew the best tasting coffee and use cold water to brew it! Enjoy your coffee!

Sometimes I wondered about keeping tea for too long, but I did learn some good tips for tea bag storage. You can store tea bags in an airtight container for at least 1 year. Do keep different flavors in separate containers. The best way to make a good cup of hot tea is to pour boiling water over the tea bag and steep it for 3 to 5 minutes unless you don’t care to have a dark, more flavorful tea. When you want a quick iced tea just pour 4 cups of boiling water over eight tea bags in a heat resistant container. Cover and let steep 3 to 5 minutes; remove bags and sweeten if desired. Add 4 cups of cold water or ice. Chill until you are ready to drink it. You can add mint tea leaves or lemon slices if you want to make the iced tea more decorative.

I learned some things about muffins, too. I love them, but sometimes they didn’t look all that nice when I was done baking them. First thing to remember is to not over mix the batter. If the batter lumpy you will get tender muffins when they are done baking. Mom told me to fill the empty spaces in the muffin tin with water so the muffins will be more even when baking. That’s if you have room in the muffin tin! Put muffins directly into the oven after you mix the batter. Muffins are best when you serve them warm, right out of the oven. Yummy! Try different varieties and see which ones you like the best.

I’ve made some batter breads in the past, always trying new recipes or mixes to find the ones I like. I did find that using a mixer for the first mixing will give batter bread a better texture, even if the recipe tells you not to do so. Stir in the remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Make sure you watch the batter bread mixture and if it rises too much stir it with a wooden spoon so it will be the same size as it was at the start. I really do like beer batter bread. If you need a recipe send me a comment and I will send you one we like.