Post your favourite food prep and storage tips here

GrateEggspectations

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

GrateEggspectations

When making burgers, prepare a large batch and wrap individual uncooked patties in cellophane before freezing them in a ziploc/vac sealing them individually. That way, when hosting two or twelve friends unexpectedly, you are ready to fire up the grill. 

nolaegghead

My tip is to use gaffer tape rather than painters tape.

GrateEggspectations

nolaegghead said:

My tip is to use gaffer tape rather than painters tape.

Have never used gaffer tape, but I like painter’s tape because it peels off incredibly cleanly and effortlessly, leaving no residue in dishes and containers. 

nolaegghead

GrateEggspectations

@nolaegghead: You don’t date stamp the hardware to use it by the best before date?

nolaegghead

Painters tape performs at a 10% level at sticking and removing without residue compared to cotton gaffer tape.   And it only costs 5x more so that's like 100% better.

nolaegghead

GrateEggspectations said:

@nolaegghead: You don’t date stamp the hardware to use it by the best before date?

Depends... tires, batteries

Legume

Buy more eggs than you think you’ll need.

Botch

GrateEggspectations said:

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

Don't forget to date your spice bottles, too.  

Griffin

GrateEggspectations said:

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

I do the same thing when I harvest yeast when I'm making beer. Store it in mason jars and right down the date it was harvested, what strand of yeast it is and how many times its been used. I've got like 10 jars of yeast in the garage/beer fridge and tis easy to lose track of what each one is and how old it is and if I need to make a starter to wake the yeast up before brewing a new batch.

DoubleEgger

nolaegghead said:

Painters tape performs at a 10% level at sticking and removing without residue compared to cotton gaffer tape.   And it only costs 5x more so that's like 100% better.

I learn something new every day. 

northGAcock

I would....but I have so many

fishlessman

buy these, hang a note on a fridge door, hand a bag of chips on a fridge door

https://www.amazon.com/FINDMAG-100Pieces-Magnetic-Whiteboard-Refrigerator/dp/B077K364Z7/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_60_tr_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCF16JGB02AAVTDFSGAT

vb4677

• Freeze stuff for an hour or so before vac sealing. Then label & date each item with a Sharpie.
• Those 30 aluminum half sheet trays at Costco for like $6 are a true and holy gift from the BBQ Gods. Amen.
• Practice mise en place, as best you can.
• If you can swing it, get a 'complete' set of gear/kit.  For instance, if you get an Instant Pot, get the extra silicone ring, the extra insert, the gadgets you think you'll need to cook your stuff...
• Use your sharpening steel/ceramic.
• Get a bigger cutting board.  And juice grooves help.

vb4677

Griffin said:

GrateEggspectations said:

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

I do the same thing when I harvest yeast when I'm making beer. Store it in mason jars and right down the date it was harvested, what strand of yeast it is and how many times its been used. I've got like 10 jars of yeast in the garage/beer fridge and tis easy to lose track of what each one is and how old it is and if I need to make a starter to wake the yeast up before brewing a new batch.

Potential Hijack:  How do you harvest your yeast? Do you 'rinse' it?

I've either made an initial starter and saved some for later, or just caught it out of the fermentor and reused it for the same or similar beer...

But the reason I ask, is I had a lid really pop up on one of my Mason jars - in the fridge... so apparently there was some fermenting left to do...

GrateEggspectations

@vb4677: I’ll let it slide in light of the rippin’ Jerky recipe you kindly shared. 

vb4677

Also:

• Make sauces a day or two ahead of time (if possible).  They taste better.

Griffin

vb4677 said:

Griffin said:

GrateEggspectations said:

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

I do the same thing when I harvest yeast when I'm making beer. Store it in mason jars and right down the date it was harvested, what strand of yeast it is and how many times its been used. I've got like 10 jars of yeast in the garage/beer fridge and tis easy to lose track of what each one is and how old it is and if I need to make a starter to wake the yeast up before brewing a new batch.

Potential Hijack:  How do you harvest your yeast? Do you 'rinse' it?

I've either made an initial starter and saved some for later, or just caught it out of the fermentor and reused it for the same or similar beer...

But the reason I ask, is I had a lid really pop up on one of my Mason jars - in the fridge... so apparently there was some fermenting left to do...

I rinsed it once and it was a bigger pain than it was worth.

Now, I just leave a bit of wort in the fermenter when I rack it off to bottle. Swirl up the wort and pour it into sanitized mason jars. Don't seal the lids down all the way. I tighten them up, then back it off a bit. This allows some gas (CO2) to escape. Stick it in the fridge and a few days later, tighten them down. I suspect that's what happened to you. I've had one pop up before after it took it out on brew day and allowed it to come up to temp. I think I might have tightened the lid down as soon as I poured it in and didn't let it "gass" out in the fridge. I've never had one pop up in the fridge.

I brew 2.5 gallon batches and can usually fill up 4 8oz mason jars.

Botch

Most of us here make pizzas on our Eggs, so we must include here the most stunning, sublime, and succinct food preparation wisdom ever condensed into a mere 56 seconds.
 
https://youtu.be/nfxpwbWBNuU
 
I'm still left breathless, every time I see that.  

blasting

Botch said:

Most of us here make pizzas on our Eggs, so we must include here the most stunning, sublime, and succinct food preparation wisdom ever condensed into a mere 56 seconds.
 
https://youtu.be/nfxpwbWBNuU
 
I'm still left breathless, every time I see that.  

That's up there with they dude who washes his chicken with dishsoap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4KwNAG0DAw&t=11s

alaskanassasin

@nolaegghead I like your style but I can’t let that ride 
 electrical what?

alaskanassasin

Griffin said:

vb4677 said:

Griffin said:

GrateEggspectations said:

I’ll get the ball rolling....

Keep a Sharpie and painter’s tape in the kitchen drawer. Can label any and all items with date to keep tabs on how long it’s been in the fridge or freezer.

I do the same thing when I harvest yeast when I'm making beer. Store it in mason jars and right down the date it was harvested, what strand of yeast it is and how many times its been used. I've got like 10 jars of yeast in the garage/beer fridge and tis easy to lose track of what each one is and how old it is and if I need to make a starter to wake the yeast up before brewing a new batch.

Potential Hijack:  How do you harvest your yeast? Do you 'rinse' it?

I've either made an initial starter and saved some for later, or just caught it out of the fermentor and reused it for the same or similar beer...

But the reason I ask, is I had a lid really pop up on one of my Mason jars - in the fridge... so apparently there was some fermenting left to do...

I rinsed it once and it was a bigger pain than it was worth.

Now, I just leave a bit of wort in the fermenter when I rack it off to bottle. Swirl up the wort and pour it into sanitized mason jars. Don't seal the lids down all the way. I tighten them up, then back it off a bit. This allows some gas (CO2) to escape. Stick it in the fridge and a few days later, tighten them down. I suspect that's what happened to you. I've had one pop up before after it took it out on brew day and allowed it to come up to temp. I think I might have tightened the lid down as soon as I poured it in and didn't let it "gass" out in the fridge. I've never had one pop up in the fridge.

I brew 2.5 gallon batches and can usually fill up 4 8oz mason jars.

I have a 14 gallon cronical fermenator, is it as easy as dumping some of the trub/ yeast into a sterile mason jar leaving the lid loose (a couple days) and refrigerator? The beer forums are so intense! I always pitch a new yeast but I have always wanted to reuse

vb4677

@Griffin - I agree with the whole washing thing, too.  I've brewed a 'friendly' second beer and just kept the yeast cake in the fermentor and dumped the wort on top before.  But to @alaskanassasin point, I usually use new yeast each batch.  And just recently have I been saving those more unique or special yeasts like Belgians...

And sorry @GrateEggspectations for the hijack.

GrateEggspectations

@vb4677: Any hijack involving beer is a hijack I can endorse. No apologies necessary. 

Canugghead

Just before launching the pizza, lift one corner and blow under so it floats like a hovercraft momentarily. Works like a charm for me.

caliking

Deli tubs to store leftovers in the fridge. They’re stackable, take up less space than Pyrex, Tupperware, etc. and only one size/type of lid for every container. 

You can get an assortment of sizes on Amazon. Plus you can reuse the takeout containers from restaurants. 

nolaegghead

alaskanassasin said:

@nolaegghead I like your style but I can’t let that ride 
 electrical what?

It's filled with electrons, of course.

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

Just before launching the pizza, lift one corner and blow under so it floats like a hovercraft momentarily. Works like a charm for me.

Either you’re pulling our legs or you’re full of hot air - literally. 

Botch

GrateEggspectations said:

Canugghead said:

Just before launching the pizza, lift one corner and blow under so it floats like a hovercraft momentarily. Works like a charm for me.

Either you’re pulling our legs or you’re full of hot air - literally. 

Actually, this does work; just don't let your dinner guests see it.
If you use a wood peel and properly flour/'starch your pies, you won't need to do this (watch the guy in any pizzaria).  

MNEggerandStuff

nolaegghead said:

My tip is to use gaffer tape rather than painters tape.

gaffer tape is great for a more permanent label, but if you are reusing your canisters and putting in things that spoil in a few weeks, painters tape is the better option.