In a Pickle

     In the most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine there was an article entitled "The Frugal Kitchen."  It contained lots of money saving interesting tips.  Today I'm going to pass along two of them for your consideration.

Instead of tossing out a jar of pickle juice after finishing the last spear, use the tangy liquid to make a new condiment.  Add thinly sliced onions to the juice and let them marinate in the refrigerator for a few days.  The drained pickled onions can be used as a topping for hot dogs and hamburgers or in salads.  This method also works well with the spicy juice from pickled peppers.

 

Unless you have used it to fry fish, don't throw away your leftover fry oil--you can use it three or four times.  Once the oil has cooled, filter it through a strainer lined with two or three layers of cheesecloth or paper coffee filters.  For short-term storage, store oils (leftover or new) in a cool, dark spot, since exposure to air and light makes oil turn rancid faster.  But for long-term storage (beyond one month), the cooler the storage temperature the better--we recommend the freezer.