Slicing Bananas the Easy Way

What could be easier than slicing a banana?  Read on.

Slice off the stem end.

Peel three sides, leaving the upwardly curved side.

This is the upwardly curved side, still attached to the banana.

The attached peel keeps the slices in place.

You can also slice them in half, they are so well behaved.  Hold on to each end of the peel and move your sliced fruit to its final destination all together.  Neat and efficient.

Chunks can be cut the same way. 

Escort those chunks directly to the ziploc on the peel.

Remove peel, and store fruit in ziploc bags in freezer.  Great for smoothies and for baked goods.

Because barely-ripe bananas are the only ones I will eat, I freeze what I can't eat within hours of purchasing them.  Ripe bananas are worthless to me.  I can't even tolerate smoothies, banana bread or muffins made with ripe bananas.

Preparing Fresh Pineapple

Cut up your pineapple within two days of arriving home, while it is still fresh.  You can refrigerate or freeze what you don't need right away.  Begin by wrenching off the fibrous leaf cluster on the top.  Just grab and twist.

Holding the pineapple upright, slice clear though the middle.

Use a good sharp chef's knife, it must cut through a large, firm section of the fruit.

Cut the halves into quarters.

Remove the core, and discard, unless it is a very sweet juicy pineapple, the kiddies love to chew on these, and if they are not around, cook's treat.

Switching to a sharp paring knife, slice downward on the end of the pineapple, until you get to the outer layer of the fruit.

Run the paring knife all around the edges, cutting through the center of the section you are working on.

The fruit will now be ready to slice and dice.  Turn it on a flat side and cut into ribbons.

Dice by cutting across those juicy golden ribbons.

Scrape the rinds firmly with a spoon to get every last bit of goodness out of that pineapple.

Fresh pineapple is great as a side dish, grilled (leaving it quarters or eighths)   and of course it is amazing in fresh fruit salad.  Remember not to put it in jello, as an enzyme in pineapple prevents the jello from thickening.

Freshly diced pineapple takes Hawaiian Haystacks to a whole new level.

Effective "Short-Cut" for Grape Tomatoes

Grape tomatoes are easier to store than other types of tomatoes.  Uncut grape tomatoes can sit on your counter for at least a week, However, grape tomatoes are usually too large to eat in one bite.
 

These are almost the size of small plums.

Slicing each tomato in half is a tedious task.  Instead, place tomatoes on a small plate with a shallow rim..

Place an identical plate on top.  Using a sharp knife, begin slicing through the slot between the plates.

Keep a firm hand on top to keep those little red beauties where they belong.

Voila, when you remove the plate, they are all neatly sliced.  I have seen this basic idea all over Pinterest using plastic jar lids.  That may work for some, but I don't like the floppiness of the plastic lids.  It feels like you are slicing between two pieces of bread.  With the rigid plates, the tomatoes are sliced in one clean sweep.

Sliced grape tomatoes are great in scrambled eggs, salads, pitas, pastas, even sandwiches. 

Strawberries, Any Way You Slice Them

Strawberries are almost a universal favorite.

Fortunately, they are so delicious we don't mind the last minute prep work necessary for salads and desserts.

Stem the strawberries using a huller, or a knife.  Pictured are two different hullers.  They both work well.  The fancy strawberry one is more comfortable to hold in your hand.

A strawberry huller removes only the green!

Now you are ready to slice.

Using a good quality egg slicer, place the strawberries one by one on this "tiny mandoline slicer."  It is much quicker than hand slicing.

My two sisters and I once served fresh strawberry sauce on top of slices of cake for our nephew's wedding.  A whole flat of strawberries was sliced in a hour using this exact slicer, one by one.  Every bit of the 3-tiered cake was served, to about 250 people. 

I have had this slicer for 12 years.  Although a little banged up with wear, it still makes perfect cuts.

You can slice the strawberry sitting straight up in the slicer like these, or on their sides, so that the slices are round.  I think the upright cut resembles valentines.

There are commercial strawberry cutters on the market, too.  If the strawberry is too large to fit in this slicer, cut in half before using the cutter.

Either way, you have delicous strawberries to use in salads or desserts.  Yum!

Mushrooms: Preparing, Cutting and Storing

Mushrooms are delicious in so many ways, and yet perishable.  They are a better buy at the warehouse stores than at grocery stores, so go ahead and buy 2 pounds at a time.  Prepare them and freeze after they have been sauteed.

Wipe each mushroom gently with a dry kitchen towel to remove any debris.  Washing is not recommended because the mushrooms will absorb water very quickly under the tap.

Place on a good quality egg slicer. 

In a few seconds, about ten perfect slices of mushrooms appear.

Within minutes you have the entire two pounds of mushrooms ready for the frying pan.

Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil into the skillet, then add the mushrooms.  See how nicely they fit into the pan?

The delicious aroma will soon encourage you to stir as you go about your other kitchen duties.

When the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, cool them off the stove for a few minutes, then scoop them into sandwich bags.  This scoop measures 1/4 cup, a perfect size to add to your recipes

From the 2 pound Costco pack of mushrooms, the yield is 2 1/2 cups of sauteed lusciousness!

The 1/4 cup baggies of prepared mushrooms are perfect to add to scrambled eggs, soups, casseroles, sauces and stir frys.

Preparing Romaine Lettuce

I love the hearts of romaine packages available at the warehouses and at some grocery stores.  They add so much flavor to any green salad.  They are a great value.  Admittedly,  six heads of lettuce is a lot to deal with.

However the good intentions, how vivid the dreams of serving the family salads for lunch and dinner, those six heads can remain in the crisper,turning the lettuce into a nightmare.
 
The ruined abundance of bad lettuce drives people to purchase expensive specialty salads at the grocery store.  Incidentally, many of those prepared salads that come ready to serve four people, cost as much as the 6-head beauty pictured above!

An even worse scenario,  salad could be crossed off the menu!

Don't procrastinate.  Resolve to prepare the  lettuce as soon as you are home from shopping.

Remove the core with a knife, making two V-shaped cuts.

Holding the leaves together, wash the outer leaves thoroughly, then rinse the area where the core was removed.

Using a clean, empty dishwasher, spear each head upright in the upper rack to drain the lettuce.  There is plenty of room for all six heads.  Let it drain at least an hour, I have successfully left it for two.  You can continue putting groceries away while your lettuce is draining.

This method eliminates the need to use a salad spinner.  If you prefer a salad spinner, go right ahead.  (pardon the pun)

Lay two or three heads of the drained romaine parallel on your cutting board.  Slice lengthwise down the center of each one.

Holding the heads steady with your left arm, slice the lettuce across the other way.  You can put the lettuce, clean, dry and prepped, into gallon sized ziploc bags along with a paper towel.  These will stay quite well for about a week.  And it is easy to include salad often in your meals if you have the lettuce ready to eat.  In case you want to store the lettuce longer, here are directions for sealing them in canning jars:

You will need 4 half gallon size canning jars.  Place a half a paper towel in each jar.  They are easier to put in place if you push the squares into the jars using a long-handled spoon or small ladle.  

To fill the jars, use a canning funnel.

I like to put one whole head of romaine in one of the jars, just to have leaves on hand for hamburgers, sandwiches, or to finely slice for tacos, etc.  The other three jars will hold all five of the other heads.  Now for the sealing: 

Removing the oxygen keeps the lettuce fresh for a longer period of time.

Did you know a food saver sealer usually comes with an attachment that seals canning jars.?  Place the lid on top of the jar.  Do not use the ring while you are pumping air out of the jar.  Mine did not come with a sealer, but had an attachment built in.  We ordered the missing parts on Amazon.com,  The sealer comes in wide-mouth or regular size for canning jars.

It is worth finding space in your fridge for the luxury of lettuce ready-to-go.

Newsflash from the folks at FoodSaver:   
How to open a mason jar so that the lid can be reused
When opening a mason jar, wedge a spoon between the jar lid and the highest part of the threaded rim.  Twist gently to release the vacuum.  When opened this way, the mason jar lid can be reused many times.