Jalapeno Poppers and getting a thick crust?

Question

How can I make my batter stick to the outside of the jalapeno so it is thick? It seems every time I try a thicker batter it wont stick as well.

Asked by Brandon Clark

Answer

I have found that the problem with thicker batters not adhering to peppers generally is to do with the outer membrane protecting the flesh of the jalapeno. Essentially, you need to try to remove or weaken its effect.

You can minimize the effect of the membrane by:

• roasting the pepper, then steam in a brown paper bag and remove it
• scoring the membrane with a fork

Also, the pepper may have a decent layer of wax on it; this you can try to wash off with hot water and a thorough scrubbing.

Answered by mfg

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What does the refrigerator crisper compartment actually do?

Question

In most refrigerators you will be able to find a compartment for your vegetables and fruits. This compartment is called the crisper and it is supposedly able to keep your vegetables and fruits fresh longer.

How do these crispers keep the vegetables fresh longer? I personally don't really notice much of a different between storing the vegetables in the crisper compared to the rest of the refrigerator.

Does the crisper provide a better environment for your vegetables to last longer? And if so what qualities of this environment is doing this?

Answer

The crisper provides a somewhat enclosed environment, which prevents moisture from escaping as rapidly. Vegetables keep best at a certain humidity, higher than that typically found in the rest of the fridge, but not so high that condensation starts accumulating on them. Vegetables kept in too-dry air in the rest of the fridge will tend to dry out and shrivel up faster; those kept in the crisper will retain their water and texture better, keeping them crisp.

Leafy vegetables are also much more prone to drying out, since they have much more surface area, while hardier vegetables with a decent skin on them (like bell peppers) don't dry out nearly as quickly. Fruits benefit somewhat from this as well, but don't generally need as high a humidity as vegetables.

Some crisper drawers have little sliders on them which vary the size of the opening to the rest of the fridge, letting you vary the amount of circulation and therefore the humidity; you can adjust this to suit what you tend to store in the drawer. If you have two crisper drawers, both adjustable, then it might be a good idea to put fruit and hardier vegetables in one, and more vulnerable vegetables in the other.

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How should I boil green beans to keep them crisp?

Question

I just pulled fresh Blue Lake Bush green beans from my garden, snapped the ends and wanted to boil them, while keeping then crisp. How should I boil them so they are cooked through, but not limp?

Answer

You shouldn't cook more than a few minutes, and should cool them as quickly as possible afterwards. Ideally, you'll be blanching them, and here's how:

1. Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt in it to a roiling boil
2. Dump beans in, and cook for a few minutes
3. Check that beans are fully cooked (time will vary by variety and ripeness of beans)
4. Strain beans, and IMMEDIATELY transfer to an prepared ice water bath to cool as fast as possible

This ensures beans are precisely cooked, but do not have a chance to over-cook, and using the ice water helps them retain color and flavor.

It's how we get deliciously crisp haricot vert (French green beans) at the restaurant I work for. Note that cooking times and crispness will also vary based on the variety and age at which the beans were picked.

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Freshly ground coffee, how fresh should it be?

Question

I 'know' that freshly ground coffee is the best there is (within the quality of the beans, that is).

The question is whether this is true. Freshly ground coffee smells great, but does that affect the flavor after brewing? How long do these volatile flavors or smells last before the coffee goes 'stale'.

Can anybody (experts) taste the difference between freshly ground and brewed or not so freshly ground coffee? If so, what differences can be observed?

Edit as per talon8's link:

• Freshly ground: brighter acidity, richest flavor.
• 9 hours: very similar to the freshly-ground coffee, although a bit mellower; less “bright” notes.
• 24 hours: some of the fruity flavors have faded; a bit less flavor in general.
• 7 days: duller, significantly less flavor overall.

To the people that notice the difference in taste, do you agree with these observations?

Answer

Posted as answer by request of @BaffledCook:

Here's an slightly informal blog post outlining changes in taste between varying degrees of freshness in the grind of a coffee.

http://investigationsblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/do-i-really-have-to-grind-coffee-right-before-brewing-it/

The short version is that the coffee starts losing freshness as soon as it is ROASTED. The longer it sits the faster it goes stale. The more surface area it has (ie: you've ground it up; also, the finer the grind), the faster it goes stale. The more you expose it to air, the faster it goes stale. So, seal your coffee in an air tight container at room temperature. And grind as close to the time you add water to it as possible.

How much of a difference detected depends on the the actual coffee been, the roast, the taster's taste buds. If you buy a bean that's been sitting on the shelf for 3 months already, you will probably notice less of a difference than a bean that was roasted last week. I buy beans that are roasted and sold within a week, and I DO notice a difference if I leave the grounds for a day or two before drinking.

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Fresh mussels, or are they?

Question

I bought and cooked these mussels today. I'd like to know if there is anything wrong with the left hand mussel. Is the color, size an indicator for freshness? I'm guessing it was 'captured' (OK, collected) longer ago than the one on the right.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a batch that came out like the one on the right.

Answer

Captured longer ago or not, should not make a difference. When you buy mussels, they are still alive. You can check this by trying to open one. Normally, this isn't an easy task. (Sometimes, their shells can open/close when opening the package in which they came in.)

The left hand mussel doesn't look tasty, but there really is nothing wrong with it. It's just a smaller size mussel. If you buy bigger mussels (e.g. Jumbo), you shouldn't have many of those in it.

As for the colour: a lot of people think this is a matter of sex. Males are white, females are orange. However, this isn't true. The difference in colour is a genetic one, it's the quantity of pigment a specific mussel has. The difference in colour doesn't make a difference in taste or texture.

Shortly: that mussel on the left hand side is okay to eat.

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How long should I boil green beans to get them crisp?

Question

I just pulled fresh Blue Lake Bush green beans from my garden, snapped the ends and wanted to boil them until they are crisp. How long should I boil them so they are cooked through, but not limp?

Answer

You shouldn't cook more than a few minutes, and should cool them as quickly as possible afterwards. Ideally, you'll be blanching them, and here's how:

1. Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt in it to a roiling boil
2. Dump beans in, and cook for a few minutes
3. Check that beans are fully cooked (time will vary by variety and ripeness of beans)
4. Strain beans, and IMMEDIATELY transfer to an prepared ice water bath to cool as fast as possible

This ensures beans are precisely cooked, but do not have a chance to over-cook, and using the ice water helps them retain color and flavor.

It's how we get deliciously crisp haricot vert (French green beans) at the restaurant I work for. Note that cooking times and crispness will also vary based on the variety and age at which the beans were picked.

Check more discussion of this question.