Blanching is a process in which a vegetable or fruit is scalded in boiling hot salt water, after which it is immersed in an ice cold bath to stop the cooking process. Blanching is done to mainly stop the enzymes from causing loss of flavor, texture or color of the said fruit or vegetable. Corn can be frozen in two distinct ways, without blanching and after blanching. How to freeze corn without blanching? There are two ways in which you can preserve corn without compromising the corn cob. Whole corn cob freeze: This process is by far the easiest way to freeze corn which does not require any blanching. Three steps to follow include shucking the corn, stuffing it in a nice freezer bag and just directly plop it in the freezer. While this might be the most time-saving method, simple to follow, there are a few drawbacks of flash freezing corn. It will be difficult to use the kernels which won’t separate from the corn cob unless the entire cob is left to thaw at room temperature. Frozen kernels are difficult to extract from the cob which is why this time-saving method might end up costing you more time.

Cooking with kids involves both learning and playing. And as a parent this is a great opportunity for you to bond with your child. Preparing food with your kids is fun, but it can get quite challenging due to their high energy and never ending silly-sweet questions. So, before you introduce your child to the art of making food, there are few pointers that you should keep in mind. Safety Safety under any circumstance should be your priority. Before you start cooking with the kids, articulately guide them about the dos and don’ts so that there are no unfortunate accidents. If you kid is small, then keep her/him away from sharp knives, stoves and electrical appliances. Also keep a first aid box in handy to treat minor cuts and burns. Tasks Assign your child kitchen tasks based on their age and skills. Give them something extremely easy to start off with. So that they can positively enhance confidence in their culinary abilities. For instance, you can initially ask them to assist you with washing vegetables or adding simple ingredients in the mixture. Plan recipes with your kids It is important to be aware about your child’s interest and dislikes. So, ask your kid about what kind of foods does she/he fancy.

Baking is a super fun and indulging activity for both kids and adults. Be it as a hobby or as a profession, baking brings forth immense gratification. Here are a few quick and easy tips to make baking a wholesome experience and create irresistible baked goods. Readymade  The trick is to store some mixes and batter powders. If you want baking made easy, keeping some baking mixes, frozen or fresh mixed fruit, crumbs and chocolate chips is always the best idea. Keep the basics ready Baking becomes a lot easier when you all the essential ingredients ready at hand. Making a trip to the grocery store just to pick up a few ingredients can often put you off baking. Make sure you stock your kitchen with the most used items while baking, like flour, cocoa, baking powder/soda, butter, eggs and chocolate. This will help you whip up some basic desserts whenever you want. Preheat The first step of most baking recipes require you to preheat the oven. This is the most essential because it allows your cake batter or cookie dough to settle faster. The oven usually takes a lot of time to heat up, and waiting for it just to heat up isn’t something we’d want.

Customize Your Puff You always want you puff pastry to look its best, and taste even better. To avoid the middle of the pastry from rising as much as the edges, prick the surface using a fork. The pastry won’t lose its lightness, and will still be flaky. It just won’t have too many layers. You can always use two baking sheets, to make the puff pastry into flat pieces. This is good to make a napoleon. Finesse Your Fillings Soggy pastries aren’t the best pick. All you must do is keep in mind not to over weigh the pastry. Since these are fragile, don’t fill them in with too many ingredients or toppings that would release a lot of liquid. Try and avoid sticky fillings. As a thumb rule, always line your baking tray with butter paper that is greased or a silicone baking mat. Make It Shine Puff pastry that looks appetizing is always the best pick. To make your puff pastry shine, take a large egg, beat it slightly with a teaspoon of water. Add that glaze on your pastry. This glaze also prevents turnovers and acts as a glue. Press the layers together softly after simmering the glaze, it sticks better.