| How to Store Boiled Eggs Posted: 28 May 2020 05:00 PM PDT Hard-boiled eggs are quick, tasty, and nutritious treats. Eggs are a great source of protein and other nutrients, and hard-boiled eggs can be a convenient snack or light meal. It is important to correctly store eggs to ensure they are fresh and safe to eat. Refrigerating, freezing, and pickling are all methods that will help you to safely store your hard-boiled eggs while maintaining their delicious flavor. [Edit]Refrigerating Hard-Boiled Eggs - Place eggs in cold water immediately after boiling. After they have cooled, dry the eggs with a paper towel and refrigerate immediately. This will help to prevent bacteria and other contagions from growing on the eggs.[1]
- Refrigerate all eggs within 2 hours of boiling. If possible, place the eggs in the refrigerator as soon as they have cooled.[2]
- If the eggs are not refrigerated immediately, they can become dangerous to eat. Warmer temperatures make the egg more vulnerable to bacteria such as salmonella. Discard any eggs that have sat out for two or more hours.
- Keep the eggs refrigerated until you are ready to serve them. If the eggs remain out of the refrigerator for over 2 hours, you should discard them.
- Refrigerate unpeeled hard-boiled eggs. Keeping eggs in their shells will help to prevent the egg from deteriorating; place hard-boiled eggs that still have their shells back in the egg carton, or in a sealed container. Store the hard-boiled eggs on a refrigerator shelf.[3]
- Don't store hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator door. The repeated opening and closing of the door can cause temperature changes, causing the eggs to rot more quickly.
- Keep hard-boiled eggs away from foods with strong odors. Eggs will absorb the flavors and aromas of nearby items. Keep foods such as garlic or cheese away from the hard-boiled eggs to prevent a change in flavor.[4]
- Refrigerate peeled hard-boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water. Peeled hard-boiled eggs may dry out. Placing them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator will help to keep them moisturized, and also help to ensure they stay at a constant, cool temperature.[5]
- Change the water daily. Replacing the water every day will keep the eggs fresh as well as help to keep contaminants out of the water and the eggs.
- Alternately, place peeled eggs in a sealed container. Do not add water to this container, but place damp paper towels over the eggs. This will help them to stay fresh and not dry out. Change the damp paper towels daily.
- Use the hard-boiled eggs within one week. Whether they have been peeled or not, hard-boiled eggs will stay fresh for a maximum of 5-7 days. If they are kept longer, they may begin to rot and be dangerous to eat.[6]
- Boiled eggs go bad much quicker than raw eggs; the most obvious sign that a hard-boiled egg has gone bad is a sulfurous, rotten odor. If it is still in its shell, you may have to crack it open in order to detect any bad smell.[7]
- A gray or green yolk does not necessarily indicate that the egg has rotted. The color of the yolk is usually the result of how long the egg was boiled. If eggs are boiled too long, the yolk may turn green or gray.
[Edit]Freezing Hard-Boiled Eggs - Freeze only the cooked yolks of hard-boiled eggs. These can be used as garnishes or toppings for salads and other dishes. Freezing the entire hard-boiled egg is not recommended as the egg whites will become rubbery and tough. The thawing process might also cause the egg to become discolored.[8]
- Write the date on the container or freezer bag; this will make it easy to track how long the egg yolks have been in the freezer, ensuring that you use the eggs within the 3-month time frame.
- Place the hard-boiled egg yolks in a sealed container or freezer bag. After boiling, peel the eggs, remove the yolks, and package.
- The yolks should be frozen immediately after the eggs have been boiled. This will help lower the risk of the yolks becoming contaminated.
- Consider separating the yolks before boiling. Many people find it easier to separate the yolks and the whites before boiling.That way the yolks can later be frozen,and the whites can be used in other dishes, such as chocolate mousse.[9]
- If boiling the yolks only, place the yolks in a saucepan, then cover with enough water to cover the yolks. Quickly bring the water to boiling. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it stand for 11-12 minutes. Remove the yolks with a slotted spoon and drain them well before placing them in the freezer bag or container.[10]
- Use the frozen egg yolks within 3 months for best quality. If the egg yolk has an unpleasant aroma, discard it as it has probably gone bad.[11]
[Edit]Pickling Hard-Boiled Eggs - Sterilize the jars in the oven. Canning jars are the easiest containers for pickling eggs. They can be ordered online or bought at kitchen-supply stores. They are designed to seal tightly, preventing any contaminants from entering the jar. It is important that the canning jars are sterile to prevent the risk of disease.[12]
- Wash the jar in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Then place the jars on a cookie sheet in the oven at for 20-40 minutes.
- The eggs and pickling brine should be added as soon as the jars are removed from the oven.
- Boil and peel the eggs. Place the eggs in a pan and add cool water. There should be about of water over the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let the eggs simmer in the water for 14 minutes. If you are using extra-large eggs, let them simmer for 17 minutes. [13]
- When they are done simmering, rinse the eggs with water to cool them down. Then remove the shells to prepare the eggs to be pickled.
- Prepare the brine. For ideal results, add the brine as quickly as possible.[14]
- A basic pickling recipe uses water, distilled white vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove, pickling spice, and 1 bay leaf.[15]
- To prepare the brine, mix the water, vinegar, and pickling spice in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil. Mix in the bay leaf and the garlic. Turn down the heat and let the brine simmer for 10 minutes.
- Place the eggs and the brine in the sterilized jar and seal tightly. Immediately place the jars into the refrigerator. The eggs will need to be refrigerated in the brine for 1-2 weeks before they are ready to be eaten.[16]
- A jar will hold about 12 medium-sized hard-boiled eggs.[17]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Canning jar
- Distilled white vinegar
- Bay Leaf
- 1 garlic clove
- Pickling spice
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Care for a Fig Tree Posted: 28 May 2020 09:00 AM PDT The fig tree, also known as Ficus carica, is a hardy tree that produces sweet fruit, called figs. Fig trees aren't difficult to grow, but they can pose a challenge if you don't plant them in the right conditions or give them enough water. By following a few simple rules, you can keep your fig tree looking healthy and green. [Edit]Planting Your Fig Tree - Choose a sunny spot to plant your fig tree. Fig trees need a lot of direct sunlight to thrive. Pick any spot in your yard that gets year-round sunlight. Make sure there aren't any nearby trees or structures that will block the sun from reaching your fig tree.[1]
- Plant your fig tree in a large plastic container if you live in a cold climate. If temperatures drop below , fig trees buried in the ground may struggle to survive. Planting your fig tree in a plastic container will help shelter it from the cold. Use a large plastic patio container relative to the size of your fig tree.[2]
- If you do plant your fig tree in a plastic container, make sure you have somewhere sunny to put it.
- Plant your fig tree in a hole the size of the container it came in. Dig the hole so it's as round and deep as the container.[3] After you dig the hole, remove the fig tree from the container and set the roots into the hole. Then, fill the hole in with soil. Pack the soil down with your hands.[4]
- Plant your fig tree in well-draining soil. Figs are hardy trees that can grow in most kinds of soil, as long as the soil has good drainage.[5] Look for soil that contains sand, and avoid soil with a lot of clay in it.[6]
- Mulch the soil around your fig tree with of compost. The compost will help the soil around your fig tree retain water. Do this whether your fig tree is planted in the ground or planted in a container.[7]
- Repot your fig tree every 3-5 years if it's planted in a container. Repot your fig tree during the winter. To repot your tree, remove about one-quarter of the soil in the pot. Then, pull your fig tree up out of the pot and cut away the large roots on the outside of the clump of roots. Place your fig tree back in the same pot and fill it in with soil. Pack the soil down with your hands.[8]
[Edit]Watering Your Fig Tree - Water your fig tree when the top of soil is dry. Fig tree roots grow close to the surface of the soil, so it's important that you water the soil around your fig tree whenever it looks dry. Check the soil at least once a week to see if your fig tree needs more water.[9]
- Give your fig tree about of water with each watering. Completely soak the soil around your fig tree. If you're not sure what of water looks like, get a bucket and fill it up with water. Then, pour the bucket of water over the soil around your fig tree.[10]
- Water your fig tree more if it's wilting or turning yellow. These are signs that your fig tree isn't getting enough water. If your fig tree exhibits these symptoms, increase the number of times you water it each week and see if that stops the wilting and discoloration.[11]
[Edit]Fertilizing Your Fig Tree - Fertilize your tree weekly with liquid fertilizer while fruit is growing on it. When you notice the fruit, apply a liquid fertilizer to the soil surrounding your fig tree. Use a liquid fertilizer that's high in potassium. Once you've harvested all the fruit on your fig tree, stop fertilizing it weekly.[12]
- You can use tomato plant fertilizer to fertilize your fig tree.
- Fertilize your tree weekly during spring and summer if it's in a container. Container-grown fig trees need more fertilizer to keep the limited supply of soil healthy. Rotate each week between a liquid fertilizer that's high in potassium and a general fertilizer. Add the fertilizer directly to the soil in the container.[13]
- Avoid fertilizing your fig tree more than necessary. Giving your fig tree too much fertilizer can cause excessive leaf growth. The extra growth will take energy away from the fruit on the tree, which can negatively impact your harvest. Only fertilize your fig tree once you notice fruit growing on it, or throughout the spring and summer if it's planted in a container. [14]
[Edit]Harvesting Your Fig Tree - Wait until the figs on your fig tree are ripe before you harvest them. You'll know they're ripe when they're drooping down from the branches they're growing off of. If a fig is still perpendicular to the branch it's growing off of, it's not ripe. Keep in mind that not all of the figs on your fig tree will ripen at the same time.[15]
- The figs on your fig tree should be ripe around late summer or early fall.[16]
- Use your hands to pick the ripened figs off your fig tree. Search the branches of your fig tree for a ripened fig. When you find one, grab it by the thin stem connecting the fig to the branch. Then, gently pull the stem away from the branch until it breaks off.[17]
- Carry a basket with you as you're harvesting your fig tree so you have something to put the figs in as you pick them off the tree.
- Put bird netting over your fig tree if birds are eating your figs. Wrap the netting over the branches of your fig tree and tie it off around the trunk. When you're ready to harvest some of your figs, untie the netting and lift it off the tree. When you're finished harvesting, put the netting back over your fig tree.[18]
- You can find bird netting online or at your local gardening center.
[Edit]Preventing and Treating Common Diseases - Spray your fig tree with neem oil to get rid of fig rust. Fig rust is a fungus that causes the leaves on fig trees to turn yellow and fall off. If you see signs of fig rust on your tree, spray neem oil over the roots and leaves once a week until the leaves stop yellowing and dropping.[19]
- Remove any leaves that show signs of having leaf blight. Leaf blight is a fungus that affects fig trees. Symptoms of the fungus include moist yellow spots, small holes in the leaves, and webs of fungus underneath the leaves. If you see signs of leaf blight, remove the infected leaves and dispose of them in the trash so the fungus doesn't spread.[20]
- Cut off branches that have a pink and white coating on them. This could be a sign that your fig tree is infected with a fungus called pink blight. It's important that you cut off infected branches so the fungus doesn't spread and kill your fig tree.[21]
- You can help prevent pink blight by removing a third of the smaller branches on your tree so it gets better air circulation.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make a Candle With Essential Oils Posted: 28 May 2020 01:00 AM PDT Making candles at home allows you to choose the scent and appearance of your candles. Craft stores sell scents specifically for candle-making, but you can also scent your candles with essential oils. The trick to using essential oils is adding the oils when the wax is hot, but not so hot that the oils evaporate. Because soy wax has a lower melting point than other types of wax and melts easily in the microwave, it is an ideal wax to use to make a candle with essential oils. [Edit]Melting and Coloring the Wax - Cover your work surface with newspaper. Wax splatters are difficult to clean, and even if you manage to scrape them off, there may still be some residue. Make cleaning easier later on by covering your counter with some newspaper.[1]
- You can also use other protective coverings, such as plastic bags, paper bags, or plastic tablecloths.
- Choose a glass or metal container for your candle. Tin cans, old tea tins, and mason jars are all great choices here. Make sure that whatever container you choose can withstand heat. Even though the flame won't be directly touching the material, it will still get hot.
- Wash the container with warm, soapy water, even if it looks clean.
- Old candle jars are another great option. Be sure to remove all of the old wax first, however.
- If you are using a mason jar, choose one that has a wide mouth; it will be easier to work with than the kind with the standard, narrow mouth.
- Measure your wax flakes with your container, then double it. Place a bowl on a kitchen scale, then use your chosen container to measure out 2 portions of wax flakes. Wax will shrink as it melts, so you will need to use twice the amount that your container holds.
- Cans and jars come in all shapes and sizes, so there is no set weight that you should use.
- Soy wax flakes are the most popular and easiest to work with, but you can use others too, such as beeswax.
- Weigh your wax using a kitchen scale. This will help you figure out how much essential oil to use. Keep in mind that different types of waxes may require different ratios of wax to essential oil, so double-check the instructions that came with your wax.
- Melt the wax and heat it to about . Use a candle-making or candy-making thermometer to gauge the temperature. Double-check the instructions that came with your wax to find out exactly what temperature it should be heated to, as different kinds of wax have different melting points.
- Microwave: put the wax into a glass measuring cup, then heat it at 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melts.[2]
- Stove: Fill a pot with a of water, then set a metal pitcher into it. Add the wax to the pitcher, and bring the water to a boil. Stir the wax often as it melts.[3]
- Add color to the wax, if desired. There are 2 ways that you can do this. The professional way would be to add some pieces of candle-making dye. It comes in little bricks, which you can get at a craft store or online. Continue heating the wax until the dye melts and blends in completely.[4]
- Alternatively, you can add in some crayon shavings instead.[5]
[Edit]Adding the Wick - Place a drop of hot wax into the bottom of your container. Take some of the wax you just melted, and place a drop into the bottom of your container. Alternatively, you can use a drop of hot glue or super glue instead.
- Be prepared to work quickly, as the hot wax or hot glue will set up fast.
- If you don't have spare candles or a hot glue gun on hand, place a piece of double-sided tape against the bottom of your tabbed wick.
- Press a tabbed wick into the wax. You can buy tabbed candle wicks in the candle aisle of a craft store and online. They look like long candle wicks with small, metal disks on the bottom. Tuck the wick into the container, then use your finger or a stick to press the tab against the hot wax or hot glue.[6]
- Don't worry if the wick is too long for the container. You will cut it at the very end. If you cut it now, it won't stick up straight in the wax.
- Wrap the wick around a stick, then set the stick on top of the container. Take a stick of some sort; it can be a pen, chopstick, pencil, or even a paintbrush. Wrap the end of the wick around your stick until the stick hits the rim of the container. This will help hold the wick upright.[7]
- If the wick starts to unravel, secure it to the stick with a clothespin or a binder clip.
- Wrap the wick tightly enough so that it stands up as straight as possible inside the container.
- Wait about 5 minutes for the wick to set. Hot glue will need about 2 to 3 minutes to harden. If you used super glue or double-sided tape, then you don't need to wait at all.
- If you don't wait for the wax or hot glue to set, the wick may move as you are pouring the wax.
[Edit]Scenting and Pouring the Wax - Let the wax cool to about . Use a candy-making or candle-making thermometer to gauge the temperature as the wax cools. The wax may already have cooled down to this temperature while you prepared the jar. If it didn't, then just wait a few more minutes.
- This is very important; if you add the oils to the wax too soon, the heat will cause them to burn off resulting in a less-fragrant candle.
- Stir in your desired essential oils. You can use just 1 type of essential oil, or you can mix-and-match difference oils to create a more unique fragrance. How much you add is up to you, but plan on using about 1/2 ounce (15 mL) of essential oil per 1 pound (454 g) of candle wax flakes.[8]
- You can use more or less oil. Keep in mind that the scent will weaken a little once the candle hardens.[9]
- Pour the wax slowly into the container. Don't pour quickly, or you'll get bubbles and wax splatters. Leave about of the container unfilled. If you fill it all the way to the top, the wax may drip down the sides of the container when you light the candle.
- Be sure to save the excess wax. You can use it to fill in any dips or wells in the finished candle.
- Let the candle harden on the counter or in the fridge. As it hardens, the wax will turn from clear to opaque once again. Depending on the type of wax you used, this will be either white, ivory, or yellow.[10]
- It will take at least 4 hours on the counter, but it may take as long as 6 or 8. It shouldn't take longer than 1 hour in the fridge, however.
- Reheat the excess wax and use it to fill any wells, if needed. If your candle dried with a well in the middle, melt the leftover wax, then pour it into the well to fill it. Let the wax cool before moving on.
- Let any leftover wax harden and cool, then discard it into the trash. Never pour hot wax down the drain.[11]
- Trim the wick down to about . Unravel the wick first, then cut it with a pair of scissors down to about . This will help prevent the flame from becoming too big and creating too much smoke.[12]
- You will need to trim the wick down each time before you use the candle.
- You can buy candy-making or candle-making thermometers online or in craft stores.
- Fragrance oils are not the same thing as essential oils; they are synthetic while essential oils are the real deal and come from plants and herbs.[13]
- There will still be some loss of fragrance due to heat of the wax. This is unavoidable because the wax must be melted in order to mix in the oil.[14]
- You can use cheaper essential oil from the craft store, but it may be synthetic and not have any of the beneficial properties of genuine essential oil.[15]
- Some essential oils hold up better to heat than others, such as lavender, lemongrass, and patchouli.[16]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Heat-safe tin or jar
- Soy wax flakes
- Glass measuring cup
- Wooden spoon
- Essential oil
- Tabbed candle wick
- Stick
- Scissors
- Candy-making or candle-making thermometer
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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