Tips worth discussing

[navlys]

I just heard of a tip I want to try and see if anyone has tried this. Often I find that my onion powder and garlic powder harden over a short period of time. Someone suggested using those little desiccant packets found in medicine bottles. They prevent the powders from drying up. One tip that I know works is wrapping celery in foil keeps it fresh longer. This works for cucumbers too. Keeping mushrooms in a small paper bag seems to extend their life. That's all I have,

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[Mike Nolan]

My mother always kept grains of rice in table salt and onion salt. I don't recall if she had garlic salt in the pantry.

[chocomouse]

I use grains of rice in my salt jars. I suspect that would work well in other dried spices/powders, such as garlic.

[cwcdesign]

I'm not sure I would put those packs of desiccant in my food. They have warnings all over them.

I haven't figured out a way to keep my garlic and onion powders from hardening up. Back in Massachusetts we lived by the water and always filled our salt containers with rice because the moisture from the salt water was really high, especially in the summer. Since I've been using kosher salt, I haven't had that issue and I still live near marshes and the ocean. The humidity is much worse, but it's different - I can't explain why.

[BakerAunt]

When we cleared out my husband's parents' home after they passed away, we emptied saltshaker after saltshaker, and each one contained a few grains of rice.

My garlic powder, onion powder, Penzey's Mural of Flavor and their Sunny Paris will cake, but I just open the jar and use a thin butter knife to break it all up. What I really hate is when the espresso powder cakes, as it is difficult to break up. I sometimes put it in the coffee grinder. None of this was a problem when we lived in Texas, with its dry climate, but I do like living in an area with some humidity, although admittedly not the humidity we have had this summer.

To keep cabbage that I buy at the farmers market fresher for longer, I wrap it tightly in saran and store in the refrigerator.

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