Anytime we all make gravy, there's always the issue or thought of not wanting to have any lumps in it from the flour. For many years, it was just stir or whisk them away, but that's a lot of extra stirring, and sometimes there's still even lumps left.
This method takes 3-5 (seconds), and then you're *guaranteed* your gravy or sauces will come out "lump-less" every time!
The first picture is a little jar I use, and, any jar can be used. Actually, the bigger the jar, the easier it is to shake up. I just like this little one, because it doesn't take up any room in the cupboard.
Put in your water or milk, then add your flour and shake it for a few seconds.
I put in 2 heaping tsp, and it's such a cinch to mix.
In the last picture I'm showing how absolutely (smooth) the flour and water are that you're adding to thicken gravy. This took about 4 seconds to get the flour and water silky smooth.
I'm just pouring it into a bowl here after shaking it for 4 seconds for "demo" sake, as pouring the flour and water mix from the jar is what you'd pour into your pan with meat drippings or use for sauces to thicken them.
That's all there is to it, and you'll never have lumps again!
Source: My inspiration is my mom and her cooking
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Fabulous tip! Nothing bugs me more on my plate than lumps in my sauce :o Thumbs up!
I'm so glad you like this tip. It works so well, you'll never stir or wisk again to have lump-less anything, :)
My mom, when I was a kid, use to "heat milk" as she thought that was the way to keep gravies and sauces smooth by adding flour to the heated liquid, but, later on told me she's got it, shake it in a jar, and that was the way, no lumps ever again. :)
Do you brown the flour in the pan juices first? then pour in the jar of liquid?
Hi (anonymous)
I want to answer your question here, which was :
Do you brown the flour in the pan juices first?
No need to do that.
Just put a tsp of flour into a jar with 1/4 cup of water, or 1/2 cup of water, and shake that up. What the shaking it in the jar first is for, is so that you can thicken your pan juices "without having any lumps" to stir out when it goes into your pan juices. Just add the flour and water mixture very slowly to your hot skillet juices, and as it thickens, you'll see whether you need 'more flour' or more water to make your gravy just right-which you can adjust that in the jar.
The flour mixed with the water in the jar, then shaken, is to rid any flour lumps you'd get by just adding flour to your skillet, and is just to thicken what's in your skillet or pan.
Anonymous,
I don't know that you could brown the flour in the pan juices. If the juice was mostly liquid, the flour wouldn't brown. The residue would have to be mostly grease in order to brown the flour.
I suppose you could brown the flour in the grease and after it had cooled a bit, turn it into a glass jar to which the other liquids had been added.
I have used suz1230's method many times (for certain roux) and it works very well. For the most part, I prefer to have my flour lightly toasted as it takes away any starchy taste.
Other than what I suggested above, I know of no way to get the flour browned. I experiment a lot. Years ago, I decided to make a large batch of pre mixed gravy powder.
I toasted a couple cups of flour in an iron skillet. When it cooled, I added salt and pepper. I sealed it in a glass jar and put it in the fridge. When time to make gravy, all I had to do was spoon some into a plastic jar to which liquids, water, milk, sherry, etc, had been added, seal with a tight fitting lid and shake.
Was I ever very disappointed when I found out that 'pre toasted' flour looses all it's thickening power.
If you're like me and prefer your gravy or sauce made with lightly toasted or browned flour, you might want to brown your flour in the pan drippings then employ 30-60 seconds of elbow grease and whistle while you whisk.
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