I use vegetable oil to prevent messes when I boil pasta, rice, etc. but I hate having to take the cap off the oil bottle to pour it into the boiling water. So I poured some into an old ketchup bottle. Now I just squirt a little whenever I need it, and it's so much easier.
By susan from Elkhart, IN
This page contains the following solutions.
Instead of buying cooking spray all the time, invest in a oil-sprayer. It's basically the same thing as the spray cans, except you can refill it with whatever oil you prefer.
Cooking oil in bottles is convenient, but it's time consuming to take the lid off and on when I'm cooking. I also frequently end up pouring more oil than I need to. In order to use less oil, I make a small hole in the plastic cap, then it's easier and faster to pour and then put the bottle back in the fridge.
To prevent cooking oil from messing up your shelves, simply cut the tops off of old socks and slip them on the oil bottles.
I was putting an empty drink enhancer bottle into recycling this morning and I had an idea. I hate walking the length of my kitchen to get some oil from the pantry.
Extra-virgin olive oil is full of health benefits, but loses a great deal of those when the oil is heated.
Dip a toothpick or a match (be sure it's made of wood!) in the hot oil. If it's ready for frying, there will be tiny bubbles around it as if the wood is "boiling". If it's not ready yet, try again. Each time you check, make sure to use a fresh piece of wood.
When I open a container such as cooking oil, I peel the seal on the bottle just enough to allow a trickle to flow. This prevents a huge splash of oil that was not part of the recipe.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I heard you can substitute apple sauce for oil but is there an oil that is better for us? I am a diabetic and so is my father, I like to make him pumpkin bread but it calls for 1 cup of oil. I use Splenda for the sugar.
You can use applesauce. You can buy applesauce that is sweetened with Splenda instead of sugar.
Kat, you can use applesauce for half the amount of oil and the best oil to use is canola. There is also a fairly new oil on the market 'Enova' that advertises less fat stored in the body.
Extra virgin olive oil (from the first pressing) is a healthy oil. It doesn't fry because it has a low burn point, but it's the one you want to use in salad dressings. I use it for baking and no one has ever noticed. There are other less flavorful olive oils, but they contain fewer beneficial ingredients.
It is healthier to use canola oil than regular vegetable oil. If you have a Walmart with the grocery section near you, this is the cheapest place to find canola oil.
Wet breads, pumpkin, banana etc. are PERFECT bread to subsitute applesauce (all) for oil. You can buy in the store, unsweetened applesauce, the ones with Splenda aren't necessary when you'll have the sweet of the Splenda and pumpkin. Also, I've heard that you can use Flaxseed Meal (ground flaxseed), try Bob's Red Mill or something like that, the popular bagged "natural food" section aisle. That would be a great addition (even if you didn't substitute for oil). I am a RNY patient, so I have to be careful with my sugar and oil, I've made many a bread with applesauce and splenda, especially the wet ones, they are great!
I often use cooked, mashed pumpkin in place of oil, so I can't figure out why your recipe calls for a whole cup. I agree with the others that applesauce is a great replacement, too. These work for quick breads, but not for cookies or pie crust, of course.
I am also a Diabetic and I use Canola Oil but as of yesterday,I started using Vegetable oil,because the Canola oil smells to high heaven when it gets really hot ,like for deep frying.I have Asthma really bad and the smell chokes me and I can't breathe,the Vegetable oil doesn't bother me.I use splenda in almost everything .whoever said that Canola oil is better for you than regular Vegetable oil ,should read the contents on a bottle of each.they're BOTH THE SAME
Extra virgin olive oil is what we use. It is a little more costly but healthier. When baking use applesauce makes it taste better too. Happy holidays
I have never heard of pumpkin bread is it the same as banana bread just substitue mashed pumpkin?
Please reply to gerrardsj @yahoo.ca
thanks
It all depends on what you mean by a 'better' oil. All oils have the same calories, but they do affect our health (i.e. cholesterol levels etc.) in different ways. Olive oil and Canola are two good choices (regular vegetable oil may not have the same levels of unsaturated fats - the healthier fats). If you're looking to reduce calories though, then you need to substitute the oil with something else.
I've always been wary of Canola Oil.... here is a link of information, and a comment of rebuttal... guess by whom???
www.snopes.com/
Tips for using cooking oil. Post your ideas.
Rinse out the old saline bottles used for rinsing contact lenses and fill with oil.
Saline is salt water!
This tip can be adapted to any household liquids to make savings. I like pump action bottles as you can use a measured amount. A bottle of washing up liquid lasts for ages if you transfer it to one of these. Shampoo, conditioner, bleach, sauces, etc., can also be measured out with these bottles - especially helpful for children to prevent accidental overuse.
Regards
Jo
Re Syd's recommendation to use contact lens solution bottles for cooking oil - there are other additives to saline and in some cases mercury has been added in the form of thimerosol!
As an additional comment - I buy the huge containers of oil (restaurant sized from Costco) and then pour into a 10 cup wide mouth measuring cup which I fill a moderate sized container and a small oil container. I haven't bought more oil in over a year and I still have tons left!!
You can also buy empty pump spray bottles at some beauty supply stores that have never had chemicals in them. You can wash with a mild soap and rinse well and dry out. Add your oil or olive oil, etc. This can replace the non-stick spray that costs so much.
Here is a tip concerning the big bottles of cooking oil. Rinse out a smaller container with some sort of pouring/squirting Spout and fill it with some of the cooking oil from the larger bottle. This way it is much easier to get just a tablespoon or whatever Without spilling and wasting extra. I use an old lemonade concentrate container and it works great!
By Cindy
we use old plastic ketchup bottles for the oil---works great.
I use an old syrup bottle. Works great and no spilling at all. :)
