CookClear: clear, tested answers to everyday cooking questions

Three glass jars of chicken broth on a table beside fresh vegetables

How Many Days Does an Opened Carton of Chicken Broth Stay Good?

An opened carton of chicken broth is good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, according to the USDA, as long as it stays at 40°F or colder. If you won't finish it in that window, freeze it, and it will keep good quality for 2 to 3 months.

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Just Off the Stove

Hands holding a smooth ball of risen pizza dough over a floured surface

How Can You Tell Pizza Dough Has Risen Enough and Is Ready to Stretch?

Glass jar of solid white coconut oil with a wooden spoon

Will Coconut Oil Work Instead of Vegetable Oil in Muffins and Cakes?

Bowl of steamed white rice in a white and blue ceramic bowl

Does Cooked Rice Freeze Well, or Does It Turn Mushy When Reheated?

Dark thin metal baking tray resting flat on a kitchen counter

What Makes Baking Sheets Warp in a Hot Oven, and Can You Prevent It?

Bowl of soft, creamy scrambled eggs next to a slice of toasted bread

Why Do Scrambled Eggs Turn Dry, and How Do You Keep Them Soft?

Plastic measuring cup with printed markings on a wooden table

How Many Milliliters Is a Cup, and Is the US Cup vs Metric Cup Gap Real?

Ripe strawberries with green caps packed in a clear plastic clamshell

Is There a Reliable Way to Pick Sweet Strawberries Before You Buy?

Blue glass bowl of mangoes in green, yellow and red, some with dark freckles

What's the Surest Way to Tell If a Mango Is Ripe When the Color Lies?

A bare black cast iron skillet with a long handle on a plain white background

What Happens If Your Cast Iron Skillet Goes Through the Dishwasher?

Cooking Times

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Herb crusted baked salmon fillet resting on parchment paper after cooking

When Is Baked Salmon Done If You Don't Own a Meat Thermometer?

Roast butternut squash wedges with browned, caramelized edges spread on a baking tray

How Long Does Butternut Squash Take to Roast Until It's Caramelized?

Sliced cooked chicken breast served with rice and salad in a bowl

What Baked Chicken Breast Temperature and Time Keep It From Drying Out?

Substitutes

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Wooden honey dipper resting on a plate with a pool of golden honey

How Much Honey Do You Use Instead of Sugar When Baking at Home?

Slice of layered lasagna covered in red sauce on a white plate

What Ricotta Substitute Can Go in Lasagna If You Don't Like Ricotta?

Baked chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes covered in brown gravy on a plate

Out of Cornstarch? What Substitute Will Thicken Your Gravy or Sauce?

Food Storage

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Bunch of very ripe bananas with brown speckled peels on a table

Can You Freeze Bananas for Banana Bread Even After They Turn Black?

Halved hard boiled eggs peeled and showing firm yellow yolks on a plate

Should You Store Hard Boiled Eggs Peeled or With the Shell Left On?

Bowl of fresh strawberries and blueberries sitting on a table

Is It Better to Wash Berries Before the Fridge or Right Before Eating?

Kitchen Tools

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An Instant Pot electric pressure cooker with its lid on and control panel facing front

What Triggers the Instant Pot Burn Message Even With Plenty of Liquid?

Your Instant Pot reads the pot floor, not the total liquid. Thick sauces, starch, or stuck fond on the bottom trigger Burn even when the pot is half full.

Blender jar filled with frozen fruit and other smoothie ingredients ready to blend

What Stops a Blender From Leaving Frozen Fruit Chunks in Smoothies?

Chunks usually mean an air pocket over the blade. Add liquid first, use at least 1/4 cup per cup of solids, start on low, then ramp up to high speed.

A tray of golden pastries baking inside a home oven

Is Your Oven Running Hot or Heating Unevenly, and How Do You Test It?

Put an oven thermometer on the middle rack, set 350°F, and read it after 30 to 40 minutes. More than 25°F off means it runs hot or cold. Toast maps hot spots.

Techniques

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Seasoned broccoli florets and potato chunks spread on a gray sheet pan before roasting

Why Do Roasted Vegetables Turn Soggy Instead of Browned and Crisp?

Fried egg sitting over separate grains of rice in a black pan

What Keeps Fried Rice From Turning Mushy and Sticking Together?

Sliced loaf of brown homemade bread on a wooden board showing the crumb

Why Does Homemade Bread Come Out Dense Instead of Light and Airy?

Measurements & Conversions

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Start here

Are There 8 Ounces in a Cup for Both Liquid and Dry Ingredients?

A US cup holds 8 fluid ounces. Fluid ounces measure volume, not weight, so a cup of flour weighs about 4 1/4 ounces while a cup of sugar weighs about 7.

Clear glass liquid measuring cup with printed ounce markings resting on a white plate

Picking Produce

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Close view of fresh asparagus spears with tightly closed, pointed tips and smooth green stalks

Which Signs Mean Asparagus, Broccoli and Green Beans Are Fresh?

Whole ripe cantaloupe with tan netting beside two cut halves showing orange flesh and seeds

Which Clues Point to a Ripe Cantaloupe Before It Goes in Your Cart?

Pick a ripe cantaloupe by its stem end: a smooth, clean scar means full slip. Then check for tan background color, a sweet smell and a heavy feel for its size.

Pile of striped watermelons at a store with a few cut open to show red flesh

What Should You Check to Pick a Ripe Watermelon That Tastes Sweet?

Pick a ripe watermelon by finding a creamy yellow field spot, a melon heavy for its size, and a firm, even rind. It won't ripen after picking, so choose well.

CookClear: clear, tested answers to everyday cooking questions

How Many Days Does an Opened Carton of Chicken Broth Stay Good?

Most asked this week

Just Off the Stove

How Can You Tell Pizza Dough Has Risen Enough and Is Ready to Stretch?

Will Coconut Oil Work Instead of Vegetable Oil in Muffins and Cakes?

Does Cooked Rice Freeze Well, or Does It Turn Mushy When Reheated?

What Makes Baking Sheets Warp in a Hot Oven, and Can You Prevent It?

Why Do Scrambled Eggs Turn Dry, and How Do You Keep Them Soft?

How Many Milliliters Is a Cup, and Is the US Cup vs Metric Cup Gap Real?

Is There a Reliable Way to Pick Sweet Strawberries Before You Buy?

What's the Surest Way to Tell If a Mango Is Ripe When the Color Lies?

What Happens If Your Cast Iron Skillet Goes Through the Dishwasher?

Cooking Times

When Is Baked Salmon Done If You Don't Own a Meat Thermometer?

How Long Does Butternut Squash Take to Roast Until It's Caramelized?

What Baked Chicken Breast Temperature and Time Keep It From Drying Out?

Substitutes

How Much Honey Do You Use Instead of Sugar When Baking at Home?

What Ricotta Substitute Can Go in Lasagna If You Don't Like Ricotta?

Out of Cornstarch? What Substitute Will Thicken Your Gravy or Sauce?

Food Storage

Can You Freeze Bananas for Banana Bread Even After They Turn Black?

Should You Store Hard Boiled Eggs Peeled or With the Shell Left On?

Is It Better to Wash Berries Before the Fridge or Right Before Eating?

Kitchen Tools

What Triggers the Instant Pot Burn Message Even With Plenty of Liquid?

What Stops a Blender From Leaving Frozen Fruit Chunks in Smoothies?

Is Your Oven Running Hot or Heating Unevenly, and How Do You Test It?

Techniques

Why Do Roasted Vegetables Turn Soggy Instead of Browned and Crisp?

What Keeps Fried Rice From Turning Mushy and Sticking Together?

Why Does Homemade Bread Come Out Dense Instead of Light and Airy?

Measurements & Conversions

Are There 8 Ounces in a Cup for Both Liquid and Dry Ingredients?

Picking Produce

Which Signs Mean Asparagus, Broccoli and Green Beans Are Fresh?

Which Clues Point to a Ripe Cantaloupe Before It Goes in Your Cart?

What Should You Check to Pick a Ripe Watermelon That Tastes Sweet?

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