Tag

these

Browsing

To fillet oranges, all you need is a sharp knife and a little finesse

Filleting oranges: Roughly cut off the peel

Before you start, you should wash the outside of the orange with hot water – this also applies to organic oranges. This prevents you from transferring possible germs and pollutants from the shell to the inside. Then you can fillet the orange. You don’t need a special filleting knife for this – a sharp kitchen knife will do.

1. Cut off the top and bottom of the orange, revealing the flesh.

2. Then remove the entire peel piece by piece by cutting slightly round downwards.

Tip: You don’t have to throw away orange peels. Instead, you can continue to use them in a variety of ways, for example as a rinse aid substitute, for skin impurities or as a tea.

Fillet oranges: remove the remains of the peel

3. Carefully remove the remaining pieces of white shell with the knife.

Tip: It’s best to hold the orange over a bowl while you’re doing this to catch any escaping juice. You can either drink it later or use it for desserts or sauces.

Filleting oranges: Scoop out the flesh

4. Carefully drive the knife into the flesh next to the fine dividing wall. Cut deep enough to be able to separate the piece in the next step. Be careful not to accidentally cut into other pieces, though.

5. Remove individual pieces of orange by cutting along the divider on the other side as well.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all other pieces.

You can use the tender orange fillets for delicious desserts, for example, or bake them in a fruit tart. You can also fillet other citrus fruits, such as lemons or grapefruits, in this way

Tapioca flour, tapioca pearls or tapioca starch: What is the use of the cassava root powder and are there regional alternatives to the binding agent from South America?

What is tapioca flour?

Tapioca is a by-product of making cassava flour. It is very fine and has a consistency like wheat flour or powdered sugar. It is pure starch and is also called tapioca flour, tapioca flakes or tapioca starch. The cassava plant originally comes from South America, especially from Brazil. It now grows in all areas with a tropical or subtropical climate.

Use of tapioca flour

Many Asian recipes, especially desserts, include tapioca pearls. If you soak them, they make, for example, a pudding similar to rice pudding or bubble tea.

In Brazil you can find tapioca flour in the form of crêpes on the daily menu. These are usually served as breakfast – from savory to sweet. The advantage of tapioca flour is that it does not require any fat for frying. The substance reacts with heat and automatically turns into a kind of pancake.

Tapioca flour is gluten-free and tasteless. So it’s no wonder that you find it mostly in gluten-free recipes.

It is also popular as a binding agent for sauces, soups and desserts. Tapioca is also used as a binding agent in the manufacture of tablets and gummy bears.

Regional alternatives to tapioca flour

If you pay attention to your ecological footprint, you should not use the cassava root and its flour, because: the long transport to Germany already makes tapioca flour a climate sinner. However, the cassava plant withstands periods of drought well, which keeps its water consumption within limits.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives to tapioca flour. Because even before the Brazilian root was widespread in our latitudes, grandmas and co. used corn starch or potato starch to thicken their sauces. These are good regional alternatives to tapioca and are also gluten-free.

You can use corn or potato starch to thicken sauces just like tapioca starch. You can also transfer the quantities 1:1. You shouldn’t notice any difference in taste, since both tapioca flour and corn and potato starch are tasteless.

However, Brazilian crêpes cannot easily be made from regional alternatives. This is because corn or potato starch does not melt in the same way that tapioca flour does.

If you do have to use tapioca flour, then make sure it is organic. Organic cultivation largely avoids the use of pesticides. You can get tapioca flour in organic quality in the organic market or in the health food store. Most Asian stores do not carry organic products.

If a cake has dried out a little after a few days, save it with simple remedies. Whether as a cake or as a base for a dessert – there is always a useful use for dry cake.

Throw away dry cake – not an option

If you’ve stored cake for a few days, it may have become a bit dry. So it no longer tastes completely fresh, but it is still a valuable food. If the cake is only slightly dry, refresh it as described below. If it’s so dry that you can’t eat it in pieces, use it as a base for a dessert.

Dry cake as a base for dessert

You can use dry sponge cake as a basis for tiramisu, for example. Cut the cake into slices and put it in for a tiramisu:
You can use light, rather neutral cakes just like ladyfingers and pour espresso over it until it is soaked.
Dark, strong cakes or even gingerbread give the tiramisu a particularly characteristic taste. If you don’t want to cover it with espresso, pour (plant) milk over the cake.

Dry cake to delicious topping

If the cake has become very dry, break it up with a knife and let the cubes dry completely. Make sure that the cubes are airy when drying so that they don’t get moldy. When the cubes are completely dry, grind them up with an immersion blender. This will give you sweet breadcrumbs.

Fry the breadcrumbs in a pan with some vegetable oil and serve as a topping on sweet desserts.

Save dry cake as cake pops

Cake pops look like lollipops, but are made of delicious dough. To make tasty cake pops from dry cake, crumble the cake with your hands or in a food processor. The cream cheese in the recipe balances out the dryness of the cake and you end up with a delicious new “pastry”.

coffee and cake

A popular trick to save dry cake is to soak it in coffee, cocoa, or juice. To do this, poke small holes in the dough with a skewer and fill them with the liquid of your choice. Allow the cake to soak up the liquid before serving.

Depending on how formal the environment is, you can of course also dip the cake in the coffee or cocoa.

Grandma’s tip for dry cakes

This tip is simple but effective: simply spread butter, cream cheese or some jam on the piece of dry cake. This way you can upgrade the cake leftovers from the weekend and don’t have to throw them away.

If you have dried out a whole cake while baking, there is no reason to despair. Here’s where you can use the trick on a grand scale:
Cut your sponge cake horizontally into 2 or 3 pieces.
Then fill the individual pieces of cake with jam, buttercream, pudding or a cream cheese cream with lemon juice.
Of course, you should make sure that the dough harmonises with the (rescue) filling.

Broccoli is very healthy thanks to its nutritional values. Here you can find out which nutrients cabbage contains and what they mean for your health.

Broccoli is very healthy – the vegetable is considered a local superfood. In addition to a particularly large amount of vitamin C and calcium, it also contains beta-carotene, minerals and mustard oil glycosides. Broccoli only contains about 30 kilocalories per 100 grams. It can therefore be easily integrated into a healthy diet.

Vitamin bomb: Broccoli is so healthy

Vitamins support almost all functions of your body. They are essential: that is, the body cannot produce them itself. That’s why you need to get enough from your diet.

Broccoli contains the following healthy vitamins:
94 mg/100g vitamin C: Vitamin C supports the metabolism, has an antioxidant effect and even helps with digestion. According to the DGE (German Society for Nutrition e.V.), the vitamin C requirement of adults is between 95 and 110 milligrams per day. 100 grams of (raw) broccoli are almost enough to cover your entire daily vitamin C requirement.
179 µg/100g Vitamin K : Vitamin K supports bone growth and blood clotting. If you cook a dish with broccoli, you can easily get 60-80 micrograms of vitamin K to meet your needs.
0.8 mg/100g beta-carotene: As a precursor of vitamin A, beta-carotene is important for many areas of the body: For example, it supports the function of the eyes and helps to build up the skin. According to the DGE, the daily requirement for beta-carotene is 0.8-1.0 milligrams per day.
1.29 mg/100g vitamin B5: Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid contributes significantly to the functioning of the energy metabolism in the body. The DGE recommends an intake of six milligrams per day.

Broccoli contains many healthy minerals, plant compounds and amino acids

Like vitamins, minerals are important for your body. You also have to get these nutrients through food – for example through broccoli.

Among other things, 100 grams of broccoli contain:
58 mg calcium: Calcium is probably the most important mineral for humans. Your body needs it to build bones, for example. In addition, the substance stabilizes the cell walls and is involved in digestion and the transmission of stimuli. The recommended daily amount is 1000 milligrams.
256 mg Potassium: Potassium keeps muscles working properly. A deficiency can cause muscle cramps. Adults should consume about 4000 milligrams of potassium per day to meet their needs.
18 mg magnesium: This nutrient also supports muscle function and strengthens bones. Magnesium is also important for human hearing. The DGE recommends an intake of 300 to 350 milligrams per day.
63 mg Phosphorus: Like calcium, phosphorus is important for your bones. The daily requirement for adults is 700 milligrams per day. Since phosphates are often found as additives in food, Germans usually consume more than enough phosphorus.
The daily requirement of minerals cannot be covered by broccoli alone. Other good sources of minerals are nuts or other green vegetables such as spinach or kale.

The healthy vegetables also contain the secondary plant substances glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides). These have an antioxidant and immune-boosting effect. The substances are also attributed antibacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Large amounts of different amino acids such as arginine or cysteine ​​also make broccoli so healthy. The essential amino acid tryptophan forms the precursors of vitamin B3 – it is therefore important for carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Amino acids take on many other functions in metabolic processes and serve as building blocks for proteins.

How to properly prepare broccoli

In order to preserve as many of the valuable ingredients as possible when cooking, you should follow the following tips:
Heat broccoli very briefly.
Blanch it, for example: You can do this by putting the broccoli in boiling salted water for a minute or two and then briefly shocking it in ice water.
You can also eat broccoli raw.
Note: In order to get all the ingredients, you should prepare the broccoli as freshly as possible. You can also store it in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for a day or two. You should process the vegetables at the latest when the broccoli florets begin to turn yellowish.

Resistant starch has been the subject of increased research since the 1980s and is said to bring some benefits to a healthy diet. Here you can find out what resistant starch is and why it is healthy.

What is Resistant Strength?

Resistant starches (RS) are subspecies of normal cornstarch. Due to their chemical composition, resistant starches are not, or only partially, digested in the small intestine. It therefore has the properties of dietary fiber. Dietary fibers are not digested, but they ensure that your digestion functions smoothly. They also regulate blood sugar levels.

The benefits of resistant starch

Resistant starch enters the large intestine undigested. There it is fermented by bacteria. This process produces a particularly large amount of butyrate, a bacterial metabolite that supports healthy intestinal flora and protects the intestinal wall and its cell walls.

According to some studies, for example by Cummings et al (1996), the consumption of resistant starches has been shown to support intestinal functions and lead to a healthy metabolism.
In addition to the effect on the intestinal flora, resistant starch is also said to help regulate blood sugar levels. According to some studies, it can help keep blood sugar levels low and improve insulin sensitivity.

Which foods contain resistant starch?

There are some foods that naturally contain resistant starch. These include, for example:
whole grain products
bananas
potatoes
legumes
beans
rice
Corn
With a balanced diet, you consume between three and six grams of resistant starch per day. The more processed the foods and the fewer raw fruits and vegetables you eat, the less resistant starch you get from the diet.

However, many studies on the health-promoting effects of resistant starch have been carried out with a daily intake of up to 40 grams of RS per day. Researchers are currently interested in developing processes to add resistant starch to everyday foods.

Special cooking methods to produce resistant starch

According to the BZfE, a study carried out by scientists in Sri Lanka found that the proportion of resistant starch in rice increased tenfold when it was cooked in a certain way.

For this, the rice was cooked with a spoonful of coconut oil for 20 to 25 minutes.
Then the rice should be kept in the refrigerator for twelve hours.
This process converts normal starch into resistant starch. In addition, the calorie content of rice decreases by more than half.
The results of the study suggest that other starchy foods, such as pasta or potatoes, can be manipulated to make them healthier for us through certain cooking methods.

Uses of resistant starch

Scientists and food experts are currently working on the production of foods that contain a lot of resistant starch without special cooking methods. For example, it would be possible to enrich many foods that are actually considered unhealthy with RS, such as:
White bread
breakfast cereals
cookies or cakes.

Storing radishes properly is not that difficult. In this article you can read how you can keep the healthy and tasty snack crunchy for longer with a few simple tricks.

Storing radishes: general information

Radishes are among the first vegetables to be harvested throughout the year. The delicious vegetable got its name from Latin. “Radix” appropriately means root. It has been part of European cuisine since the 16th century, originating in France. In the decades and hundreds that followed, it was eaten more and more in other countries as well. Whether in salads, quark dips or simply raw – radishes are always a good choice. If you store radishes in the refrigerator, they will stay fresh for up to three days.

You can find out if the radishes are still fresh in the store. They shouldn’t be too soft. Also look at the leaves. The fresher the leaves are, the fresher the radish itself is. Wilted leaves indicate that the radishes have passed their prime.

Storing radishes: storage tips

If you store radishes properly, they stay fresh and crunchy longer:
Cut off leaves and roots with a knife. This prevents the stored water from going into the leaves. This leaves more in the radish itself.
Take a can and put the radishes in it. Alternatively, you can wrap the radishes in damp towels.
Store them in the crisper in the fridge. They stay there for up to three days. A cool basement is an alternative.
Of course you can also freeze radishes. But then they lose their taste, at least partially.
If the radishes have softened, place them in a water bath for a few minutes. This makes them a little crunchier again.

Countless Indian spices are used creatively and in a variety of ways in the popular national cuisine. This article gives you an overview of Indian spices and their uses.

Colourful, diverse and intense – this description applies to both India and the country’s spices. Hardly any other kitchen uses such an abundance of spices as the Indian one.

Indian dishes are intense and spicy – and mostly healthy. Many of the spices used stimulate digestion and prevent digestive problems.

You will look in vain for dried spice powders in Indian cuisine. In order to draw from the full intensity of the spices, they are processed fresh. With the help of a mortar, the whole grains are finely ground and roasted right at the beginning so that the essential oils can fully develop.

Indian spices for spiciness

If you order a spicy dish in an Indian restaurant, you should be really sure. Indians love spicy food and know how to prepare it. They are also convinced of the health benefits:

Chilli: The hot pods come in a number of shapes, colors and degrees of heat. In India, the India Jwala chili is particularly popular. Because of its shape, it is also often called snake chili. Here, the variety is rarely available in well-stocked Asian shops. But you can use any variety and even plant your own chillies. The pods are usually processed fresh or as a paste. The capsaicin it contains is not only responsible for the sharpness, but also has some health benefits. According to a study from 2015, the substance has a positive effect on the human circulatory system and metabolism.
Pepper: In addition to black pepper, cayenne pepper is also used. Peppercorns are found in almost all Indian dishes. Especially in southern India it is even common to cook rice with pepper. Unlike most other spices, pepper is only added just before serving, otherwise it will lose its flavor. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, the piperine it contains can also help with weight loss, according to a study by the Indian Journal of Pharmacology.
Ginger: Ginger is not only very popular with us. Whether in dhal, samosas or curry dishes – the tuber is used in almost all dishes. It is usually finely chopped and made into a paste with other spices in a mortar. Ginger gives dishes a pleasant freshness in addition to their spiciness. The active ingredient gingerol also has an anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect.

Indian spices for your digestion and health

Many dishes from traditional Indian cuisine are inspired by Ayurvedic health teachings. This is probably the reason why there are so many medicinal plants among the Indian spices:

Turmeric: The root is said to be the most used spice in India. It is not only used in savory dishes such as vegetable curries, fish and meat dishes or chutneys, but is also often used in desserts. Even in the typical Indian spiced rice, turmeric should not be missing. Turmeric provides a spicy, earthy taste and gives the food an intense color. The Freiburg University Hospital has extensively researched the health benefits of turmeric. The tuber helps with a wide variety of digestive problems and counteracts civilization diseases.
Cumin: Also known as cumin, it is one of the warming spices in Ayurvedic teaching and is therefore an important component of many Indian dishes and spice mixtures. The seeds are crushed in a mortar and briefly roasted before use. According to a study from 2008, cumin stimulates digestion and thus prevents problems such as bloating and constipation.
Fennel Seeds: Just like cumin, you should only crush the whole seeds immediately before using them so that they can develop their full aroma. The seeds give hearty dishes a mild, sweet note and help with stomach problems. A mixture of fennel seeds, cumin, anise and sugar pearls is often served in India. Chewing a teaspoon of it should also stimulate digestion.

Christmas on the Indian spice rack

In our part of the world, the following spices are more familiar from the Christmas season. But in India they can be found in countless everyday masalas, the Indian word for spice mixture.

Cinnamon: In India, cinnamon is used in both sweet and savory dishes or tea. The sweet tree bark is an important ingredient in garam masala as well as in chai masala. In addition to the sweet aroma with the subtle sharpness, cinnamon is also healthy. The consumption of cinnamon is said to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels and even help with weight loss.
Cardamom: The sweet capsules are indispensable in Indian cuisine. Although cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world, the capsules can be found in countless dishes. Cardamom is also very popular for spiced rice or tea. The spice is also rich in minerals such as iron and manganese and is used in Ayurvedic teaching for digestive problems.
Cloves: The dried flower buds have an intense aroma and are therefore often combined with other spices. They are cooked whole in spiced rice, whereas they are usually ground beforehand. Cloves are rich in antioxidants and are considered a natural antibiotic due to their antibacterial effect.
Star anise: Star anise is also ground in a mortar or used whole for tea. The spice is supposed to help digest particularly rich and spicy foods. In addition to tea and desserts, it is mainly used for meat dishes.

Other popular spices from Indian cuisine

Many spices from Indian cuisine are also used in Germany and are therefore easily available. But the more exotic spices in particular can only be found in well-stocked Asian shops or on the Internet.

Amchoor: The light yellow powder is obtained from dried unripe mangoes. It gives dishes a sweet and sour note. The powder is rarely available in Germany. Alternatively, you can use some lime juice.
Fenugreek: This Indian spice is still relatively unknown to us. The taste will certainly sound familiar to you, since fenugreek is an integral part of most curry powder mixtures.
Coriander seeds: In many Asian countries, fresh coriander is mainly used, while in India it is mainly the dried seeds that are very popular. Coriander seeds are often combined with cumin.
Nutmeg: Nutmeg is often used to refine desserts. But the nutty aroma can also give your golden milk that certain something. It is also an integral part of many spice mixtures, such as garam masala.
Mustard Seeds: Both black and yellow mustard seeds are used in Indian cuisine. The dark seeds are often roasted whole at the beginning with the other spices and give the dish an exciting texture. While the light ones are usually ground up and found in almost all Indian dishes. Their taste spectrum ranges from nutty-mild to intensely hot.

Tamarind: The fruit of the tamarind tree is also called Indian dates. It is often made into a paste and used in desserts or chutneys. The taste is sweet, but at the same time brings an umami note to your dish.

With more than 100,000 varieties of rice worldwide, it’s easy to lose track. What are the differences and where do the different varieties come from? And what about the life cycle assessment of rice?

Types of rice: This is how they are roughly differentiated

Rice is the basic food source for more than half of the world’s population. The grain with the Latin generic name “Oryza” has been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years. So it is hardly surprising that countless different varieties exist today.

Roughly two or three main groups are distinguished:
Long Grain Rice: Long, narrow grains of rice that do not stick after cooking.
Short Grain Rice: Shorter, thicker grains that result in very sticky rice.
Medium grain rice can be mentioned as a third possible subspecies. In terms of the length of the rice grains, this lies between long-grain and short-grain rice.
Rice can also be classified according to the degree of processing:

Brown rice (also brown rice or whole grain rice): Apart from removing the husk, the rice was not processed further here. It therefore contains significantly more vitamins, fiber and trace elements than conventional rice. Brown rice is the healthiest option.
White Rice: Here the silver skin has been removed and the grains polished. Although the rice has a longer shelf life, most of the important nutrients are lost.
Parboiled rice: In the parboiling process, the nutrients are pressed from the silver skin into the interior of the rice grains. Some of the vitamins are retained even after polishing; However, the rice no longer has any fiber.

Rice-growing regions: where does our rice come from?

Rice plants grow in tropical and subtropical areas. Above all Southeast Asian countries like China, India or Indonesia are important rice suppliers. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 90 percent of the world’s rice harvest comes from the Asia-Pacific region.

But rice is also grown today in Europe, Australia and parts of North and South America. For example, the Arborio rice used for risotto comes from Italy, but there are also cultivation areas in Portugal, France and Spain.

The most important types of rice at a glance

wild rice
Strictly speaking, wild rice, with its typically dark grains, does not belong to the rice genus, but to the “water rice” genus. The grains of the sweet grasses contain many valuable nutrients and are grown in the USA.
long grain rice
Basmati rice is an aromatic long grain rice and is grown in the Himalayan region. It is mainly used in oriental cuisine.
Thanks to its intense aroma, jasmine rice is also called “fragrant rice”. The slightly sticky long grain rice comes from Thailand, but is also grown in Vietnam and Italy.
Patna is a grainy and firm long grain rice from India. The grains remain very al dente after cooking.
Medium and short grain rice
Risotto rice combines various medium-grain varieties with a high percentage of starch, which gives the dish its typical creamy consistency. Typical varieties are Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone, all grown in Italy.
Japanese rice (or rice pudding) is a very sticky short-grain rice from Japan. There it is also used for hearty dishes. The grains are particularly soft, short and rounded.
Bomba rice is a Spanish short-grain rice with a slightly firmer and grainier consistency due to the lower starch content. It is typically used for paella.
Sushi rice is a particularly sticky rice from Japan with a high starch content. There are several varieties that are considered sushi rice.
Mochi rice is an extremely sticky rice from Japan that is mainly used to prepare desserts (e.g. rice cakes). Today, mochi rice is also grown in the United States.
Brown brown rice grows in Southeast Asia and includes different varieties. It is richer in nutrients and more resilient to cultivation than conventional rice, but also more expensive.
Black brown rice is wholegrain rice with a nutty taste. Originally from China, it is now also cultivated in Europe (Italy and France).

Grapes are in season in midsummer. 3 delicious recipes to process grapes.

Our grape season begins in July. Maybe you are lucky enough to have vines in the garden or on the balcony yourself, which will give you a rich harvest. Perhaps you have also received grapes as a gift and do not want to eat them all pure. The sweet fruits can be processed in many different ways and can be preserved for a long time – for example as grape juice. But there are other delicious recipes:

1. Process grapes into jam

Another classic is grape jam. It tastes so much better when you make it yourself than from the supermarket. You can make grape jam in large quantities without hesitation – if stored airtight and protected from light, it will keep for several months. Grape jam is also suitable as a gift for friends and family.

For three to four jars of grape jam you will need:
800 g grapes, with or without seeds
1 vanilla bean
2 tsp cinnamon
1 packet of preserving sugar – alternatively you can also use agar agar. Then you should always store the jam in a cool place. It also has a slightly shorter shelf life.
Clean, sterile jam jars.
That’s how it’s done:
Wash and hull your grapes and place them in a large enough pot.
Mash them gently with a large spoon and then let them boil in their own juice for about five to ten minutes.
Then pass the crushed grapes through a sieve, catching any seeds and coarse scraps of skin.
Then return the grapes to the pot and warm them up. Then add the pulp of the vanilla and the cinnamon.
Then stir in jam sugar or agar agar and let everything simmer for a few minutes.
Depending on the type of gelling sugar or agar agar, it takes a different amount of time for the mass to set. Test the firmness by putting some of the jam on a plate and waiting a moment. If it is nice and firm, your jam is ready and you can take it off the stove.
Pour equal parts of the mixture into your jam jars, screw them on tightly and turn them upside down. After 5 minutes, turn them right side up.
Tip: You can refine grape jam with other fruits of your choice. Plums or apples, for example, go particularly well with it. Chop these into small pieces before adding them to the grapes and then proceed as described.

2. Process grapes into jelly

If you like it a bit lighter, you can also process your fruit into grape jelly. It goes well on bread or as a delicious dip, for example with a hearty cheese board.

For three to four glasses of jelly you will need:
1 kg of grapes
500 grams of jam sugar or agar agar
fresh ginger (to taste)
freshly squeezed lemon juice
a clean cotton cloth
Jelly or jam jars (sterile)
That’s how it’s done:
Wash the grapes and put them in a large pot.
Pour in enough water to just barely cover the grapes.
Let everything simmer for about 30 minutes.
Then put everything in a permeable cotton cloth and place this in a large sieve over a collecting bowl.
Allow the grape pulp to strain through the cloth for at least 12 hours.
Finally, press the remaining fruit pulp out of the cloth by twisting it.
Now put the juice with the preserving sugar and a few dashes of lemon juice in a saucepan. If you like, you can also add some finely grated ginger. Let everything simmer for about five minutes.
Finally, pour the still warm jelly into jars that have been rinsed hot, screw them tightly and place them on the lid. After five minutes you can turn them over.
Tip: If you like it exotic, you can refine your jelly with tart spices. Cardamom, for example, tastes great as a spicy contrast in sweet jelly. Add about half a teaspoon of cardamom powder to the grape juice for boiling, or let some dried cardamom seeds boil with the jelly.

3. Process grapes into compote

A savory and sweet compote can also be made from grapes. For example, you can serve grape compote with whole grapes as an alternative to cranberries with hearty autumn dishes.

You need:
1 kg of grapes
500ml white wine
400ml of water
150 grams of sugar
1 vanilla bean
4-5 cloves
coarse peppercorns
mustard seeds
That’s how it’s done:
For your grape compote, put all the ingredients except the grapes in a large saucepan and let them cook for about 15 minutes.
You can add vanilla pods to the brew for a vanilla taste. You should scrape them out first though.
Meanwhile, wash the grapes, stir them into the boiling quantity and let everything boil down for another five to ten minutes.
Then remove the vanilla bean and cloves from the broth and let the compote cool down.
If you don’t have any grapes in your garden, make sure you only buy local fruit. Grapes grow in large quantities here in summer. It is therefore unnecessary to buy grapes from abroad that have been transported long distances.

Melon is as much a part of summer as sunscreen or bathing. But slicing melon can sometimes be a challenge.

Both muskmelons and watermelons hide their tasty flesh under a thick and hard rind. Watermelons in particular are also very large, which makes them even more difficult to cut.

With these tips you will succeed:
Use a sharp knife with a blade longer than the melon.
Place the melon on a slightly rough surface, such as a wooden board, so it doesn’t slip.
Caution: Always cut away from your hands.
Depending on whether you want to eat the melon right away or process it further, you can cut it differently. You can find out how to do this below.

Cut melon into sticks: Ideal as a child-friendly snack

This method is especially great for kids who can’t get enough of melon in the summer and prefer to nibble on it themselves. Unlike melon boats, these pens do not leave a mustache on your face and children’s small hands can easily hold the melon pens.

It’s that easy:
1. Halve the melon on the long side.
2. Cut the melon along the grain into strips about two thumbs wide.
3. Then repeat this process against the grain to create a checkerboard pattern. You may need to hold the melon to keep it from falling apart.
4. And your melon sticks are ready. You can eat them simply by holding them by the shell.