How long does flour have purpose?
Dear Heloise: How long does ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR last in the refrigerator? I’ve had it in the refrigerator one year. Is it still good to use? — Dorothy D., Fayetteville, N.C.
Dorothy, all-purpose flour can last up to eight months on the shelf when stored in a tightly sealed container. If you keep it in the refrigerator, it can last as long as two years. — Heloise
A longtime favorite
Dear Heloise: You had a recipe for Cole Slaw With Yogurt that was out of this world. Would you please reprint it? — Rose J., Brighton, Mich.
Rose, this recipe is delicious with so many different meals, and with the holidays coming soon, it adds a nice original touch to many traditional dinners. Here it is:
COLE SLAW WITH YOGURT
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1 small sweet pickle,
minced
2 tablespoons green onion,
minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice ⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cabbage ⅓ cup shredded carrot
Combine the yogurt, pickle, onion, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl. Mix in cabbage and carrot (you might be able to find packaged shredded cabbage and carrots at your grocery store), making sure the yogurt mixture is evenly distributed and all of the cabbage and carrot gets well-coated. Chill before serving.
— Heloise
Cooking in the dishwasher
Dear Heloise: I’ve heard that you can cook in the dishwasher. Is that true? — Maud W., Tigard, Ore.
Yes, you can. It had a brief popularity about 20 years ago and seems to be making a comeback. There are a few videos on the internet on how to do this, which suggest cooking in canning jars. The running time of a dishwasher uses a lot of electricity, so perhaps cooking dinner and washing the dishes at the same time is more environmentally friendly. — Heloise
P.S. And speaking of dishwashers, here are some items that should not go in them, but instead should be washed by hand:
Wooden cutting boards: The heat will warp them and split the wood.
Cast iron skillet: This item needs to be “seasoned” to protect it. Nonstick pans. Good knives: You’ll dull the knife.
Soft plastics: They will warp.
Insulated drinkware. Metal-rimmed glasses or china: The dishwasher will remove the gold trim eventually.
Egg separator
Hi, Heloise: I’ve discovered an easy way to separate an egg: I use my kitchen funnel in a glass, and crack the egg in there. Ideally, the yolk will stay in the funnel, and the white will slide into the glass. — Susan in Arkansas
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise. com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.