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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES Page Three FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 1973 How a gas range can help you cook better for your family - and save energy for everybody 'By Kristen Taylor 'Supervisor Mountain Fuel Home Economics Department Since good cooking practices waste little energy, here are a few pointers on how to use your gas range more efficiently, improve your cooking and help conserve energy. Learn to make the most of low heat High heat makes animal protein meat, poultry, fish, eggs and cheese become tough (less tender). Except for searing in meat juices when high heat is required learn to cook meats, eggs and cheeses at lower temperatures. When sufficiently cooked, either on the surface burners or in the oven, the low setting will keep food hot keep-war- m even rare without further cooking. Pans tend to hold heat. When you cook vegetables, for example, cook them first at normal heat until done (still firm), then turn the heat to low. The low heat setting will keep the vegetables hot and save you from worrying about their burning or boiling over. Unless the food should not be steamed, cover the pan and check it from time to time. Do not waste heat use only as much as you need Since the dean gas flame is instant, you may control the exact amount of heat you want without wasting it. Adjust the flame so that it covers only the bot- tom of the pan. If a rolling boil is desired, covering the pan will speed it up. When simply heating already cooked food, cover the pan. This conserves heat and produces faster results. To heat already cooked food in the oven, place it in at the same time you turn the oven on and take advantage of the energy usually Turn the heat off or down to low as soon as the food is given to pre-hea-t. heated and be sure your oven and broiler doors fit tightly. While baking, open and dose the oven door as little as possible Check the accuracy of your oven and have it adjusted if needed. By being confident about its accuracy, you can achieve desired results with less opening and dosing of the oven door. (If you doubt how much heat is lost every time you open you oven door, watch an oven thermometer its amazing.) Usually, 10 is sufficient. minutes of oven pre-heati- ng For deep-fa- t frying, try to maintain as constant a temperature as possible Temperature fluctuations cause foods to absorb the fat in which they are being deep-fa- t fried. Ideally, a constant 375 degrees F. produces crisp results. (The on a modem gas Temperature Control Burner the range accomplishes this easily by simply dialing 375 degrees F.) Experiment with a deep-fa- t thermometer on your range. By avoiding frequent temperature fried foods will be less fatty and will save energy. changes, your deep-fa- t Bumer-with-a-Bra- in Be sure your range is off when not in use Its easy to leave a range on, especially at low heat settings. It also wastes energy. Check all controls when youre through cooking. The gas flames the controls. ity helps prevent accidents and waste, but double-chec- k A modern gas range is a visibil- natural for conserving energy Because of its efficiency and cleanliness, natural gas has come to be in great demand which means that we must use it wisely. Its most efficient use is to produce heat directly. Gas cooking requires so very little of this precious natural resource (to produce such excellent results) that a gas range helps save energy for everybody. |