I came across some handy home hints to do with food and natural therapies, so I thought I would share them with you all. I have just used 10 of my favourites.

1.    To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

2.    To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

3.    To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

4.    Spray your Tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces-no more stains.

5.    Wrap celery in aluminium foil when putting in the refrigerator - it will keep for weeks.

6.    Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking for a beautiful glossy finish.

7.    When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness.

8.    To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water.  If it sinks, it is fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

9.    Don't throw out all that leftover wine:  freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

10.    Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers.  Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

For more information about Petries Cottage of Natural Therapies click on Naturopathic hints