Dear Heloise: I have a great tip I read in a magazine once to make potatoes last longer and not sprout. You put an apple in with your potatoes! Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but I tried it, and it works great. — Marie in Texas
Marie, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you really shouldn't store apples and potatoes together. Ripening fruit like apples gives off ethylene gas, which causes potatoes to sprout.
Potatoes are best stored in a dark, cool and well-ventilated place. But don't leave them in the plastic bags — the bags prevent good air circulation.
Hint: Ever wonder why potatoes sometimes have green-tinged skin? It's because when potatoes are exposed to light, they can turn green. This doesn't hurt the potato itself, as you can simply cut off the green part and use the rest of the potato. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: When you had an item about stove fires in your column, it did not include potholders.
My aunt fixed dinner, cleaned up and put everything away. Later that night, the family smelled something burning. After a search, they found the potholders smoldering in the drawer. If they hadn't been home, the house might have caught on fire. Please remind readers, just to be on the safe side. — Linda Starcher, Warren, Ohio
Wow — this is a first for this column! Who would have thought? Glad all is OK. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: What I find to be very helpful is to buy inexpensive measuring cups at a store where items are a dollar. I put them in various foods for quick measuring. For instance, I keep the 1-cup measure in the flour bin, 1/2-cup in the rice container, 1/3-cup in the oatmeal, etc. This can be done for pancake mix or anything that requires the same measure all the time, and it saves time fumbling around looking for measuring cups. Also, I usually write the recipe for things like pancakes and oatmeal in indelible marker right on the inside of the container's lid for quick reference. — Gale Larsen, Lakeland, Fla.
Dear Heloise: Here is another deviled-egg idea. I make them just as my mother did, with mayonnaise, a little mustard and the sprinkle of paprika on top. But, I found that adding a few tablespoons of softened cream cheese to the mixture stabilizes and firms up the base, making it easier to fill the egg whites. It does not change the taste and actually stretches the amount of filling you will have. Enjoy! — Fran Carlson, Placentia, Calif.
Dear Heloise: I reuse plastic mesh bags from oranges and onions by making them into scrubbies. Cut off the tags and any metal clasps, and cut the bags into 4- or 5-inch squares. Sew with strong thread through the middle, crisscrossing through the mesh at different angles. They last forever! — Lorraine Hitz-Bradley, via e-mail
Send a great hint to: Heloise P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000. Fax: 210-HELOISE. E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com. © King Features Syndicate Inc.