This article is filled with tips that will help an expert or beginner make a meal in a faster amount of time.

Store your spices and herbs in a cool and dark spot when you decide where to keep them. Humidity, heat, and light all affect the flavor of your spices. Generally, ground spices and herbs keep most of their flavor for a year. Spices which are kept whole can retain their flavor for between three and five years. Store your spices correctly to make them last.

Being properly prepared is key to success in cooking for your family and friends. Review your recipes, and be certain the ingredients are readily available in your kitchen. Plan out your cooking the day before. Make sure all the necessary utensils are clean and ready to use.
This will help to alleviate your anxiety and maximize your potential.

Apples tend to be a big ingredient during fall and winter, but they tend to spoil quickly if not stored properly. To avoid rotting, store apples in open-mesh bags or baskets in a cool basement or in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. Watch out if you are storing a large number of apples, one bad apple ruins the bunch.

Do you feel you are being wasteful by discarding molded fruit? Can you save the rest of the fruit if you cut away the moldy, rotten part? Unfortunately, there isn't any way to save fruit that has begun to rot. The mold and spoilage that you can see is only part of the problem with marginal-looking fruit; even the parts that appear pristine can be unsafe to eat.

Dried and frozen ingredients should never be used over fresh ingredients if you want to get the most out of your cooking. Fresh ingredients will give your dish extra flavor, and can turn out to be less expensive over time.

It is important to buy new spices at least every six months. The flavor of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long. If you don't use a spice very often, and it will go bad before you have to replace it, give some to family and friends.

They will soak up a ton of water, just like a sponge. Wipe off each mushroom with a clean wet cloth to prepare them for cooking.

Beans or tofu are excellent sources of protein that you may not have yet considered adding to your diet. You can buy these in almost any grocery store. Try frying tofu and adding seasoning to replace meat. Likewise, beans cooked with herbs can also be a flavorful dish.

When you need to store dry ingredients such as flour, or sugar in your kitchen, use airtight containers. These containers do two things to keep your food fresher: they keep bugs from entering them, and they keep air exposure to a minimum. They can be purchased just about anywhere and are a worthwhile investment.

When you are cooking, a good habit to get into is to wash the dishes as soon as you are done with them. On one side of your sink, you should have hot soapy water at the ready, and on the other, lukewarm water for rinsing. It's easier to wash cooking utensils right after their use.