Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: Now that it’s time for home canning, I’d like to offer a hint that our family has used for years in hard-water areas. When processing jars in a boiling-water bath, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water. Jars will come out sparkling clean – no hard-water scum! – Jean in Spokane

Dear Heloise: I found a great way to store recipes that I have clipped out of magazines and printed off the Internet. I have them in a three-ring binder inside sheet protectors. This way, I can take them out of the book when cooking without fear of spills. It’s easy to photocopy recipes for those who want copies. It’s great because I can also separate sections with divider tabs. It’s a much easier way to store my recipes than transferring everything to index cards. No more loose papers. – Jamie Matherly, Irvine, Calif.