Fixing Your Debt Situation

You need to differentiate between the various types of financial problems. For instance, a financial crisis is when you suffer a situation that can render you penniless, homeless or without any important property. You should separate these kinds of emergency from a threatening phone call or a letter from a bill collector.

When experiencing an emergency such as these, it is vital to act at once. You have to begin by contacting your creditor. Doing so gives you time to work out a temporary solution, which may help you to keep your possessions. However, it does not always work and if it doesn’t, contacting your solicitor to negotiate with your creditor is necessary.

Face up to your Problem: The common misconception in debt problems is “the less you know, the less it hurts”. However, you have to learn how to face your debt problems. You must be able to do this since rebuilding and repairing your credit will not happen if you do not know exactly where your money goes or where it needs go instead.

Although it is not harmful to overestimate your debt, it is always beneficial to know how much money you really owe. You can do this by taking a look at the bills you have received. If you have thrown out your bills without even opening them, you can still call customer services and ask about the bills.

Several creditors also use an automated reply system, which can provide the balance you owe and information regarding missed or future payments automatically, which means you do not even have to talk to anyone. Furthermore, information about your account might also be available on your creditors’ web sites. After acquiring the necessary amounts, total it all up, especially those overdue monthly obligations.

Options Available for Dealing with Debts: There are various choices available to you for dealing with your debts. One method is to do nothing. This option is probably the most popular method used by those who are very deep in debt. Most often, these people have a very low income and maybe no property and do not normally foresee any change in their lifestyle. If you do not expect any steady income any time soon, you could consider this method.

However, doing nothing does not really help at all, so perhaps you can get some money to repay your debts. You can do this by selling a major asset, like a car or a house. This is a good choice if you can no longer afford your car or house payments. Instead of waiting for a repossession or foreclosure to take place, selling the property is always a far better solution.

The proceeds you gain from the sales should be put towards lessening your debt. Moreover, you should remember to pay off the liens placed by the creditors and use anything that is left to pay (something) off your other debts too. However, before taking this step, make sure that you have already come up with a solution to your accommodation or transport needs.

Another way to help you pay off your debts, is to cut your expenses. This will help you not only in the repayment of your debts but also in negotiating with your creditors. Try to shrink the cost of your food by clipping coupons, purchasing generic brands, buying when there is a sale on or shopping at discount stores.

However, if you cannot cut your expenses enough, you can always borrow money from a tax-deferred account. Tax-deferred retirement accounts, like IRA or 401(k), can be used to help pay off debts by withdrawing money from them before retirement. However, since you may need to pay a penalty or taxes, this should only be used as your last resort.

Have you had a few financial knocks recently? Do you require information on how to fix your credit? If you do, please go along to our website entitled DIY Credit Repair Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Choosing a Business Credit Card

Among the huge number of credit cards on the market, one of the most misunderstood is the business credit card. Many people choose not to apply for a business credit card because aside from having a definite target market - business owners or business executives - it appears to be complicated to use. Although a business credit card has more stipulations, it has a lower interest rate compared with other kinds of credit cards and, contrary to common misconception, it can be very helpful if used properly.

What is a business credit card? Basically, a business credit card is for business people’s use. Compared to a regular credit card, a business credit card has a high credit limit and low interest rates. Depending on the business credit card you decide on, a business credit card may also bring a lot of benefits.

As it is targeted at businessmen or those people who are building a business, a business credit card is meant to benefit these small businesses. A business credit card helps the budding business by allowing the owner to finance bills or payroll, which improves cash flow. Apart from presenting the image of a dependable credit card company, business credit cards supply detailed reports of expenditure and give quality customer service as its two major benefits.

Apart from having higher spending limits and lower interest rates, a business credit card provides numerous alternative credit options for small businesses. A business credit card also caters to large corporations as well as those people who are just beginning their own business because it closely reflects the base rate of credit.

Simplifying business credit cards. It really pays dividends to go to the bank when one requests for a credit card to get answers to all the immediate enquiries you may have. But since a business credit card is for business people who are always on the move, many business credit card issuers offer online applications for business credit cards. So, when one applies for a business credit card online, there is no necessity for you to visit the bank any more, which means that there is also no need to wait in the queue only to talk to a bank manager.

When you apply for a business credit card online, all you have to do is to choose the business credit card that suits your small business or corporate credit requirements right from the comfort of your home or office. Aside from offering safe, secure, and simple processes that are designed to help you to take care of your start-up business, most online business credit cards offer access features for the convenience of the business credit card holder such as online bill payment and reporting.

Customized company logos and access to instant cash are also advantages available on line. Other online business credit cards offer detailed reporting features for easy monitoring and access.

Most business credit cards do not charge fees for the first year and have no pre-set spending limit or finance charges. Other business credit cards offer reward programs that enable the member to earn points for travel, merchandise and other types of advantages.

Many business credit cards offer small businesses a credit line of up to $100,000 at a competitive APR as low as prime + 1.99% for both cash and check purchases. Furthermore, 100% of the credit line is available as cash and usually no collateral is required.

The business credit card customer could receive fee-free checks together with a card to access their account. Everyday savings or exclusive savings, express approvals, no annual fee, up to 5 percent rebates on all qualifying purchases, and 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases during the first half of the year of card membership are some of the great benefits of most business credit cards.

The majority of the business credit card issuers offer fantastic deals, but it is still important to research what your business requirements are first. No matter whether you require your business credit card for buying stock or just for payroll, it is important to get a business credit card that can cope with anything you need.

Whether you choose to go directly to the bank or apply for a business credit card online, there are a number of premier business credit card issuers out there to assist you to find the credit card that is right for you easily and conveniently.

Do you need to look into business credit cards? Or if you need to find out more about credit cards igenerally, please go over to our website Using Credit ards You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

Restoring Your credit Status

A crucial aspect in maintaining a high credit status is in point of fact the contents of your credit report. The credit report is very much the history of your monetary life, contained in a comprehensive document.

The credit report details the credit score, which is a numeric grade typically between 300 and 850. Most lenders use the credit score to help them make their mind up whether you are worthy of credit. Furthermore, the score is also used to conclude your capability of paying a loan. The credit report is significant and cleaning or holding on to a good credit report is very important to your monetary well-being.

Inside a Typical Credit Report:

In a credit report, the first item is generally your personal data. It includes your name, listed telephone numbers, previous and current addresses, reported differences of your Social Security Number, past and present employers and date of birth.

The information on the subject of your credit accounts follows your personal data entry. This is also listed in detail and generally includes loans, the maximum loan amount, and information of any joint account holders or co-signers. The credit report also includes a segment, called ‘Inquiries’, which lists any person who has recently asked for a facsimile of the credit report.

There are a number of states, wherein the credit report contains public record data. These data can include unsettled payments, bankruptcies or other judgments in the court. Ordinarily, these entries can last for up to ten years and may badly affect your chances of obtaining a loan.

How to Begin

First, in order to repair your credit report, you will need to request a facsimile of the report. You must ascertain what is out of date or erroneous, after which you can submit a letter to the bureau asking for repairs to the details. This process may take a long time and you can be required to do quite a lot of follow-ups with each bureau before achieving a clean credit report. However, to execute this correctly, you must be aware of the details the credit agencies are allowed to report and the period they can hold them.

Requesting a credit report can be simply achieved as they are available to everyone. At least one free report may be requested by the consumer every year; this rule is also included in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Furthermore, the consumer is also permitted to obtain a free copy of his or her credit report every year from each of the three major firms dealing with credit reporting, namely Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. However, if you have already obtained a facsimile of your credit report this year, you could be asked to pay an extra fee if you require another copy.

Once you have obtained your report, appraise it carefully. Every detail should be inspected since bureaus can sometimes mix up names, addresses or employers. Most often, people who have common names have credit reports that might contain details from someone else of the same name.

Furthermore, it is crucial to perform a periodic check on your credit report. It is advisable to order a facsimile of the report once a year and dispute any possible inaccuracies. Always be meticulous in dealing with your payments and make sure not to make any late instalments. Time is of the essence and even minimum instalments should not be neglected. Remember that carefully managing your credit can add as much as fifty points to your credit score per year.

About the Author:

Credit Repair Fundamentals

Having accepted credit, you are using someone else’s money as payment for your purchases. In addition, it also indicates that you promise to repay the money to the agency or person that loaned you the cash.

If you are applying for a loan, credit card or mortgage, it is normal for the agency to check your credit worthiness. This is essentially based on an assessment of your credit history, thus helping them determine the possible risks of the deal and decide the terms of the loan. Positive assessment means you have a good financial background, which increases your chances of being granted credit.

Credit Repair: This is the process whereby consumers with a poor credit history try to re-establish their credit worthiness. It involves obtaining a copy of your credit status from the agencies and taking careful and appropriate steps to address apparent issues, including omissions, misreporting, misinterpretation or other inaccuracies.

If there are any discrepancies found in the credit report, you are entitled to investigate the errors that have unjustly harmed their financial health. There are several laws and regulations that are meant to ensure the fair and legal reporting of someone’s credit worthiness. You can make use of these laws to legally and formally commence the process of repairing your credit.

Everybody is entitled to one copy of his/her credit report each year from each credit reporting agency. You will need to check the true nature of the errors in order to ensure successful credit repair.

Your credit record affects your purchasing power and eligibility for acquiring credit facilities in the future. You should keep in mind that a good credit rating can help in several situations such as: mortgaging a home, buying a car or even applying for a job. On the other hand, a bad credit rating can make you vulnerable to exorbitant interest rates and unnecessary loan terms from the loan agencies. These two facets are important to help you realize why maintaining a good credit rating is absolutely vital.

How Do You Repair Your Credit?: The process of credit repair can be accomplished through diligent work and discipline on your own. However, some companies will offer you ‘quick and easy’ ways to repair your poor credit history and they really can be quite tempting. However, these easy ways-out can also lead to further difficulties in the future, especially if they are not legal.

If your poor credit rating is a result of circumstances beyond your control, you can request an upgrade of your credit rating from your creditor, but this may only be done, if you have been able to make amends to your credit records afterwards.

Creditors do not normally trust consumers who have defaulted on their payments. This can create difficulties for you obtaining any credit. However, once you are able to show a stable income and patterns of regular repayments, the situation could improve over two to three years. This way, even if there was a bankruptcy involved, you are likely to be considered eligible for credit cards within two years, if a steady income is maintained.

Keep in mind that there are no fast fixes when you are trying to repair your credit. However, by contacting the credit bureaus, correcting any errors, budgeting and consolidating your debts, you can improve your own credit rating really quite quickly.

About the Author:

Fixing Your Debt Problems

You must differentiate between the various sorts of financial problems. For example, a financial crisis is when you experience a situation that can leave you penniless, homeless or without any important assets. You should separate these sorts of emergency from a threatening phone call or a letter from a bill collector, even though they are unpleasant enough too.

When experiencing a crisis such as these, it is crucial to act at once. You need to begin by contacting the creditor. Doing so gives you time to work out a temporary solution, which can help you to keep your possessions. However, it does not always work and if it doesn’t, contacting your solicitor to negotiate with the creditor is necessary.

Face up to the Problem: The common misconception in debt situations is “the less you know, the less it hurts”. However, you have to learn how to face your debt problems. You must be able to do this since rebuilding and repairing the credit will not happen if you do not know exactly where your money goes or where it needs go instead.

Although it is not harmful to overestimate the amount of your debt, it is always necessary to know how much money you really owe. You can do this by taking a look at the bills you have received. If you have thrown out your bills without even looking at them, you can still call the company and inquire about them or request duplicates.

Several creditors even use automated telephone systems, which can give a debt balance and information regarding the payments automatically, so you do not have to talk to anyone. Additionally, information about your account might also be available on your creditors’ web sites. After acquiring the necessary details, total them all up, especially those overdue monthly obligations.

Options Available for Dealing with Debts: There are various options available to you when dealing with your debts. One method is to do nothing. This option is probably the most popular approach employed by those who are very deep in debt. Frequently, these people have a very low income and maybe no property and do not usually foresee any rise in their lifestyle. If you do not expect any significant income any time soon, you could consider this method.

However, doing nothing does not really help at all, so maybe you could find some money to repay your debts. You could do this by selling a major asset, like a car or a house. This is a good choice if you can no longer afford your car or house payments. Instead of waiting for a repossession or foreclosure to happen, selling the property is always a far better solution.

The proceeds you gain from the sales should be put towards reducing your debt. Moreover, you have to remember to pay off the liens placed by the creditors and use anything that is left to pay (something) off your other debts too. However, before taking this step, make sure that you have already come up with a solution to your accommodation or transport requirements.

A further way to help you pay off your debts, is to cut your expenses. This will aid you not only in the repayment of your debts but also when negotiating with your creditors. Try to reduce the cost of your food by clipping coupons, buying shop brands, shopping when there is a sale on or shopping at discount outlets.

However, if you cannot reduce your outgoings enough, you could always borrow money from a tax-deferred account. Tax-deferred retirement accounts, like IRA or 401(k), can be used to help pay off debts by withdrawing money from them before retirement. However, since you may need to pay a penalty or taxes, this must only serve as your last resort.

About the Author:

Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair

Negative comments on your credit report can cost a lot of money. You do not have to give up though, since it is never too late to repair your credit worthiness. However, bear in mind that credit repair does not take place overnight. It requires serious dedication and perseverance to start a clean slate once more.

How to Get Started: You should know who the three credit bureaux are and what they are saying about you. Since creditors do not have to report to Equifax, TransUnion and Experian all together, they usually just report to one or to whichever they are subscribed to. This means that the reports from the bureaux are slightly different from each another.

The first thing you need to do is order your credit report. Remember to order it from each bureau because you would only waste your time and money if you only order a credit report from one bureau. The cost of the credit report might vary from state to state though it is estimated that the cost of your credit report is about $10.

However, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from the agency, if you have been denied employment or credit due to a bad credit report. You can ask the company to provide you with the name of the credit bureau, telephone number and address.

Once you get hold of your credit report, examine it very carefully, because the credit bureaus create your credit report based on the information they receive from your creditors, which is never verified. It is up to you to make sure your credit report is a good reflection of your credit status.

Be on the look out for errors of typing, incomplete information, and out-dated or / and inaccurate histories of your accounts. After examining the report to make sure it is correct, list all the points you want to dispute and the reasons why.

Since bad reports cost you money, remember to be thorough. You have two choices: either fill in the dispute form which|that| is enclosed with your credit report or write a letter. It is also recommended that you send a photocopy of your report with the errors clearly marked to the credit bureau who supplied you with the report. Additionally, do not forget to include supporting documents with your report.

Before sending back the corrected the documents and report, do not forget to make copies of all the forms and the date you sent it. Normally, the bureaux will investigate the dispute over the thirty days after getting your letter. Then, any item that has been proved to be false is deleted.

Stability in Your Credit Life: Another way to repair your credit is to show that you are still working on adding positive information and stability to your credit life. Even if you have the credit, there can be a time when you are denied credit due to insufficient credit information.

There are a minority creditors that do not normally report credit history to the credit bureaus, so what you can do is try cajoling these creditors to report their information about your account and the history of your monthly repayments to the credit-reporting agency or agencies.

You can also try building a solid credit history through the use of secured credit cards. This type of credit cards is offered to those with no credit status or who are in the middle of repairing their credit.

Furthermore, it is advised that you open a savings account in your bank. Doing so, would show your creditors that you are trying to save and that you are reserving money for the purposes of paying off your debts and repair credit.

About the Author:

How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Four - Eggs (cont.)

Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Produce.

Eggs: Part Two

Poaching: boil 40mm water in a frying pan; add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vinegar. Crack egg into cup, inspect and tip into water. Turn down the heat. Gather the white around the unbroken yolk with a spoon and simmer for 3-4 mins. Lift out with a fish slice, drain and serve on hot buttered toast.

Scrambling: beat the eggs well; add salt, pepper to taste and a dash of milk. Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a small pan. Fry the eggs slowly, stirring continuously. Cook in a basin floating in boiling water, if preferred. Serve when almost completely set, after about 5 mins.

Frying: Melt enough fat to easily cover the base of the pan. Tip egg in gently and gather white around the yolk. When the white has set, baste the yolk to taste and remove whole with a fish slice.

Baked: lightly grease an oven-proof dish and pour the eggs gently into it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and butter to taste. Bake in a medium oven and serve in the same pan after the whites have set.

Omelette: buy a pan and keep it only for omelettes! The base should be smooth and clean. Allow two eggs per person; beat lightly and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat enough butter to cover the base of the pan. When the fat is hot, pour in the eggs; as it sets, raise the handle up and draw set mixture up, allowing the liquid egg to run down onto the hot pan. When all is set, tilt the pan forward and roll the omelette over. Serve immediately on a hot plate. It can be filled with almost anything, before being rolled over.

Pouring Custard: beat 2-3 eggs for every one pint of milk lightly. Heat the milk and pour gradually over the eggs; add sugar and flavouring to taste; cook in a double pan or jug and hot water until the required consistency has been achieved. If it is not to be served immediately, pour a thin layer of water onto it to stop a skin forming.

Baked Custard: start as above but then pour the custard into a lightly greased shallow dish; sprinkle sparsely with nutmeg and place the dish in water to halfway up its sides. Cook at 350 F for 35-45 minutes; you can test its solidity by inserting a knife, which should be clean on withdrawal.

Steamed Custard: proceed as for above, but cook in a steamer or a pan in boiling water. The length of cooking time is about the same too.

Custard Tarts: pour pouring custard into unbaked pastry cases and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. A little jam can be placed in the bottom of the pastry case first, if preferred.

About the Author:

How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Three - Eggs

The Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Products.

EGGS: Part 1

Eggs can be fresh or dried, dried eggs being only hens’ eggs without the shell and water. Dried egg should be stored in a cool, dry place - not in the refrigerator! Store eggs for several or a week in a cool place not close to strong-smelling foods. An egg stand is ideal for this purpose. If the eggs are soiled, wipe them clean - washing will remove the natural oils which help to preserve the eggs.

Pickled Eggs: eggs laid in the Spring keep longer than those laid in the other seasons. Eggs that can not be cleaned-up, must be refused. Waterglass or the other special preparations should be used. If an egg floats to the surface, use it at once. Try to maintain the room temperature around 2-8 C and they should remain edible for 6 to 9 months.

Preparing Eggs for Cooking: break each egg singly into a cup, before adding it to the other ingredients to ensure it is still fresh. If you wish to separate the white from the yolk, tip the contents back and forth between the two egg shell halves and the white (albumen) will run off. Beat eggs with a whisk or a fork in an appropriately sized bowl, but whip egg whites with a knife on a large plate - a pinch of salt will help.

Raw eggs used to be prescribed for invalids as they are easily digestible, however, this not to be recommended these days due to the ubiquity of salmonella. One method, presented here for the curious was to strain a beaten egg into a mug and slowly add a cup of hot milk (or tea, coffee or lemon water; add sugar to taste. Sherry was often added also.

Cooking Eggs: eggs must be cooked slowly because the albumen solidifies at a temperature lower than that of boiling water and becomes ‘tough’ at higher temperatures. Similarly, if raw egg is used to thicken a sauce and the liquid is subsequently allowed to boil, the sauce will ‘curdle’, i.e. the egg will solidify into small specks, ruining its texture.

Coddling: produces easily digestible egg-whites, making it an ideal method for invalids and children. Lower eggs into 75mm boiling water; place lid and remove from heat. Stand for: 7 mins for medium-, 5 mins for soft- and 20 mins for hard-boiled eggs .

Boiling: lower fresh eggs gently into 3″ (75mm) boiling water with a large spoon. Replace the lid and boil gently for 3-4″ mins for soft-, 4-5 mins for medium- and 10 mins for hard-boiled eggs.

Place in egg cups and tap the shell to crack it, allowing the steam to escape, thus preventing further cooking. For sandwiches, salads etc: boil the egg for 12 mins and plunge into cold water. This allows the shell to be easily removed and prevents a black ring forming around the yolk.

About the Author:

How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Two - Cheese

About The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products.

HARD AND SOFT CHEESES

Cheese is made from milk which has been naturally or artificially soured. The former method is brought about by standing the milk in a warm place and allowing natural, friendly bacteria to turn the milk’s natural sugars into lactic acid. The latter method is effected by adding an enzyme, usually in to form of rennet.

Colouring and salt are usually added too. The whey is then drained off and the curds are pressed into moulds where they are ripened or cured. Some cheeses are subjected to pressure; soft cheeses are not. Curds are ripened or cured by a variety of means. The method, the quality of the milk and its pasture, the breed of cow, sheep or other animal and the type of bacteria all govern the final product.

Some local conditions are unique and those areas produce cheeses that are not successfully replicated anywhere else: for example Gruyere and Camembert, although factories do attempt it. Some even have some success, as most of the world’s Cheddar cheese now derives from the United States and Canada.

The constituents of cheese are roughly|typically|: 33% fat, 33% protein and 33% water with salt, colouring, sugar etc making up the other 1%. These percentages do vary from region to region as some manufacturers use full-cream milk, others skimmed-milk and yet others add extra cream. Others add some extra sugar, although most do not. All cheeses have a high calcium content and can be considered as ‘concentrated milk’ and stored the same way.

Many people say that cheese most not be kept in a fridge and while storing in water, as for milk, is not an option, a cool larder is certainly ideal. Try the traditional method of hanging it up in muslin in a cool, breezy place. If the weather is hot, dampen the muslin cloth with water to which a little vinegar has been added.

Cheese is often served in Europe with a salad or/and bread and is often served after or instead of the pudding. Hard cheese can be difficult for children to digest and grating it first will make it more palatable to them. Once grated the cheese can be scattered on vegetable or fish soups or sauces; combined with egg, pasta, rice and oatmeal dishes; put on baked potatoes or pastry; toasted on bread or put in salads and sandwiches.

How To Cook Cheese: A not well known fact is that a lot of people find cooked cheese practically indigestible and the reason lies in its make-up. This is why: cooked starch can be digested by the saliva in the mouth, but other foods must pass to the stomach or intestines for this process to be completed. They are, however, broken up in the mouth. Digestion of protein begins in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine, while fat is not rendered soluble until it reaches the small intestine.

Cheese possesses a high fat and protein mixture, but in melting, the fat often covers the protein and prevents the digestive juices reaching it in the stomach. Therefore, its digestion is delayed until the fat has been absorbed in the intestines. Cheese can be rendered more digestible by:

1] Adding to or combining with starchy foods. The starch will absorb the fat, not allowing it to cover the protein.

2] Using seasoning - Cayenne Pepper or mustard will irritate the intestinal lining, thus causing extra digestive juices to be released.

3] Cooking quickly at high temperature. This prevents the protein from becoming tough and stringy and therefore, harder to digest. Add cheese late to sauces.

4] Adding alkali. A large pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda per 75g will help neutralize the fatty acids and make the proteins more easily digestible.

About the Author:

The Traditional Use Of Dairy Produce: Part 1 - Milk

The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products

These basic tips may seem unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator, but modern devices can make people lazy and it is well-worth while knowing ‘why’ we must do certain things. It is also worth remembering these tips when refrigerators are not at hand or are so small that they will not hold everything, such as when camping or boating or on holiday in some parts of the world.

MILK:

Milk has been called ‘nature’s perfect food’, because no other food, taken alone, can support adult life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of young people, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly multiply in it. If milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and quickly cooled before consumption.

How To Scald Milk: Rinse out a clean saucepan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles form around the side of the pan. Keep it at this temperature, that is, not letting it boil, for 3 minutes. Do not overheat, as milk burns quite easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and put in a basin of cold water and cover with a fine cloth to discourage|prevent the ingress of flies and dust.

How To Keep Milk Fresh: If the milk is not be kept in the containers in which you bought it, pour it into a clean bottle, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm receptacle will cause the milk to stick to the sides and go off much more quickly. You should always keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always keep it covered. it is worth remembering that draughts occur usually at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the bottle in a bowl of water with the cloth covering hanging in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which uses up heat, ensuring that the jug remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs odours easily. Never mix new and old milk together.

Sour Milk: Milk straight from the cow is slightly alkaline, but as time passes, lactic acid is created and it becomes what is called ’sour’. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk retards this process. Milk which is ‘on the turn’ can be rejuvenated by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore the alkalinity. Once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thus separating the curds from the whey. The curds can be used as a filling for cakes, tarts, scones etc and the whey can be used as the liquid for making scones, cakes and soups etc., as it still retains much of its goodness.

Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.

Condensed Milk: This form of milk is simply evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. Sugar acts as a preservative and will keep the milk for about a week. Do not keep in the tin, but decant it into a jug or bottle.

Dried Milk: Dried milk comes in a variety of forms and notice should be taken of the instructions on the label. Specialized products can be bought for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they are very much lower in fat content than conventional milk.

About the Author: