Plump up dried-out raisins with hot water

Dear Heloise: Do you know of a way to keep raisins plump while storing them? Mine always seem to clump together after a month or two. Deanna, Temple, Texas

Sure do, and it’s as easy as hot water! Pour some hot water in a bowl that you have put the dried-out raisins in and let sit for just five minutes or so (longer is not better). They should plump right up. Raisins can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Just place them in a self-sealing (or freezer) bag to keep them ready for use. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I make use of many of your hints and share them with others. I have a couple of hints I’d like to share:

I have a flavor hint for coffee lovers, as long as there are no nut allergies. Take the “crumbs” from a bag of (unsalted — Heloise) nuts (ones used for baking, like walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.) and put them with the ground coffee before brewing in a drip coffee maker. Adjust to taste.

When berries are in season, they often come in containers with a mesh covering that has elastic around the edge. I use it to hold lids of plastic containers. It keeps them together, visible and easy to get at. Sandra from Newark, N.Y.

Speaking of coffee, here is a hint from Dawn Wickum of Seneca Falls, N.Y. She says: “I enjoy my coffee sweet and quick in the morning. So, I use sweetened condensed milk. After opening the can, I put it in ice trays and keep in the freezer. Now my coffee is sweet and cooled down.”

If you like special or flavored coffee recipes that are easy and cheap to make, just send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Coffee, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

For the price of a specialty store-bought coffee, you can have your own homemade, delicious cappuccino or latte flavored with chocolate or cinnamon. FYI: If adding milk cools down your cup too fast, put the milk in the cup first and microwave for 30 seconds or so before adding the coffee. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I received a set of dishes from a high-end specialty store. While the dinner plates were perfect — they were dishwasher- and microwave-safe — they were too large for my dishwasher. Regardless of adjustments, they prevented the upper spinning sprayer from rotating and cleaning properly.

I kept them because they were a gift from my husband and children, and now I wash the dinner plates by hand when we use them, but I hope my letter alerts gift givers before they make an expensive purchase. Gloria, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: Whenever I make hot sauce, I make several pints. When I am done chopping the onions, tears are streaming down my face. One day I wore my kids’ swim goggles, and no more tears! Debbie Merkel, Sunnyvale, Texas

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate