alexfabbri/answersumm huggingface dataset:
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <storage-lifetime><syrup>
Title: Is golden syrup with black around the edges bad?
Question: I had a tin of golden syrup for a long time - longer than I care to admit. When I opened it up yesterday (to sweeten up some mulled wine), it was granular (a bit like honey can be), and black around the edges.   Is this 'bad', or just different?   Is the blackness the result of some chemical reaction with the tin?  And in general, does it eventually go off, or does it last indefinitely?

Answers:
sents: text: Golden Syrup improves with age according to Heston Blumenthal's "In Search of Perfection".
text: Here he analyses a 70 year old glass jar of Tate and Lyle Gold in the lab finding that the "older treacle contained the same flavour compounds as the normal stuff, but each was intensified".
text: In his recipe he fakes the ageing process by baking the tin at 70ºC (158ºF) for 24 hours noting that the flavour will continue to improve up to 100 hours.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1549/Chris Steinbach
score: 12
sents: text: My favorite saying is When in doubt throw it out .
text: Having said that you should throw that away.
text: The black can either be from the oxidization of the tin or it could be mold growth.
text: In either case golden syrup only has a shelf life of about two years; or one year after being opened, and it should be refrigerated after opening.
text: The granulation could be fixed by reheating but the black is not worth the risk.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2283/Varuuknahl
score: 4
sents: text: Golden Syrup pretty much does not go off.
text: It is a blend of sugars and preserves as well, it should keep for many years.
text: It will crystallise slightly over time though that can usually be solved via warming.
text: Bacteria is highly unlikely, mould can form on it - that would be a reason to chuck it out, possibly not all of it.
text: The only serious issue is from the tin itself corroding, which is what the black area could be.
text: I've known households to use that stuff from a 20 year old tin and have no issues whatsoever.
text: It definitely does not need refrigerating any more than sugar does.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3432/Orbling
score: 2
sents: text: I've just thrown away an open tin of the syrup, as I thought it had a funny aftertaste.
text: Still within the sell by, but open for about a year.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/7881/karen
score: 1
sents: text: Sweetheart, if you have doubts- just chuck it!It's not worth a couple bucks to eat something that you think will could make you sick full stop.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/17348/lese
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Golden syrup is said to improve with age, but the tin might corrode and this could have caused the black area. If in doubt, it may be best to throw it out.
Golden syrup doesn't really go off unless the tin has started to corrode.
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <sauce>
Title: What is pizza sauce?
Question: I am making a dip that requires 'pizza sauce'. The store doesn't sell anything called 'pizza sauce' that I could find. Instead, I got plain tomato sauce. What do I need to add to it to make it 'pizza sauce'?

Answers:
sents: text: Pizza sauce is, presumably, whatever tomato-based sauce you'd put on a pizza.
text: Those tend to be essentially like smooth (not chunky), lightly seasoned spaghetti sauce.
text: If by "plain tomato sauce" you mean a jar of tomato sauce for spaghetti, you're probably in good shape.
text: If you mean a can of pure tomato sauce, with no other ingredients, you'll probably want to add some seasoning.
text: Basil and oregano are good bets for herbs; garlic and onion are also common, and perhaps crushed red pepper if you want a little kick.
text: If you're looking for a real recipe, this isn't a recipe request site , but search engines will serve you well.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/Cascabel
score: 12
sents: text: In my family pizza sauce it just fresh garden tomatoes simmered for a few hours or more with a good drizzle of nice olive oil
text: I leave the pot lid on until the tomatoes have fully rendered down and are just lightly bubbling Add fresh chopped herbs when serving or adding to a dish i.e. smearing on pizza base
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3203/TFD
score: 2
sents: text: Pizza sauce is typically much thicker than the tomato sauce you would put on pasta and more heavily seasoned.
text: The idea is that you are spreading a thin layer of the sauce over a large area, so a thinner sauce won't work and/or might lose too much liquid as you bake your pizza.
text: Don Pepino pizza sauce is great, assuming you can get it where you live.
text: If you have a jar of commercial pasta sauce around, I would add basil, oregano, and garlic to it.
text: Then, add a good bit of tomato paste to make it thicker.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14520/aszekely
score: 2
sents: text: Just add some italian seasonings to the tomato sauce and reduce it a bit.
text: Garlic, Parsely, Basil, Oregano, pepper, salt...etc...touch of olive oil..
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3750/Edward Strange
score: 1
sents: text: Most grocery stores carry Pizza Sauce .
text: I know for certain I have purchased a Ragù variant at Publix , Walmart , Sweetbay and Meijer on separate occasions.
text: It typically comes in a much smaller glass jar than that of spaghetti sauce.
text: I've seen it shelved either with the pasta sauces, canned tomatoes or in a bakery section next to pizza doughs.
text: Or you can just make your own, as I tend to do most of the time these days.
text: Good luck!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14918/colejkeene
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
This is just a smooth and lightly seasoned sauce that is thicker than pasta sauce. You could just add Italian herbs to pasta or tomato sauce before reducing it a bit.
Pizza sauce is a reduced tomato sauce with Italian seasonings.
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <noodles><dumplings><gnocchi>
Title: Why is gnocchi a dumpling and not a noodle?
Question: I've recently been told that gnocchi is technically a dumpling, not a noodle. What about it causes gnocchi to fall under the dumpling category?

Answers:
sents: text: The primary difference between a dumpling and a noodle, besides shape, is leavening.
text: Dumplings usually have either egg or baking powder to make them lighter.
text: There's considerable bleedover in terminology here.
text: It's reminiscent of the difficulty of defining "chowder".
text: You're always finding a counterexample.
text: I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with something called gnocchi, gnochs, gnocchetti, that has no leavening.
text: I can think of two myself.
text: Gnocchetti alla romana are semolina "dumplings" sometimes leavened with egg, particularly when they contain spinach, but more often not.
text: Gnocchetti sardi are dry pasta shapes that kind of look like thin potato gnocchi.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1664/Rich Armstrong
score: 11
sents: text: Noodles are thin and elongated.
text: Dumplings are not.
text: Both are unleavened dough cooked (frequently) in boiling water, but generally the distinction tends to fall along shape-based lines.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5130/tkone
score: 3
sents: text: Possibly because they aren't normally dried out.
text: It's probably just 'one of those things'
text: - I don't think there is an ISO committee of food naming
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4483/Martin Beckett
score: 1
sents: text: Perhaps because gnocchi is cooked in the same way to a dumpling, by boiling in something like hot water/stock or steamed.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5162/nixy 
score: 1
sents: text: There are in general two main classes of dumplings.
text: Potato based and leavened dough based.
text: Gnocchi generally fall under the first category along with traditional central-european potato dumplings, some sorts of German "spatzle", Slovak "halusky" etc.
text: Second sort of dumplings is based ond dough, sometimes strictly flour/egg based, sometimes enriched with buns, but almost always leavened.
text: Other generally sorting rule that apply is the dough thickness.
text: All the pasta/noodles are made of THIN plates of dough, whether dumplings are boiled either as balls, droppings of fresh dough directly into boiling water, or long cylinders, that are sliced upon serving.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 1
sents: text: Gnocchi can have potatoes in them; I don't think noodles ever do.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4861/tim
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Noodles have a different shape and do not contain potatoes, but both are unleavened dough cooked in boiling water.
Noodles are long and thin. Gnocchi has potatoes in.
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <boiling><sauteing><steaming><dumplings><polish-cuisine>
Title: What is the authentic way to cook pierogi?
Question: I've been buying pre-packaged pierogi from Trader Joe's and local Polish delis. But I can't seem to get a straight or consistent answer on how you are  supposed  to cook them. Should you steam pierogi, boil them, or saute them with butter?

Answers:
sents: text: We have a Polish & Greek place by us (don't ask), and theirs are always boiled.
text: They are delicious that way (usually topped with bacon and sour cream)...
text: Personally I always grew up w/
text: them boiled then sauteed, which is my favorite.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6791/Rikon
score: 8
sents: text: The most common way here in Poland to prepare them is to boil them.
text: Put them into boiling and salted water, wait until they start floating on the surface and then boil for 2-3 minutes
text: (longer if they are frozen).
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2889/Paweł
score: 7
sents: text: My Polish mother-in-law boils them.
text: The sweet ones are usually served with a bit of yogurt or sour cream, and the savory ones are often fried (after boiling) until golden, and served with onions and bacon.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1148/Chris Cudmore
score: 7
sents: text: My babcia (grandmother, she came to the states in '49) boils them after assembly.
text: If she's serving them right away, she browns them in some butter.
text: Otherwise, she packages them up in ziplock bags and freezes them.
text: Packaged pierogi are probably already boiled.
text: I would thaw them and saute in a little butter until golden brown and warm through.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5646/Adam Jaskiewicz
score: 4
sents: text: First boil them.
text: Remove from water and brown some butter and pour the butter over the pierogi and toss in a large bowl.
text: Later you can either fry them or warm them in the microwave.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/68272/Rusty
score: 2
sents: text: My grandmother, who is from Poland, simmered them in boiling salted water and then drained them.
text: She smothered them in butter that had been browned, this was how my mother taught me.
text: Not sure if this is the authentic way
text: but it is what was passed down three generations.
text: This process is used for the potato cheese mix as well as the fruit pierogi, both being covered with browned butter
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/63790/Phyllis Knapik
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
The traditional way in Poland is to boil them in salted water, although packaged pierogi may already have been boiled. When serving right away, you can brown them in some butter and serve with onions and bacon, or serve with a bit of yoghurt or sour cream.
They are generally boiled and then sauteed or fried. However, packaged pierogi are probably already boiled.
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <substitutions><potatoes><corned-beef>
Title: Replace the potatoes in a corned beef hash with something that isn't starchy?
Question: I am following a low-carb diet, and would like to make corned beef hash at home with left over corned beef brisket. Onions are no problem, but I would prefer to avoid root vegetables, and potatoes in particular. What would make a good substitute, in terms of texture and taste?

Answers:
sents: text: Cauliflower might work.
text: I've put cauliflower in a food processor to get it to a uniform small-ish size, and then stir-fried it until soft, as a low-carb substitute for rice.
text: Maybe you could dice it into small pieces and do the same.
text: Boiling or steaming instead of stir-frying may give you a softer potato-like texture.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/17023/matikin9
score: 4
sents: text: Starchy is kind of the nature of hash.
text: I am not sure that you would still have a hash if you eliminate the potatoes, but you should get something delicious in any case.
text: This low carb website suggests using cabbage in a hash-like dish.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14401/SAJ14SAJ
score: 2
sents: text: Split pea & shallot mash from the GL diet book might work.
text: Soak 225g split peas in cold water for 2 hours, drain place in pan & cover with water bring to boil & skim.
text: Add 1 bay leaf & 6 sage leaves (I use thyme) simmer until tender, meanwhile fry off in olive oil
text: 3 finely chopped shallots
text: ( I use onion) add 2 tsps cummin + 1 clove minced garlic.
text: Fry till soft.
text: Drain split peas & retain water.
text: Mix shallots with s/peas & remave bay leaf.
text: process or blend adding water to suit the consistency you like.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/20950/Joe
score: 2
sents: text: Cubed celery would be a good start.
text: I would mix the celery with carrots and sweet potatoes, though they are only 'less' starch.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6279/Cos Callis
score: 1
sents: text: I have used diced turnips in dishes as a replacement for potatoes.
text: That may work if you enjoy eating turnips.
text: Of course the taste will be much different than potatoes.
text: According to Wikipedia (eep, I know... but just for a rough idea): 100 grams of..
text: Turnips 7g carbs Potatoes 17g carbs
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/17063/Preston
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
The starch is part of the nature of hash, but you could try replacing the potatoes with cauliflower, split pea & shallot mash, cabbage, cubed celery or diced turnips.
The essence of hash is quite starchy so removing potatoes would not be a hash. You could make something similar using cauliflower, split peas, celery or turnip.
Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <spices><beans>
Title: How to make homemade pinto beans taste like canned refried beans?
Question: I see plenty of advice out there on how to make canned pinto beans taste delicious, but does anyone know how to recreate that  cheapo refrito  taste? I've tried countless combinations of freshly cooked pinto beans, salt, garlic, chili powder, onions...  They always seem to be missing some crucial element, and I don't mean the sitting-in-a-can-forever-flavor!

Answers:
sents: text: Lard is the fat of choice in many "el cheapo" canned refried beans, and could be what you are missing.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/35357/Debbie M.
score: 16
sents: text: My first guess would be: more salt than you think.
text: This is probably the main "secret" for most processed foods.
text: Ortega Traditional Refried Beans have 560 mg of sodium per serving (that's a serving of 131 g, making 3.5 servings in a standard can).
text: A 1/4 tsp of table salt has 590 mg.
text: If you're making the equivalent of 1 can of beans, you would have to put in a little over 3/4 tsp of salt.
text: If you're making a biggish pot, starting with 1 kg of dry beans (makes about 2 kg cooked), that would be about 4 tsp (9.5 g) of salt.
text: Yeah, it's a lot.
text: You can think about whether you really want to do that.
text: Other suggestions I have heard: sugar and cinnamon. Haven't tried it myself, though.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/27125/Nate Eldredge
score: 10
sents: text: You're missing fat in the equation.
text: The previous member suggests bacon
text: but I don't know how you feel about the smoke flavor but fat will do you good.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/43026/Water_Mizu
score: 6
sents: text: Try mashing the beans with butter and bacon drippings along with just a enough cumin so you can "tell" it's different but you can't taste the cumin.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/33134/Escoce
score: 5
sents: text: You might be missing epazote .
text: IMHO an absolute must in any Mexican bean dishes.
text: Do not overdo it though.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/26103/user58697
score: 2
sents: text: Lard.
text: It's all you need.
text: There is usually a tub of it in the same part of the store as Crisco (vegetable shortening).
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/43101/mmaceachran
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Cheap canned refried beans often use lard, so you could mash the beans with this or with butter and bacon drippings. You may not be adding enough salt, or the missing flavour could be cumin, epazote, sugar or cinnamon.
There a number of ingredients that could be mssing when attempting to recreate "el cheapo" beans. These include fat, sugar, salt and epazote.
Forum: musicfans.stackexchange.com
Tags: <identify-this-song><rock>
Title: Name of song with lyrics "let it shine"
Question: I heard a song in yoga class that I enjoyed very much but never had a chance to ask what is was. It's in f minor and has a strong beat. The tempo, key, and feel is quite reminiscent of "Staying Alive" and "Another one Bites the Dust". The words "let it shine" are repeated multiple times consecutively, in several locations. Could anybody name the song? Thanks :)

Answers:
sents: text: I have a couple of guesses, though I'm not sure if any of them are correct since a little more detail might be necessary to answer the question with confidence.
text: "Let It Shine" by Santana "
text: Let It Shine" by Al Green "
text: Let It Shine" by The Hochers
answer_details: author: musicfans.stackexchange.com/users/431/Joe Kennedy
score: 3
sents: text: Take That : " Let it Shine " ??
text: It's in a minor key, has a strong beat, and while it isn't exactly 70's disco, it has some of that same sound.
text: And it repeats "let it shine" over and over. "
text: So come on
text: See the light on your face
text: Let it shine Just let it shine
text: Let it shine."
answer_details: author: musicfans.stackexchange.com/users/65/Angst
score: 2
sents: text: Perhaps it's "Age of Aquarius" by The 5th Dimension:
text: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjxSCAalsBE
text: The latter half of the song, they repeat "Let the sunshine; let the sunshine in; the sunshine in..."
answer_details: author: musicfans.stackexchange.com/users/1103/user1103
score: 1
sents: text: Turn On Your Lovelight has the same refrain..
text: Not sure I would expect it in a yoga class, but hey, you never can tell ;-)
answer_details: author: musicfans.stackexchange.com/users/1412/TaW
score: 1
sents: text: I guess it is not this song, but by your description, "Stayin' alive" and "Another one bites the dust", this might seem the song:
text: "Shine a little love", from Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
text: It has a disco tempo and chorus, as in "Stayin' Alive", also high pitched harmonies as in "Stayin' Alive", and a clear bass line, as in "Another one bites the dust".
text: It begins somehow slow.
text: However, I don't see it being played in a yoga class.
answer_details: author: musicfans.stackexchange.com/users/7705/DaDSPGuy
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Santana, Al Green, The Hoochers and Take That all have songs called "Let it Shine".
Different songs all called '' Let it Shine'' made by different artists and Bands
Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <trains><international-travel><factoids>
Title: Countries with solely international trains
Question: All trains in Liechtenstein are international (in fact, they all serve at least three countries).  Are there any other countries with regular passenger train services where all trains are international?

Answers:
sents: text: Monaco - Monte-Carlo is the only railway station in the Principality of Monaco
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/4995/pnuts
score: 32
sents: text: Monaco (another European city-state) has only one train station .
text: Vatican City also has only one train station .
text: A tourist train serviced it weekly from Italy in 2015, but it is not clear if it is still running.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/47855/Robert Columbia
score: 16
sents: text: At time of writing -- but not for much longer -- the railway network in Laos consists of a single station, Thanaleng (near the capital Vientiane), which has passenger services only across the Mekong river to Nong Khai, Thailand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanaleng_railway_station
text: However, in 2021 the Vientiane-Boten link across the country to China is scheduled to open, and this will have a number of domestic stations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientiane%E2%80%93Boten_railway
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1893/lambshaanxy
score: 6
sents: text: Actually all trains in Liechtenstein are Austrian (since 1872) , with locomotive / conductor change in Buch, Switzerland.
text: In 1970, the passport control was done (for Switzerland) by a Liechtenstein police officer who got on the train in Buch and off at the first Austrian station Feldkirch without stopping.
text: On request my passport was stamped with a Liechtenstein stamp.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/95267/Mark Johnson
score: 5
sents: text: Since early 2018, there is passenger train service between Ethiopia and Djibouti .
text: It appears that all trains go from Addis Ababa to Djibouti City, so all trains in both countries are effectively international trains.
text: However, there are at least two passenger stops in each country, so it is also possible to take this train domestically; I'm not sure whether this counts under the criteria of the question.
text: Moreover, there are other passenger lines under construction in Ethiopia , and once these are completed and begin passenger service, there will be both domestic and international passenger trains in Ethiopia.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/31165/Michael Seifert
score: 5

Summary of the answers:
Monaco and the Vatican City only have one station, and Laos has a single station (Thanaleng) that only has passenger services to Nong Khai, Thailand. Ethiopia and Djibouti have one station each, with trains only travelling from Addis Ababa to Djibouti.
Monaco, Vatican City and Laos all have only one station that has a rail service to another country. Ethiopia and Djibouti have only one railway line that connects Addis Ababa to Djibouti City.
Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <london><tipping><uber>
Title: Is it normal practice to tip an Uber driver in London?
Question: I've never used Uber in London and will need to transfer from LHR to SW1. Is it customary to tip the Uber driver?

Answers:
sents: text: I will interpret your question as "is it normal practice to tip an Uber driver in London?"---otherwise it would be off topic as opinion-based.
text: No , it is not expected to tip Uber drivers.
text: It is also not expected to tip other kinds of taxi drivers in London, except that you might round up to the nearest convenient change if paying in cash.
text: Your Uber driver will be quite happy to be doing an LHR to SW1 transfer as it is.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/29377/Calchas
score: 27
sents: text: As others have said, there is no need.
text: But I'd like to point you to something else.
text: Don't use an Uber from LHR.
text: It is just going to cause you hassle.
text: Use the tube to get to SW1, Picadilly line till South Kensington and then District line for 2 stops to take you to the middle of SW1.
text: If your thought of taking an uber was because you'll have a lot of luggage, us ea service like airportr to bring it to your address, it'll be cheaper than the taxi and less faff, especially with a lot of luggage.
text: If time is at a premium, the fastest way would be Heathrow express to Paddington
text: and then a taxi / uber or tube.
text: First trains leave around 5 am so even the first arrivals are no problem.
text: Seriously, don't drive from Heathrow into central London.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/56542/ic_fl2
score: 13
sents: text: The simple answer is NO.
text: There is no tip with Uber in London UK.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/43348/Laurent
score: 7
sents: text: From the drivers perspective, Uber's policy on tipping is the following: If someone wants to tip the driver, the driver has to say "It is not necessary to tip the driver when using Uber" If the person insists on the tip, the driver can accept it
text: Any driver I met would first say no to a tip, but then they would accept if I insist.
text: I only do that if the service is really good.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/56523/Aston
score: 5
sents: text: In general we tip when we get a good service; if a waitress served us well then we tip her.
text: So why we don't do that for Uber drivers?
text: Well, simple answer:
text: You can tip him, it will not cause any harm.
text: From a Uber forum : You cannot tip from the app
text: but you can give me him cash.
text: Also, there is this link about drivers who added a sign for tips .
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/8398/Moudiz
score: 3

Summary of the answers:
It is not necessary or expected to tip Uber or other kinds of taxi drivers in London, although the driver can accept a tip if the passenger insists.
There is no need to tip a uber driver or any taxi driver in London. Uber states a driver should first refuse a tip if it is offered. The driver can accept if the passenger insists.
Forum: sustainability.stackexchange.com
Tags: <cleaning><hygiene><safe-chemicals>
Title: What non-toxic products can I use to keep my kitchen counters clean and safe?
Question: I'm wondering what kind of products I can use that are not dangerous to keep kitchen surfaces clean and safe.     Should I get different products for different types surfaces (e.g. granite top vs. wooden cutting board)?    Should I get different products for different types of foods (e.g. meats vs. vegetables)?

Answers:
sents: text: Baking Soda and Lemon should be on the top of your list.
text: There are different solutions to use based the situation.
text: I have found the following site useful for a more natural and safe way to clean food and stuff around the house, http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/22/Colby Guyer
score: 14
sents: text: In addition to Baking Soda and Lemon, as @Colby mentioned, I'd add that Vinegar will clean most everything; it is non-toxic and cheap.
text: I've found it to be very effective for getting rid of molds and musty smells.
text: If you get Vinegar on your food, who cares, right?
text: You could still eat it, unless you don't like the taste.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/69/BryanH
score: 13
sents: text: I'm in the cleanliness is over-hyped in our culture camp, so I probably have a different outlook than you.
text: But, I wash surfaces mostly with just water and a cloth.
text: If there's grease to cut or I want to damage microorganisms, I'll wipe down with vinegar.
text: I don't even use baking soda for surfaces -- just for burned pans and such.
text: This mild sanitation protocol works well even in my kitchen which is deeply saturated with microorganisms due to years of various, constant fermentations.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/115/clweeks
score: 8
sents: text: You'd be surprised how much you can achieve with a piece of cotton, clean water and much patience.
text: While camping, we're cleaning all pots with water and a piece of grass or leaves.
text: It requires more time than using detergents and hot water, but it is possible.
text: Fats don't dissolve in water, so you can use a bit of alcohol for them.
text: Home-made , of course :)
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/5/Danubian Sailor
score: 6
sents: text: If you want commercial products check out Good Guide , they rank products based on ingredient hazards and larger environmental impact.
text: They have an extremely large database and rank things from cleaners to food to makeup.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/4973/akb
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Various solutions may be used depending on the situation. Baking soda and lemon are at the top of the list, although vinegar or clean water and a cotton cloth are also recommended.
It depends on the situation, but you could use items such as baking soda, lemon, vinegar, cotton and clean water.
Forum: sustainability.stackexchange.com
Tags: <composting>
Title: Does a compost pile for food scraps need some kind of starter material?
Question: When starting a compost pile from scratch for kitchen food scraps, do I need some kind of starter material?  For example, should I take any material from an established composting pile to seed it with appropriate biological agents?  If needed, is such starter sold in any stores?

Answers:
sents: text: A starter material isn't technically necessary, though a good amount of some sort of neutral, non-food based material (such as leaves, dirt, etc) will help to keep it from smelling like rotten food.
text: Otherwise, the natural flora and fauna will breakdown the foods over time, as long as a reasonable nitrogen ratio is maintained.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/56/Benjamin Brannon
score: 18
sents: text: A starter isn't a requirement, but it can certainly help.
text: A shovel from a long-standing site of decomposition will work.
text: Manure works really well in a compost pile that includes food scraps, as it provides thermophillic bacteria that like the stuff we eat.
text: Include plenty of fine carbonaceous material such as sawdust, to maintain the carbon-nitrogen balance.
text: Build the compost pile big so it can get hot.
text: My compost hits 130 degF.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/27/Jay Bazuzi
score: 10
sents: text: It's more important to worry about a good balance of materials ("greens" and "browns" so that you have about a 30:1 C:N ratio) than it is to worry about a starter colony.
text: In terms of what to use: you can use existing compost, well-rotted animal manures, or healthy soil from your garden.
text: All of these things will have the microbe families that you want in your compost pile.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/66/bstpierre
score: 10
sents: text: A dead mouse in the compost will attract the right kind of microbes.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/47/Kristoffer Nolgren
score: 6
sents: text: It's not essential, but it will speed up the process initially if you use a good mix.
text: Personally I don't bother, but I don't really mind when the compost comes and am happy to wait.
text: If you could do with the compost sooner rather than later, then chuck a load of rich soil or existing composting material in there to get it started - they contain a lot of the necessary bacteria which should thrive on their new found food.
answer_details: author: sustainability.stackexchange.com/users/52/berry120
score: 6

Summary of the answers:
A starter material isn't technically necessary, although it might help and speed up the process. A good amount of some sort of neutral, non-food based material (such as leaves, dirt, etc) will help to keep it from smelling like rotten food.  It's more important to worry about a good balance of materials ("greens" and "browns") than it is to worry about a starter colony.
A starter can help but is not essential. A balance of green and brown is very useful for composting.
Forum: outdoors.stackexchange.com
Tags: <hiking><boots>
Title: How do I prevent rocks or sand from getting in my boots?
Question: So when I hike, usually I get a small pebble or two, or sand in my boots. How can I prevent this? I already wear pretty tight boots, and stopping every so often to take off a boot and get a rock out is annoying.

Answers:
sents: text: You can get some trail gaiters .
text: (This REI link gives a good overview of different types of gaiters, their components, and materials they can be made from.)
text: They're basically little sleeve-like things that have a strap to go around the bottom of your hiking boot, and they come up to mid-calf usually.
text: Because they overlap with both your boot and your pants, they should be pretty good at keeping rocks out of your shoes.
text: They typically look something like this:
text: There are, however, variations in types and usage of gaiters.
text: They can be mid-calf height or knee-high, insulated or uninsulated, waterproof or not.
text: (Short gaiters that only cover the instep and the ankle are sometimes called spats - they are also sometimes just called "low gaiters".)
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/77/Laura
score: 18
sents: text: For me it's all about gait.
text: We do river hiking where it's easy to flip up sand into a shoe if not careful.
text: The trick is to lift your feet and step without either toe or heal dragging, as well as to set them down in a controlled manner.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/127/Russell Steen
score: 6
sents: text: If you're using mid- to high- length boots, there are a number of models of pants that have a small hook or strap at the very end of the pant leg used to fix the pant leg to the boot lace at the ankle.
text: These are usually accompanied by a vertical strap so that the pant leg can be fixed snugly around the ankle.
text: I personally used these while serving in the (Swedish) army.
text: The M/90 uniform pants have these features and I never got snow/stone/pebbles etc into my boots.
text: Lundhags "Boot-Loc"-system is an example of this.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/689/Björn Roberg
score: 6
sents: text: Cut a pair of socks in half!
text: Cut across about two inches above where the toes would be.
text: Then slide these over the top of your boots.
text: Works for me! :)
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/5962/user5962
score: 2
sents: text: If you are hiking in warm weather and want to keep things more light and airy, trail running gaiters (such as these ) are light and breathable and will protect from sand and pebbles specifically.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/5963/Gilad Nachmani
score: 2

Summary of the answers:
Using trail gaiters, cutting a pair of socks in half, or pants that hook onto the boot laces are methods to prevent this. The gait can also help, by lifting and placing the feet properly without dragging.
Good gait and ensuring you lift your feet are important. Socks cut in half, trail gaiters and pants with hooks/straps can help.
Forum: outdoors.stackexchange.com
Tags: <cold-weather><prevention>
Title: How to prevent skin cracks?
Question: So every winter working in the dry cold, my skin, on my hands and feet, cracks. Particularly between my fingers and toes. What can I do to prevent this?

Answers:
sents: text: Ideally get a moisturiser that is cream or oil based.
text: For lips and between the fingers, vaseline is excellent at moisturising, then keeping the moisture in.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/66/Rory Alsop
score: 5
sents: text: A moisturiser is what you need - personally I like diprobase, you can safely apply as much as you want to and it's not that oily, it soaks into the skin nice and quickly without leaving any horrible residue.
text: I actually use this all year round because I'm prone to getting bad eczema - so if it does the job on my awful skin, it should help with yours!
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/74/berry120
score: 5
sents: text: You should use some kind of moisturizing hand lotion.
text: There are a lot of brands, and I don't really have a preference.
text: I like to make sure I get an unscented version, since most moisturizers are market towards women and have floral aromas.
text: Put it on your skin once or twice a day, and the dry cracking should go away.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/651/DavidR
score: 4
sents: text: I specifically have problems with splits on the finger tips and found the following helped a lot; Grow your fingernails
text: longer-
text: I used to cut mine very short, this makes a big difference.
text: Use skin cream such as Neutrogena "Norwegian Fishermans Formula".
text: Every time your fingertips feel harder than normal, apply.
text: This will be something like every hour or two in dry weather (ie; heating season).
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/1894/greif
score: 3
sents: text: Best.
text: Thing.
text: Ever.
text: This emollient is moisturizing without being greasy, has a clean, fresh, smell and lasts for a long time between applications.
text: The small, thin tin fits easily in a pocket.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/12241/M.Mat
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
You should use a moisturizer, such as diprobase or Neutrogena "Norwegian Fishermans Formula". Vaseline is a good option for lips and between the fingers. Unscented options are available.
Diprobase, Neutrogena, vaseline and other unscented moisturisers work well.
Forum: outdoors.stackexchange.com
Tags: <gear><camping><backpacking><stoves><canister-stoves>
Title: Backpacking propane canister too tall and unstable
Question: My propane/butane/isobutane canister with stove top attached is about 6" tall. When I put a cookware filled with liquid on top of it, the center of gravity seems very high and the whole system seems not very stable, especially when it's windy.   Any suggestions?  See image:

Answers:
sents: text: Looking at the photo, if the ground is as soft as that, burying the canister by 2-3 cm could help a lot.
text: If you're camping at a beach and bury it halfway in the sand, then that should even work in high winds.
text: Apart from that, if you're willing to buy a new stove, there are a number of them that come with built-in legs, such as this one
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/3478/helm
score: 10
sents: text: If it seems unstable as in wobbly then you might get better results by clearing out the ground you place it on
text: so you have a level surface to work with (or by building a level surface with rocks or what you can find)
text: Another option is to get legs that attach to the underside of the bottle to make the setup more stable.
text: Here is an example from ebay , but check your local stores as well, as in Sweden buying at biltema is cheaper than ebay in this case.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/3731/Jontas
score: 9
sents: text: Try a different brand of canister.
text: The MSR, and others, come in a shorter height, but burying it is the best solution.
text: Plus, gives some wind break.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/3869/GoHikeGo
score: 2
sents: text: You can get a hose or pipe which allows you to connect the burner to the hose then the hose to the canister.
text: This allows you to put the burner closer to the ground, in a small divot, behind a stump or otherwise shielded from the wind.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/1934/Freiheit
score: 2
sents: text: I tried answering this, but the answer was locked.
text: So anyway... I posted a picture of a 3" burner that only weighed 96 grams as opposed to your 6" tall burner.
text: Using said 3" burner would make the the whole unit shorter and less top heavy.
answer_details: author: outdoors.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Burying the canister slightly, clearing the ground or attaching legs may help stability. Other brands of canister or hose connectors are also available.
Legs, a differet canister brand, a hose/pipe are possible solutions. You can also bury the canister or clear the ground.
Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <word-choice><image-identification>
Title: What is the “hole” in this desk called?
Question: This question has been created to split two questions previously asked  here    It is a "hole" in a desk. What can I call this? Can I say "Put your books into the hole"?

Answers:
sents: text: That internal area is called a "compartment".
text: (If it had a container that you could slide out to place your things inside more readily, that would be a "drawer".)
text: (A "hole" is too generic of a term, and would not be associated with the desk; a "slot" would be a long, narrow hole that allows you to insert, for example, an envelope into an otherwise closed compartment.
text: This desk has a (closed) drawer with a slot.)
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/87/Hellion
score: 9
sents: text: I would use one of the following terms: • pigeonhole , “A nook in a desk for holding papers” • recess , “An inset, hole, space or opening” • cubbyhole , “A small compartment; a pigeonhole” • desk pocket , with pocket used in the sense of a receptacle, indention, or cavity
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/146/James Waldby - jwpat7
score: 8
sents: text: The hole in that desk can be called a slot.
text: See this definiton .
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/1425/Tristan
score: 5
sents: text: One could call the "compartment" a cubby , a cubbyhole , a pigeonhole (although a pigeonhole is usually smaller), or a recess , but the simplest, most common English word might be shelf .
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/43789/Torsten
score: 4
sents: text: Apart from anything else that does not look practical.
text: What would you put in there?
text: Paper?
text: Exercise books?
text: I would not describe that space as being a slot.
text: A slot is a snug, tight hole, usually horizontal, and just enough space toslide something in.
text: A coin for example.
text: A slot machine, for exampleis another name for a fruit machine.
text: In that case the coin slot isusually vertical.
text: I wouldn't call it a hole.
text: A hole tends to be round, not always, but if you were to ask someone to drawa hole in the wall it would be round shaped.
text: Personally I would call it an "open drawer" or a "paper drawer" or"an open unit" or a "paper storage nook".
text: Google provided thispossibility: Open paper storage drawer
text: The actual piece of furniture is called "a four drawer open paper storage".
text: But admittedly it is a bit of a mouthful.
text: It would take you longer to say to a friend: " Please put the book into the open paper storage drawer." than to put the actual book away yourself.
text: "Hole" then would be fine, life's too short.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/1694/Mari-Lou A
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
A hole in a desk can be called a slot, a compartment, a cubby, a pigeonhole, a paper drawer, a nook, or a desk pocket.
You could call it a slot, cubby, an open drawer, compartment, pigeonhole or nook.
Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <expressions>
Title: "Their money was not earned easily."
Question: Suppose that when I was a child, my parents' wages were low. Is it good to write:   I knew that their money was not earned easily. So I rarely ask them for allowances to buy candies or toys.   In particular, is it good to write  their money was not earned easily ? I found  money was not earned easily  appears very rarely in Google search.

Answers:
sents: text: "their money was not earned easily" may not be a commonly used set phrase, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
text: If you were writing very formally, however, the more common "was hard earned" might be better.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/2748/nxx
score: 5
sents: text: There are two main ideas that you want to convey: your parents were not well paid (or underpaid ), and their money was hard earned .
text: To rephrase your sentence to be more idiomatic, here is one possible way: When I was young, my parents were not well paid.
text: I knew that their money was hard earned, so I rarely ask them ...
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/3281/Damkerng T.
score: 3
sents: text: "Their money was not earned easily" is not a commonly-used phrase, but it is perfectly clear what you mean and I think it is well said.
text: Yes, you could say, "They had a low income", but that's not as colorful.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/803/Jay
score: 2
sents: text: As OP has discovered, money isn't earned easy (or easily ) is not a particularly common turn of phrase.
text: There are no written instances of either of those exact forms in Google Books, but there are hundreds of instances of money doesn't come easy (and easily ).
text: Far more common (Google Books claims about 11,200 results ) is... money was hard to come by ...
text: which I think focusses more on the fact that there wasn't much money, even if you worked hard .
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/126/FumbleFingers Reinstate Monica
score: 2
sents: text: Just to point out, you already provided a better idiom: "I knew that their wages were low .
text: So I rarely asked them for an allowance to buy candies or toys."
text: However, some others may be more popular:
text: they didn't make much money, we were poor, we didn't have much money, they didn't have much money, they were underpaid
text: I suppose any of those could work, depending on what you want to mean and the "voice" you want to use.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/3796/CoolHandLouis
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Their money was not earned easily is not a commonly-used phrase, but it is perfectly clear what you mean and I think it is well said. Alternative suggestions include: they didn't make much money, we were poor, we didn't have much money, they didn't have much money, or they were underpaid.
This is not common but not incorrect either. Didn't make much money, were poor are alternative renderings.