Tips on Microwave Cooking for all Foods
You’ll hear a lot of advice about cooking in the microwave, and some of it’s even contradictory. If you’re confused about microwave cooking, don’t worry. Many other people aren’t sure about this fast and easy food preparation method, either. Here are a few tips to help you cook in the microwave with success.
Use the right plastics. Plastics serve many purposes in our kitchens, but not all of them take heat well. Some will melt and deform in the microwave. Others will leach harmful toxins into your food. That means it’s important to heat in plastics that are meant to be used in the microwave. Don’t be tempted to microwave butter tubs and similar packages, and only heat pre packaged foods that have microwaved instructions. If the food doesn’t come with instructions, get rid of the packaging before you heat it.
Remember that microwaved food should be cooked in small pieces, too. Cut larger items into uniformly sized and shaped pieces, and spread them evenly in the dish you’re cooking in. You may need to rotate or move these food pieces around while cooking. Keep uneven foods arranged with thick parts towards the outside walls of the container. In the microwave, outer edges cook faster than the inside of a food.
You should pierce foods that have any kind of skin or shell before you cook them. Vegetables and eggs fall into this category. If you don’t pierces these foods, they could explode from built up steam inside them. It’s also important to use a slightly larger container than you would in an ordinary oven – this helps your food heat more evently. Round or oval containers work better than rectangular or square ones because corners can create a heat buildup, overcooking some areas.
If you’re using a microwave recipe, cook food for the shorter time in the range stated. While you can always add more time later, overcooked food has been ruined. If you don’t have a turntable in your microwave, stop the machine periodically to rotate food. Dishes inside your oven will be extremely hot – use an oven mitt or pad.
Food that is covered when cooking in a regular oven should also be covered in the microwave. That way, you’ll know that your meal will cook evenly and retain all its moisture. Lids should be left slightly ajar to make certain that there’s no pressure buildup inside the container. When you remove food from the microwave, lift lids carefully. Open containers facing away from you to prevent burns. Salting microwave food should be done after it’s cooked to prevent it from drying out.
When baking, you can use the microwave to help you with minor tasks. For instance, sticks of butter can be softened by heating on half power for thirty seconds. When warming heavy cream or sour cream, use a low setting to prevent curdling. Hardened brown sugar can be made soft again by microwaving it in a loosely covered container with a slice of apple or piece of bread. Bread crumbs are made by microwaving cubed bread until stale, then crushing it inside a plastic bag.
When using frozen meat, separate individual pieces by defrosting for half a minute to a minute. If you want to cook it more in the microwave, arrange the meat evenly in a dish after separation. To drain fat from hamburger, microwave it in a plastic colander set on top of a bowl. The fat will run out of the meat and into the dish for easy disposal.
