You might hear a lot of contradictory advice about how to cook in your microwave oven. If you're confused, there's no need to be concerned. Many people don't know a lot about this easy, fast way of preparing food. Here are a few tips that'll help you enjoy microwave cooking a lot more successfully.
First, be sure that you use the correct plastics. Plastics work well in the microwave, and do a lot in the kitchen. But there are different plastics, and not all are heat proof. Some will deform or melt when microwaved. Others can leach toxins and harmful substances into the food inside them. That's why it's important only to use plastics that are meant for microwave use. Don't reuse packaging like butter tubs in the microwave, and only heat packaged foods that have instructions for use in the microwave. If a food doesn't have these instructions, take it out of the packaging before heating.
Food cooks best in the microwave if you use small pieces. Larger items should be cut into pieces of similar shape and size, and evenly spread in your cooking dish. You'll need to move or rotate some of the food while it's cooking. Thick areas should be near the outside walls of the container, since the outer part of foods cook faster in the microwave.
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.
When cooking from a microwave recipe, start by cooking for the time at the shorter end of the range given. You can always cook food longer, but overcooked food is ruined. Microwaves without a turntable must be stopped periodically so that you can rotate the food. Remember that dishes inside the microwave will be very hot, so use an oven mitt.
If you cover a food in a conventional oven, use a lid in the microwave so that moisture will be retained and cooking will occur evenly. Leave all lids slightly open so that pressure won't build up inside the container, and lift lids carefully when you remove food. Turn the opening away from you when you do this to prevent yourself from being burned. If food needs to be salted, do this after cooking it. That's because salt can cause microwaved foods to dry 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.
First, be sure that you use the correct plastics. Plastics work well in the microwave, and do a lot in the kitchen. But there are different plastics, and not all are heat proof. Some will deform or melt when microwaved. Others can leach toxins and harmful substances into the food inside them. That's why it's important only to use plastics that are meant for microwave use. Don't reuse packaging like butter tubs in the microwave, and only heat packaged foods that have instructions for use in the microwave. If a food doesn't have these instructions, take it out of the packaging before heating.
Food cooks best in the microwave if you use small pieces. Larger items should be cut into pieces of similar shape and size, and evenly spread in your cooking dish. You'll need to move or rotate some of the food while it's cooking. Thick areas should be near the outside walls of the container, since the outer part of foods cook faster in the microwave.
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.
When cooking from a microwave recipe, start by cooking for the time at the shorter end of the range given. You can always cook food longer, but overcooked food is ruined. Microwaves without a turntable must be stopped periodically so that you can rotate the food. Remember that dishes inside the microwave will be very hot, so use an oven mitt.
If you cover a food in a conventional oven, use a lid in the microwave so that moisture will be retained and cooking will occur evenly. Leave all lids slightly open so that pressure won't build up inside the container, and lift lids carefully when you remove food. Turn the opening away from you when you do this to prevent yourself from being burned. If food needs to be salted, do this after cooking it. That's because salt can cause microwaved foods to dry 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.
About the Author:
Robert Cooksey has produced a number of websites relating to cookware and kitchen appliances including Choosing Microwave Ovens, and particularly relating to Countertop Microwave Ovens. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
