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.
First, make sure you cook in the right plastics. While plastic containers work well in the microwave, not all of them are created equal. Some aren't heat proof, and will melt or deform when placed in your microwave. Others contain harmful substances that can leach into food that's in contact with them if you heat them up. Because of this, it's extremely important to make sure you use only plastics intended to be put in the microwave. Don't reuse packages like margarine containers as microwave cooking containers. Also, only heat foods in their packages if they have directions for microwave cooking. If you don't see these directions, take food out of the package before you cook it.
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.
Anything that has a shell, skin, or impermeable outside coating should be pierced before you cook it. This includes eggs and many vegetables. Failure to pierce foods means that steam can build up inside, causing an explosion. Remember to cook in a slightly larger container than would be used in a conventional oven, for even heating. A round or oval shaped container is better for microwave cooking than a rectangle or square. That's because corners can cause heat build up.
If using recipes, cook for the lower part of the state time range. It's easy to cook food for a little bit longer, but you can't un-cook anything! If your microwave doesn't have a turntable, you'll need to periodically stop it so that you can rotate the food inside. Remember that dishes inside the microwave will be very hot. An oven pad or mitt should be used to prevent burns.
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.
If you're baking, consider softening sticks of butter by heating them for thirty seconds on half power. If heating sour cream or heavy cream, use lower power settings to prevent curdling. If your brown sugar has gotten hard, slice an apple or put a piece of bread into a loosely covered container with the sugar. Heat for about thirty seconds to add moisture into your sugar. If you want to make bread crumbs, just microwave cubed bread until it gets stale. You can then crush the bread inside a plastic bag for easy cleanup.
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, make sure you cook in the right plastics. While plastic containers work well in the microwave, not all of them are created equal. Some aren't heat proof, and will melt or deform when placed in your microwave. Others contain harmful substances that can leach into food that's in contact with them if you heat them up. Because of this, it's extremely important to make sure you use only plastics intended to be put in the microwave. Don't reuse packages like margarine containers as microwave cooking containers. Also, only heat foods in their packages if they have directions for microwave cooking. If you don't see these directions, take food out of the package before you cook it.
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.
Anything that has a shell, skin, or impermeable outside coating should be pierced before you cook it. This includes eggs and many vegetables. Failure to pierce foods means that steam can build up inside, causing an explosion. Remember to cook in a slightly larger container than would be used in a conventional oven, for even heating. A round or oval shaped container is better for microwave cooking than a rectangle or square. That's because corners can cause heat build up.
If using recipes, cook for the lower part of the state time range. It's easy to cook food for a little bit longer, but you can't un-cook anything! If your microwave doesn't have a turntable, you'll need to periodically stop it so that you can rotate the food inside. Remember that dishes inside the microwave will be very hot. An oven pad or mitt should be used to prevent burns.
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.
If you're baking, consider softening sticks of butter by heating them for thirty seconds on half power. If heating sour cream or heavy cream, use lower power settings to prevent curdling. If your brown sugar has gotten hard, slice an apple or put a piece of bread into a loosely covered container with the sugar. Heat for about thirty seconds to add moisture into your sugar. If you want to make bread crumbs, just microwave cubed bread until it gets stale. You can then crush the bread inside a plastic bag for easy cleanup.
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 is the creator of several websites providing information and sales of cookware and kitchen appliances including Microwave Oven Sales and Information, and specifically relating to the Frigidaire Microwave Oven series.
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