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Cooking Tips for Using Microwave Ovens

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, 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.

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.

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.

Frozen meat can be separated by defrosting for thirty seconds to a minute. Then, if you wish to cook it further, arrange it evenly in the dish. You can also drain hamburger fat by microwaving the meat in a plastic colander on top of a bowl or other dish. The fat runs into the dish and out of the meat.

Tags: Cooking