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Elevating: Thick or dense foods are often elevated so
that microwaves can be absorbed by the underside and
center of the foods.
Piercing: Foods enclosed in a shell, skin, or membrane
are likely to burst in the oven unless they are pierced
prior to cooking. Such foods include both yolks and
whites of eggs, clams and oysters, and many whole
vegetables and fruits.
Testing if cooked: Because foods cook so quickly in a
microwave oven, it is necessary to test food frequently.
Some foods are left in the microwave until completely
cooked, but most foods, including meats and poultry, are
removed from the oven while still slightly undercooked
and allowed to finish cooking during standing time. The
internal temperature of foods will rise between 5°F (3°C)
and 15°F (8°C) during standing time.
Standing time: Foods are often allowed to stand for 3 to
10 minutes after being removed from the microwave
oven. Usually the foods are covered during standing time
to retain heat unless they are supposed to be dry in
texture (some cakes and biscuits, for example). Standing
allows foods to finish cooking and also helps flavors to
blend and develop.
HOW FOOD CHARACTERISTICS
AFFECT MICROWAVE COOKING
Density of foods: Light, porous food like cakes and
breads cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods such
as roasts and casseroles. You must take care when
microwaving porous foods that the outer edges do not
become dry and brittle.
Height of foods: The upper portion of tall foods,
particularly roasts, will cook more quickly than the lower
portion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall foods during
cooking, sometimes several times.
Moisture content of foods: Since the heat generated
from microwaves tends to evaporate moisture, relatively
dry foods such as roasts and some vegetables should
either be sprinkled with water prior to cooking or covered
to retain moisture.
Bone and fat content of foods: Bones conduct heat
and fat cooks more quickly than meat. Therefore, care
must be taken when cooking bony or fatty cuts of meat
that the meats do not cook unevenly and do not become
overcooked.
NOTE: It is a common misconception that micro-waves
cook food from the inside out. This comes from heating
filled pastries with a high sugar content, like jelly
doughnuts. The pastry is cool but the filling is very hot! If
you cook a chicken or a roast, you’ll see the outside is
cooked first.
Shape of foods: Microwaves penetrate only about 1
inch (2.5cm) into foods; the interior portion of thick foods
is cooked as the heat generated on the outside travels
inward. In other words, only the outer edge of any food is
actually cooked by microwave energy; the rest is cooked
by convection.
It follows then that the worst possible shape for a food
that is to be microwaved is a thick cube. The corners will
burn long before the center is even warm. Round, thin,
and ring shaped foods cook most successfully in the
microwave.
Quantity of foods: The number of microwaves in your
oven remains constant regardless of how much food is
being cooked. Therefore, the more food you place in the
oven, the longer the cooking time. Remember to
decrease cooking times by at least one-third when
halving a recipe.
Other Helpful Information
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