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THE PRINCIPLES OF MICROWAVE COOKING
Microwaves area formof highfrequency radio wavessimilar tothose usedby a radioincludingAM, FMand
CB. Electricity is converted into microwave energy by the magnetron tube. From the magnetron tube,
microwave energy is transmitted to the oven where itis reflected,transmitted and absorbed by thefood.
Reflection: Microwaves are reflected by metal just as a ball is bounced off of a wall. For this reason, metal utensils
are not suitable for use in the microwave.Acombination of stationary interior walls and a rotating metal turntable or
s
tirrer fan helps assure that the microwaves are well distributed within the oven cavity to produce even cooking.
Transmission: Microwavespass throughsome materialssuch aspaper,glass andplastic muchlike sunlightshining
through awindow. Becausethese substancesdo notabsorb orreflect themicrowave energy, theyare idealmaterials
for microwave oven cooking containers.
Absorption: During cooking, microwaves will be absorbed by food. They penetrate to a depth of about 3/4 to 1 1/2
inches. Microwaveenergy activatesthe moleculesin thefood (especiallywater, fatand sugar),and heatis produced.
If youvigorously rub yourhands together, you willfeel heat producedby friction.The internal cookingof largerfoods
is done by conduction as the heat which is produced by friction is conducted to the middle of the food. Foods also
continue to cook by conduction during standing time.
FOOD CHARACTERISTICS
Quantity: The amount of food placed in a microwave oven has a direct effect on the cooking time. Small amounts
of food or liquid require less cooking time than larger amounts of the same substance. As quantity increases,
concentration decreases.
Size: Small pieces cook faster than large ones. To speed cooking, cut pieces smaller than two inches (5 cm), so
microwaves canpenetrate tothe middlefrom allsides. Pieceswhich aresimilar insize andshape cookmore evenly.
Shape: Many foods are uneven, like a chicken, ribs or broccoli.The thin parts will cook faster than the thick parts,
while uniformly thick foods cook evenly. To compensate for irregular shapes, place thin pieces toward the center of
the dish and thicker pieces toward the edge of the dish.
Starting Temperature: Frozen or refrigerated foods take longer to cook thanfoods at room temperature.
Bone and Fat: Because bones conduct heat, theside of the meat the bone is on will cook first, while boneless cuts
cook slower but more evenly. Fat attractsmicrowaves. The middle ofthese foods is cooked byheat conduction.
Moisture Content:Microwaves are attracted bymoisture. Naturally moist foodsabsorb microwaves better thandry
ones.Add a minimumof liquidto moistfoods, as excess water slowscooking.
Density: The density of food determines how easily the microwaves can penetrate and how quickly it will cook.
Porous foods,like choppedbeef ormashed potatoes,microwave fasterthan denseones likesteak orwhole potatoes.
Piercing: Steambuilds up pressurein foods whichare tightly coveredby a skin ormembrane. Pierce potatoes,egg
yolks and chicken livers to prevent bursting.
MICROWAVE TECHNIQUES
Stirring:Stir foodsfrom outsideto centerof dishonce ortwice duringcooking toequalize heatand speedmicrowaving.
Foods will not burn or stick,so there’s no need to stir constantly asyou do in conventional cooking.
Arrangement:Arrange f oods with thin or delicate ends, like d rumsticks or asparagus spears, with the thick or tougher
portions tothe outside ofthe dish. Theparts which needmore cooking willreceive more energy, so foodwill microwave
evenly.
Spacing: Individual foods, such as baked potatoes and cupcakeswill cook more evenlyif placed inthe oven an equal
distanceapart. Whenpossible,arrangefoods inacircular pattern.Similarly, whenplacingfoods inabakingdish, arrange
around the outside of the dish,not lined up next to each other. Food should not bestacked on top of each other.
Rearrangement:Rearrange overlappingareas,like tailsoflong fishfillets,fromtop tobottom,and closelypackedpieces,
like meatballs, from the outside tothe center of the dish.
StandingTime:Standing timeisespecially importantinmicrowave cooking.Microwaveenergy createsheatinthe outer
layers ofthe food.As a resultof normal conduction, thefood continues to cookfor a few minutesafter removal from the
oven. Letting roasts, large whole vegetables, casseroles and cakes s tand to finish c ooking allows the m iddles to cook
completely without overcooking, drying or tougheningthe outsides.
Covering: Covering speeds cooking time, retains moisture, t enderizes, insures even cooking and prevents spattering.
Casserolelids orplastic wrapareused fora tighterseal.Ventplasticby turningbackone edgeat thesideof dishto form
a narrow slot where excess steam can escape. Various degrees of moisture retention are also obtained by using wax
paper or microwave-safe paper towels.
Browning: Microwaveenergy cooks some foodsso quickly thatthe fats andsugars within the fooddo not havetime to
caramelize and give a " browned" appearance. Browning agents do not affect the quality o f microwaved foods, but can
add colorand flavor. For meatsand poultry, use bouquetsauce dilutedwith water ormelted butter, soy, Worcestershire,
barbecue or steak sauce, a sprinkling of paprika or dry gravy mix; jelly glaze or crumb coating. Frosting and topping
finish cakes and breads.Top casseroles at the end of microwaving withgrated cheese or crumbs.
COOKING GUIDE
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