Filter
Top Products
GLOSSARY OF MICROWAVE TERMS
When adapting recipes for the microwave, it is best
to
stirt
with a familiar recipe. Knowing how the food
should look and taste will help when adapting recipes
for microwaving. Foods that require browning or
crisp, dry surfaces will cook better conventionally.
●
Moist foods, such
as
vegetables, fruits, poultry
and
seafood, microwave well.
●
Rich foods, such
as
bar
cookies, moist cakes and
candies, are suitable
for
microwaving because of their
high
fat
and
sugw
content.
●
Reduce conventional cooking time by one-half to
one-third. Check food
after
minimum time to
tivoid
overcooking.
●
Small amounts of butter or
oil
can
be used for flavoring,
but are not needed to prevent sticking.
●
Seasonings
may
need to be reduced. Salt meats
and
vegetables after cooking.
Covering.
In both conventional
and
microwave cooking,
covers hold in moisture, allow
for
more even heating
and
reduce cooking time. Conventionally, partial
covering allows excess steam to escape. Venting plastic
wrap or covering with wax paper serves the
same
purpose when microwaving.
Venting.
After covering
a
dish with plastic wrap, you
vent the plastic wrap by turning back one corner so
excess steam
can
escape.
Arranging Food in Oven.
In conventional baking,
you position foods, such as cake layers or potatoes, so
hot air can
flow
around them. When microwaving, you
arrange foods in a ring, so that
all
sides are exposed to
microwave energy.
Basic Microwave Guidelines
Density of Food.
In both conventional
and
microwave
cooking, dense foods, such as potatoes, take longer to
cook than light, porous foods, such
as
rolls,
bread or
pieces of cake.
Round Shapes.
Since microwaves penetrate
foods
to
about one inch from top, bottom and sides, round
shapes
and
rings cook more evenly. Corners receive
more energy and may overcook. This
may
also happen
when cooking conventionally.
Delicacy.
Foods with a delicate texture, such as
custards, are best cooked
at
lower power settings to
avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture
of
food affects how it cooks. Very
moist foods cook evenly because microwave energy
is attracted to water molecules. Food that is uneven in
moisture should be covered or
allowed
to stand so heat
can disperse evenly.
22
Stirring.
In
range-top cooking, you stir foods up from
the bottom to heat them evenly. When microwaving, you
stir cooked portions from the outside to the center. Foods
that require constant stirring conventionally will need
only occasional stirring when microwaving.
~rning
Over.
In range-top cooking, you turn over
foods, such as hamburgers, so both sides can directly
contact the
hot
pan. When microwaving, turning is often
needed during defrosting or when cooking certain foods,
such
as
frozen hamburgers.
Standing Time.
In conventional cooking,
foods
such
as
roasts or cakes are allowed to stand to
finish
cooking
or to set. Standing time is especially important in
microwave cooking. Note that
a
microwaved cake is
not placed
on
a cooling rack.
Shielding.
In
a
conventional oven, you shield chicken
breasts or baked foods to prevent over-browning. When
microwaving, you use
small
strips of foil to shield thin
parts, such as the tips
of
wings and legs on poultry, which
would
cook before larger parts.
Arcing.
Sparks caused by too much metal in the
microwave oven or
metal
touching the side of the oven
or foil that is not
molded
to food.
Prick Foods to Release Pressure.
Steam builds up
pressure in foods that are tightly covered by a skin or
membrane. Prick
foods,
such as potatoes (as you do
conventionally), egg yolks and chicken livers, to
prevent bursting.
Rotating.
Occasionally, repositioning a dish in the oven
helps food cook more evenly. To rotate 1/2 turn, turn the
dish
until
the side that was to the back of the oven is to
the front.
Tc~
rotate l/4 turn, turn the dish until the side
that was to the back of the oven is to the side.
Piece Size.
Small pieces cook faster than large ones.
Pieces that are similar in size and shape cook more
evenly. With
large
pieces of food, reduce the power
setting for even cooking.
Shape of Food.
In
both types of cooking, thin areas
cook
faster
than thick areas. This can be controlled in
microwaving by placing thick pieces near the outside
edge and thin pieces in the center.
Starting Temperature.
Foods taken
from
the freezer
or refrigerator take longer to cook than foods at room
temperature. Timings in our recipes are based on the
temperatures at which you normally store the foods.
Quantity of Food.
In both types of cooking,
small
amounts usually take less time than large amounts.
This is most apparent in microwave cooking, where
time is directly related to the number of servings.
Shelf
(on models so equipped). Use the shelf to heat
more than one dish at one time. Take the shelf out
when you are not using it.