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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 por-
tion. 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, relative-
ly 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 microwaves cook food from the
inside out. This comes from heating
filled pastries with a high sugar con-
tent, 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 pene-
trate only about 1 inch (2.5cm) into
foods; the interior portion of thick
foods is cooked as the heat generat-
ed 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 conduction.
It follows then that the worst possible
shape for a food that is to be
microwaved is a thick cube. The cor-
ners 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.
6
Installation and Operation, cont.
Wrapping in waxed paper or paper
towel: Sandwiches and many other
foods containing prebaked bread
should be wrapped prior to
microwaving to prevent drying out.
Arranging and spacing: Individual
foods such as baked potatoes, small
cakes, and hors d’oeuvres will heat
more evenly if placed in the oven and
equal distance apart, preferably in a
circular pattern. Never stack foods on
top of one another.
Stirring: Stirring is one of the most
important of all microwaving tech-
niques. In conventional cooking,
foods are stirred for the purpose of
blending. Microwaved foods, howev-
er, are stirred in order to spread and
redistribute heat. Always stir from the
outside towards the center as the
outside food heats first.
Turning over: Large, tall foods such
as roasts and whole chickens should
be turned so that the top and bottom
will cook evenly. It is also a good idea
to turn cut up chicken and chops.
Placing thicker portions near the
edge: Since microwaves are attract-
ed to the outside portion of foods, it
makes sense to place thicker por-
tions of meat, poultry and fish to the
outer edge of the baking dish. This
way, thicker portions will receive the
most microwave energy and the
foods will cook evenly.
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 vegeta-
bles and fruits.