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Microwave cooking
tips
Amount of food
•
If you increase or decrease the amount
of food you prepare, the time it takes to
cook that food will also change. For
example, if you double a recipe, add a
little more than half the original cooking
time. Check for doneness and, if neces-
sary, add more time in small increments.
Starting temperature of food
•
The lower the temperature of the food
being put into the microwave oven, the
longer it takes to cook. Food at room
temperature will be reheated more quickly
than food at refrigerator temperature.
Composition of food
•
Food with a lot of fat and sugar will be
heated faster than food containing a lot of
water. Fat and sugar will also reach a
higher temperature than water in the
cooking process.
•
The more dense the food, the longer it
takes to heat. “Very dense” food like meat
takes longer to reheat than lighter, more
porous food like sponge cakes.
Size and shape
•
Smaller pieces of food will cook faster
than larger pieces. Also, same-shaped
pieces cook more evenly than different-
shaped pieces.
•
With foods that have different
thicknesses, the thinner parts will cook
faster than the thicker parts. Place the
thinner parts of chicken wings and legs in
the center of the dish.
Stirring, turning foods
•
Stirring and turning foods spreads heat
quickly to the center of the dish and
avoids overcooking at the outer edges of
the food.
Covering food
Cover food to:
•
Reduce splattering
•
Shorten cooking times
•
Keep food moist
You can use any covering that lets
microwaves pass through.
Releasing pressure in foods
•
Several foods (for example: baked
potatoes, sausages, egg yolks, and some
fruits) are tightly covered by a skin or
membrane. Steam can build up under the
membrane during cooking, causing the
food to burst. To relieve the pressure and
to prevent bursting, pierce these foods
before cooking with a fork, cocktail pick,
or toothpick.
Using standing time
•
Always allow food to stand after
cooking. Standing time after defrosting
and cooking allows the temperature to
evenly spread throughout the food,
improving the cooking results.
•
The length of the standing time
depends on how much food you are
cooking and how dense it is. Sometimes
it can be as short as the time it takes you
to remove the food from the oven and
take it to the serving table. However, with
larger, denser food, the standing time may
be as long as 10 minutes.
Arranging food
For best results, place food evenly on the
plate. You can do this in several ways:
•
If you are cooking several items of the
same food, such as baked potatoes,
place them in a ring pattern for uniform
cooking.
•
When cooking foods of uneven shapes
or thickness, such as chicken breasts,
place the smaller or thinner area of the
food towards the center of the dish where
it will be heated last.
•
Layer thin slices of meat on top of each
other.
•
When you cook or reheat whole fish,
score the skin – this prevents cracking.
•
Do not let food or a container touch the
top or sides of the oven. This will prevent
possible arcing.
Cooking Guide
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