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|INFORIVIATION
YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT
MICROWAVE
COOKING
•
Arrange
food carefully.
Place thickest
areas towards
outside
of dish.
•
Watch
cooking
time.
Cook
for the shortest
amount
of time
indicated
and add more
as needed.
Food
severely
overcooked
can smoke
or ignite.
•
Cover
foods
while
cooking.
Check
recipe
or cook-
book
for suggestions:
paper
towels,
wax
paper,
microwave
plastic
wrap
or a lid. Covers
prevent
spattering
and help foods to cook evenly.
•
Shield
with
small
flat pieces
of aluminum
foil any
thin areas of meat or poultry
to prevent
overcooking
before
dense,
thick
areas are cooked
thoroughly.
•
Stir foods from outside
to center of dish once or twice
during
cooking,
if possible.
•
Turn
foods
over
once
during
microwaving
to
speed
cooking
of such foods
as chicken
and ham-
burgers.
Large items like roasts
must be turned over
at least once.
Rearrange
foods
such
as
meatballs
halfway
through
cooking
both
from top to bottom
and from
the center
of the dish to the outside.
Add
standing
time.
Remove
food
from
oven
and
stir, if possible.
Cover for standing
time which allows
the food to finish
cooking
without
overcooking.
Check
for doneness.
Look for signs
indicating
that
cooking
temperatures
have been
reached.
Doneness
signs
include:
- Food steams
throughout,
not just at edge.
- Center
bottom
of dish is very hot to the touch.
- Poultry
thigh joints
move
easily.
- Meat and poultry
show
no pinkness.
- Fish is opaque
and flakes
easily with a fork.
ABOUT
SAFETY
•
Check
foods
to see
that
they
are
cooked
to
the
United
States
Department
of Agriculture's
recommended
temperatures.
Iii IkVJl
'-]1
II [I][l|l]
160IF
t 85;_F
... for
fresh
pork,
ground
meat.
boneless
white
poultry,
fish,
seafood,
egg dishes
and frozen
prepared
food.
... for
leftover,
ready-to-reheat
refrigerated,
and deft and carry-
out "fresh"
food
170!I:
... white meat of poultry.
180_F
... dark meat of poultry.
To test for doneness,
insert
a meat
thermometer
in a
thick
or dense
area
away
from fat or bone.
NEVER
leave
the thermometer
in the food
during
cooking,
unless
it is approved
for microwave
oven use.
•
ALWAYS
use
potholders
to prevent
burns
when
handling
utensils
that are in contact
with
hot food.
Enough
heat
from
the food
can
transfer
through
utensils
to cause
skin burns.
•
Avoid
steam
burns
by directing
steam
away
from
the face
and hands.
Slowly
lift the farthest
edge
of
a dish's
covering
and carefully
open
popcorn
and
oven cooking
bags away from the face.
•
Stay
near
the oven
while
it's
in use
and
check
cooking
progress
frequently
so
that
there
is no
chance
of overcooking
food.
•
NEVER
use
the
cavity
for
storing
cookbooks
or
other items.
•
Select,
store and handle
food
carefully
to preserve
its
high
quality
and
minimize
the
spread
of
foodbome
bacteria.
•
Use care
when
removing
items from
the oven
so
that the utensil,
your clothes
or accessories
do not
touch
the safety door latches.
17
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