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FOOD CHARACTERISTICS
&
YOUR MICROWAVE
Many people believe that their job is done
once the food goes into the microwave and the
timer is set. This is far from true. The following
techniques are as important to your cooking as
selecting quality ingredients
from the market.
Density:
Microwaves
penetrate porous foods
such as cakes or breads more easily than
heavy foods such as roasts or casseroles.
Dense foods must be cooked for a longer time,
and often at a lower power setting to avoid
uneven cooking.
Starting
Temperatures:
The initial tempera-
ture of food directly affects the length of time
they must cook or heat. As in a conventional
oven, frozen food takes longer to cook than
does refrigerated food, while food at room tem-
perature cooks most quickly.
Moisture
Content:
Because microwaves
are
attracted to moisture, cooking time will vary
according
to water content.
Naturally
moist
foods such as vegetables, fish and poultry will
cook quickly and evenly; drier foods such as
rice or dried beans require added moisture for
microwave cooking.
Bones and Fat Content
in Meat: The bone
and fat distribution
affects how evenly meats
cook in the microwave
oven. Boneless
cuts
cook more evenly, since bones conduct heat to
areas near them. Well-marbled
meat cooks
more evenly. Large areas of fat attract energy
away from the meat, and slow cooking. To pre-
vent uneven cooking,
meats with bones or
large fatty areas may require frequent turning
during microwaving.
Shape of Foods: Thin parts of uneven foods
cook faster than thick parts. Chicken pieces,
fish fillets and other foods which vary in thick-
ness will take longer to cook in the thicker por-
tions To promote even cooking, arrange foods
so that thicker portions
are to the outside,
where they will absorb more energy.
Quantity
of Foods:
Microwave
times relate
directly to the amount of food being cooked.
Smaller quantities
of food cook faster than
large quantities,
When
doubling
a recipe,
increase
time by about half and check for
doneness. Add any additional
time very cau-
tiously.
Size of Foods: Small, even-sized
pieces of
food cook more rapidly than large ones, To
insure even cooking, cut all pieces of food into
similar sizes and shapes.
TECHNIQUES
FOR MICROWAVE
COOKING
Every different
food has unique characteris-
tics Here are some ideas and guidelines
to
help you achieve optimum results from your
microwave oven.
Elevating:
As in conventional
cooking, foods
such as roasts are elevated so they are not
allowed to steam in their own juices. Turning
foods is especially
important here because it
allows for more even cooking. Shielding
may
also be needed
to prevent
overcooking
in
some smaller areas.
Turning:
Turning food while it cooks allows the
microwave energy to penetrate all areas. Large
items such as roasts must be turned occasion-
ally to promote even cooking.
Smaller foods
like pork chops should
be turned
midway
through the cooking time or the dish may be
rotated.
Stirring:
As with other cooking methods, pre-
vent uneven cooking by stirring and rearrang-
ing food while it is cooking.
Since the food
towards the outside of a dish heats first, stir
from the outside toward the center to promote
even heat distribution.
Shielding:
Certain foods that attract excess
microwave energy, such as wing tips and leg
ends of poultry, and the corners of square bak-
ing pans, can be shielded to prevent overcook-
ing. Shielding done with small pieces of foil will
not hurt your oven as long as they do not touch
each other or the sides of the oven.
Arranging
and Spacing:
Individual
foods like
potatoes and muffins should be arranged in a
circle at the outside edge of the glass tray. This
will guarantee that all the pieces cook evenly at
the same rate. Foods which are uneven
in
thickness,
such as chicken wings, should be
arranged with the meatier portions to the out-
side. Delicate foods like asparagus tips should
be placed toward the inside of the dish to
receive less microwave
energy. If possible,
always
leave
spaces
between
individual
pieces of food.
Browning:
Many microwave utensils are spe-
cially designed
to allow browning
of some
foods. A special coating on the bottom of these
dishes absorbs microwave
energy to create
temperatures
high enough to brown food such
as hamburgers,
fried eggs, and grilled sand-
wiches
Use these
utensils
according
to
manufacturer's
instructions.
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