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I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W
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.
ABOUT SAFETY
• Check foods to see that they are cooked to
the United States Department of Agriculture's
recommended temperatures.
T E M P
160˚F
... for fresh pork, ground meat, bone-
less white poultry, fish, seafood,
egg dishes and frozen prepared
food.
... for leftover, ready-to-reheat re-
165˚F
frigerated, and deli and carry-out
"fresh" food.
... white meat of poultry.
170˚F
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, un-
less it is approved for microwave oven use.
ABOUT CHILDREN AND THE MICROWAVE
Children below the age of 7 should use the microwave
oven with a supervising person very near to them.
Between the ages of 7 and 12, the supervising person
should be in the same room.
The child must be able to reach the oven comfortably;
if not, he/she should stand on a sturdy stool.
At no time should anyone be allowed to lean or swing
on the oven door.
F O O D
• 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.
• 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 foodborne
bacteria.
• Keep waveguide cover clean. Food residue can
cause arcing and/or fires.
• Use care when removing items from the oven so
that the utensil, your clothes or accessories do not
touch the safety door latches.
Children should be taught all safety precautions: use
potholders, remove coverings carefully, pay special
attention to packages that crisp food because they
may be extra hot.
Don't assume that because a child has mastered one
cooking skill he/she can cook everything.
Children need to learn that the microwave oven is not
a toy. See pages 26-27 for Safety Lock feature.
8
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