Microwave Cooking Techniques

Microwave Oven Basics Fast and healthy Less fat and liquid Power measured in watts Higher watts- more microwaves produced Higher power- cooks faster Microwaves produced by magnetron tube

How Microwaves Cook Food molecules vibrate Penetrate food up to 1 ½ in Water, fat, sugar heat quickly Hot spots Pierce foods to allow steam to escape Longer cooking time for dense foods Uniform thickness cooks evenly

How microwaves cook cont’d Smaller pieces cook faster than large Colder food starts out, longer it takes More food, longer cook time

Microwave Cookware Materials NO: metal or foil OK: glass, china, pottery, plastic Containers Shallow w/ straight sides Round pans Square and rectangle with rounded corners

Food Placement Ring shape- microwaves enter food on all sides Leave spaces between foods Spokes of wheel: thick part towards outside, thinnest toward center

Covering Food Plastic- vent, roll back corner Wax paper- prevents splatter Paper towels- prevents splatters, absorb excess moisture

Stir, Rotate, and Turn Turn over dense foods Stir or rotate half way through Standing time- cooking when microwave is turned off Clean spots and spills- build up absorbs microwaves and cuts down cooking time