Microwave Cooking

How do microwaves work? Microwave ovens generate electromagnetic waves (called microwaves) which makes water move. This motion leads to friction, and friction leads to heating. Microwave heating works by heating water in foods by making water molecules vibrate. That is why dry foods like pasta will not cook in a microwave, unless it is in some water. Covering food in a microwave helps keep moisture in.

A microwave oven has a little metal box inside called a magnetron A microwave oven has a little metal box inside called a magnetron. The magnetron produces the microwaves and a little metal fan inside, breaks up the microwaves and spreads them throughout the oven. Some ricochet off the walls, some hit the food directly.

Microwave radiation can pass through plastic and glass, but it’ll reflect off of the metal. If you put a metal object into the microwave oven, this can cause the microwaves to reflect back to the source that produces them (the magnetron), and can result in considerable damage to the oven.

What type of equipment used in a microwave? Plastic containers Microwave cookware – can cut cooking time by 15-20% Paper towels Wooden skewers Heat resistant glass Stoneware AVOID- foam trays, paper bags, paper plates, colored paper towels, metal

What is arcing? What causes arcing? Sparks in the oven that can cause a fire. What causes arcing? Wrong containers used, such as metal, aluminum foil, Brown paper bags, and wooden containers.

Rules of Thumb: Cover foods with plastic, wax paper, or paper towels. The more dense the food, the longer to cook (eg. Potatoes longer than broccoli) Liquids heat faster, especially sugary & fatty ones. The smaller the pieces the faster it will cook. (eg. diced potatoes faster than baked) Cooking time, if overcooked, will not darken but become hard, tough, and chewy.

Over/Under cooking The energy that cooks food in the microwave, isn’t always distributed evenly. Take action to keep food from overcooking in some spots and undercooking in others by: Arrange thickest parts of food to outside of the container. Stir foods during or after cooking. Rearrange pieces during cooking, move outside pieces to center and inside pieces to the outside.

What is standing time? When the microwave shuts off, food molecules continue to vibrate. It is the period when the food continues to cook after being taken out of the microwave.

Microwaving Meats Microwave cooking extracts more fat than any other cooking method. Partially cook meat, then add glazes and sauces, as sauces usually contain sugar/fats, which cook more quickly than meat and can burn. Drain meats if there is a lot of fat, as the liquid fat attracts more microwaves than solids and will increase the meats cooking time, and splatter more. Place thicker parts to the outside, thinner ones to the inside, for more even cooking.

Microwaving Vegetables Always cook on high power, starting with the minimum suggested time. It is not necessary to add extra water to cook frozen vegetables. Drain canned veggies. Always cooked covered. Fresh veggies, use only small amounts of water, and cover with no vent, to steam rather than boil, (retains color and nutrients). Always add salt AFTER cooking and tasting. Adding prior, will toughen foods.

Tips Extract more juice from citrus fruits by microwaving on HIGH for 30-45 seconds. Freshen stale crackers and potato chips. Cook 2 cups uncovered on HIGH for 1 min. Leftover pancakes and waffles- freeze them, then reheat on HIGH for 1.5-2min. Always stir boiling water before adding anything, to avoid overflow.

Health Canada Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used to make hard, clear plastics. Health Canada found that BPA does not pose a risk to the general population. Heating containers are safe, and the media hype about it was an over reaction. (You would have to heat 300 pounds of food in the microwave to a temperature of 400*, and eat all of it, EVERYDAY for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, for it to affect you).