Microwave Cooking Chapter 7

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 2 History Development of radar during WW II 1947 Radarange for foodservice 1955 First consumer microwave

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 3 Food-Related Uses Home Heat beverages Heat or defrost frozen foods Popcorn Not used a lot for full meal preparation Foodservice Reheating usually Time benefits not realized with large quantities

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 4 Industry Food-related Uses Specialized microwave equipment used Tempering of meat Precooking of bacon and sausage Drying pasta and other foods Proofing yeast breads Pasteurization and sterilization

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 5 What are microwaves? High-frequency electromagnetic waves of radiant energy. Radio waves of very short wave length

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 6 How do microwaves cook food? Interaction with polarized (dipolar) molecules Includes water, protein, and some carbohydrates Dipolar molecules align in microwave electromagnetic field Dipolar molecules rotate rapidly Heat produced by friction Microwaves penetrate 1-2 inches Do not cook from “inside out”

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 7 Safety and Regulation FDA regulates Radiation standard for maximum amount of microwave leakage FDA checks ovens for compliance

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 8 Microwave Oven Features Variable power output On – off cycling useful for defrosting Cooking time calculation Combination ovens Variable power watts common for consumer use Lower watts cook slower

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 9 Advantages Speed 2-10 X faster Reheating precooked foods and defrosting Less nutrient loss when cooking vegetables Energy conservation

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 10 Limitations Lack of surface browning Cooking periods not long enough to Tenderize Rehydrate Some foods (such as bread) can become tough

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 11 Limitations Erupted hot water phenomena Potentially very dangerous Unevenness of cooking Hot and cold spots Consider impact on food safety and quality

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 12 Microwave Safe Materials Some materials are unsatisfactory or unsafe for use in the microwave Use microwave safe Glass, plastic, ceramic Don’t use Metal, disposable plastic containers, ceramic or glass with metal glazes Heat susceptors See frozen pizza trays or microwave popcorn packaging

Introductory Foods, 13 th ed. Bennion and Scheule © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 13 Cooking Suggestions Browning Stirring and turning Standing time Defrosting Combining Microwave and Conventional Cooking Heating Meals