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Bone and Fat
Both bone and fat affect cooking. Bones
may cause irregular cooking. Meat next to
the tips of bones may overcook while meat
positioned under a large bone, such as a
ham bone, may be undercooked. Large amounts of fat
absorb microwave energy and the meat next to these
areas may overcook.
Density
Porous, airy foods such as breads,
cakes or rolls take less time to cook than
heavy, dense foods such as potatoes
and roasts. When reheating donuts or
other foods with different centres be very
careful. Certain foods have centres made with sugar,
water, or fat and these centres attract microwaves (for
example, jelly donuts). When a jelly donut is heated,
the jelly can become extremely hot while the exterior
remains warm to the touch. This could result in a burn if
the food is not allowed to cool properly in the centre.
Quantity
Two potatoes take longer to cook than one
potato. As the quantity of the food decreases
so does the cooking time. Overcooking will
cause the moisture content in the food to
decrease and a
fi
re could result. Never leave microwave
unattended while in use.
Shape
Uniform sizes heat more evenly. The thin
end of a drumstick will cook more quickly
than the meaty end. To compensate for
irregular shapes, place thin parts toward
the centre of the dish and thick pieces toward the edge.
Size
Thin pieces cook more quickly than thick
pieces.
Starting Temperature
Foods that are at room temperature take less
time to cook than if they are chilled, refrigerated,
or frozen.
Food Characteristics
Cooking Techniques
Piercing
Foods with skins or membranes must
be pierced, scored or have a strip of
skin peeled before cooking to allow
steam to escape. Pierce clams, oysters,
chicken livers, whole potatoes and whole
vegetables. Whole apples or new potatoes should have
a 1-inch strip of skin peeled before cooking. Score
sausages and frankfurters. Do not Cook/Reheat whole
eggs with or without the shell. Steam built up in whole
eggs may cause them to explode, and possibly damage
the oven or cause injury. Reheating SLICED hard-boiled
eggs and cooking SCRAMBLED eggs is safe.
Browning
Foods will not have the same brown
appearance as conventionally cooked
foods or those foods which are cooked
utilizing a browning feature. Meats and
poultry may be coated with browning sauce,
Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or shake-on
browning sauce. To use, combine browning sauce with
melted butter or margarine and brush on before cooking.
For quick breads or muf
fi
ns, brown sugar can be used
in the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or the surface
can be sprinkled with dark spices before baking.
Spacing
Individual foods, such as baked potatoes,
cupcakes and appetizers, will cook more
evenly if placed in the oven equal distances
apart. When possible, arrange foods in a circular pattern.
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