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Hints & Tips
SOME IMPORTANT TIPS FOR
MICROWAVE COOKING
To help equalize energy in the food so that it
cooks evenly follow these helpful tips.
•
Arrange foods with varying size ends, such
as chicken drumsticks and broccoli with
the thicker or tougher part positioned to the
outside of the dish. This ensures the parts
that require more cooking will receive more
energy, so the food will cook evenly.
• Covering the dish during cooking holds in
the heat and steam to speed up cooking
time. Use a microwave safe lid or plastic
wrap that has been vented by turning back
one edge at the side of the dish to form a
narrow vent to release excess steam.
• Choose cooking dishes that are shallow.
Shallow dishes enable the food to cook
faster.
• Arrange individual items such as ramekins
or whole potatoes around the outside of
the turntable. Make sure to leave space
between items so the energy can penetrate
from all sides.
• Use round shaped microwave dishes.
Round shapes cook more evenly than
square or rectangle dishes which absorb
most of the energy in the corners causing
food to overcook and toughen.
• Stir foods from the outside to centre of
the dish once or twice during cooking to
equalize heat and speed microwaving.
• Turn medium to large food items over twice
during microwaving. This enables even
exposure to microwaves.
•
Elevating some types of food such as
cakes, roast vegetables and dough
products can be advantageous. It allows
more energy to penetrate the food from
all sides, base and top. Use a microwave
safe plastic or ceramic rack. If a rack is
unavailable, use an upturned bowl or cup to
elevate plates of food.
•
Do not elevate any special browning dishes,
jugs of sauce or custard, small quantities of
food or mugs of beverages.
• Internal temperatures of foods continue
to rise so that they continue cooking even
after they have been removed from the
microwave oven. It is better to undercook
food as it will continue to cook once
removed from the microwave.
MICROWAVE UTENSILS
• Containers, plates, dishes, etc. used in
the microwave oven should always be
microwave–safe. Check if stated on the
underside of the utensil or contact the
manufacturer.
• To test if a container, plate or dish is
microwave–safe, place it into the microwave
oven with 1 cup of cold water (in a
microwave–safe cup) and heat on 100%
Power for 1 minute. If the container is hot
and the water is cold, the container is not
suitable for microwave oven use. If the
container is cold and the water is hot, then
the container is suitable for microwave oven
use.
• Microwave-safe cookware will not become
hot by the microwave energy, but it will
become hot from contact with hot food.
When the food becomes hot, some of this
heat is transferred to the dish. Always use
oven mitts or clothes to remove hot dishes
from the microwave.
• Metal containers and utensils should not be
used in the microwave oven.
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