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MICROWAVE COOKING ADVICE
Food Characteristics
Composition
Foods high in fat or sugar (e.g. Christmas pudding, mince pies) re-
quire less heating time. Care should be taken as overheating can
lead to fire.
Bones in food conduct heat, making the food cook more quickly.
Care must be taken so that the food is cooked evenly.
Density
Food density will affect the amount of cooking time needed.
Light, porous foods, such as cakes or bread, cook more quickly than
heavy, dense foods, such as roasts and casseroles.
Quantity
The number of microwaves in your oven remains the same regard-
less of how much food is being cooked. The cooking time must be
increased as the amount of food placed in the oven increases.
e.g. Four potatoes will take longer to cook than two.
Size
Small foods and small pieces cook faster than large ones, as micro-
waves can penetrate from all sides to the centre. For even cooking
make all the pieces the same size.
Shape
Foods which are irregular in shape, such as chicken breasts or
drumsticks, take longer to cook in the thicker parts. For even cook-
ing, place the thickest parts to the outside of the dish where they
will receive more energy.
Round shapes cook more evenly than square shapes when micro-
wave cooking.
Temperature of
food
The initial temperature of food affects the amount of cooking time
needed.
Chilled foods will take longer to cook than food at room tempera-
ture.
e.g. A cake made with chilled ingredients, (i.e. margarine) will take
longer to cook than a cake made with ingredients at room tempera-
ture.
The temperature of the container is not a true indication of the
temperature of the food or drink. Cut into foods with fillings, for
example jam doughnuts, to release heat or steam.
Face & Hands: Always use oven gloves to remove food or cookware from
the oven. Stand back when opening the oven door to allow heat or steam
to disperse. When removing covers (such as cling film), opening roasting
bags or popcorn packaging, direct steam away from face and hands.
Check the temperature of food and drink and stir before serving. Take spe-
cial care when serving to babies, children or the elderly. The contents of
feeding bottles and baby food jars are to be stirred or shaken and the tem-
perature is to be checked before consumption to avoid burns.
