Testing for doneness:
Because foods cook so
quickly in a microwave oven, it is necessary to test
food frequently. Some foods are left in the microwave
until completely cooked, but most foods, including
meats and poultry, are removed from the oven while
stilt slightly undercooked and allowed to finish cook-
ing during standing time. The internal temperature of
foods will rise between
5°F
(3°C) and
15°F
(8%)
during standing time.
Standing time: Foods are often allowed to stand for 3
to 10 minutes after
being removed from the microwave
oven. Usually the foods are covered during standing
time to retain heat unless they are supposed to be dry
in texture (some cakes and biscuits, for example).
Standing allows foods to finish cooking and also helps
flavor blend and develop.
5. MICROWAVE-SAFE UTENSILS
Never use metal or metal-trimmed utensils in your
microwave oven. Microwaves cannot penetrate metal.
They will bounce off any metal object in the oven, are
deflected by the metal walls and cause arcing, an
alarming phenomenon that resembles lightning.
Most heat-resistant non-metallic cooking utensils are
safe for use in your microwave oven. However, some
may contain materials that render them unsuitable as
microwave cookware. If you have any doubts about a
particular utensil, there is a simple way to find out if it
can be used in your microwave oven.
Testing utensils for microwave use: Place the utensil
in question next to a glass bowl filled with water in the
microwave oven.
Microwave at power HIGH for 1 minute. If the water
heats up but the utensil remains cool to the touch, the
utensil is microwave-safe. However, if the water does
not change temperature but the utensil becomes warm,
microwaves are being absorbed by the utensil and it is
not safe for use in the microwave oven. You probably
have many items on hand in your kitchen right now that
can be used as cooking equipment in
your microwave
oven. Just read through the following checklist.
1. Dinner plates: Many kinds of dinner-ware are
microwave-safe.
If
in doubt, consult the manufactur-
er’s literature or perform the microwave test (above).
2. Glassware: Glassware that is heat-resistant is
microwave-safe. This would include all brands of
oven-tempered glass cookwave. Do not. however,
use delicate tumblers, wine glasses and the like in
the oven as these are likely to shatter as food warms
up.
3. Paper: Paper plates and containers are convenient
and safe to use in your microwave oven, provided
that the cooking time is short and foods to be cooked
are low in fat and moisture. Paper towels are also
very useful for wrapping foods and for lining baking
trays in which greasy foods, such as bacon, are.
cooked. In general, avoid colored paper products as
the color may run.
4. Plastic storage containers: These can be used to
hold foods that are to be quickly reheated. However,
they should not be used to hold foods that will need
considerable time in the oven as hot foods will even-
tually warp or melt plastic containers.
5. Plastic cooking bags: Provided they are made spe-
cially for cooking, cooking bags are microwave-safe.
However, be sure to make a slit in the bag so that
steam can escape. Never use ordinary plastic bags
for cooking in your microwave oven as they will melt
and rupture.
6. Plastic microwave cookware: A variety of shapes
and sizes of microwave cookware is available For
the most part, you can probably use items you
already have on hand rather than investing in new
kitchen equipment.
7. Pottery, stoneware and ceramic:
Containers made of these materials are usually fine
for use in your microwave oven. Perform the
microwave test to be sure (above).
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