Food Characteristics

Bone and Fat

Both bone and fat affect cook- ing. Bones may cause irregu- lar cooking. Meat next to the tips of bones may overcook

while meat positioned under a large bone, such as a ham bone, may be under- cooked. 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 centers be very care- ful. Certain foods have centers made with sugar, water, or fat and these centers 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 center.

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 fire 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 center 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.

Cooking Techniques

Piercing

Foods with skins or mem- branes must be pierced scored or have a strip of skin peeled before cook- ing 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 build 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, com- bine browning sauce with melted butter or margarine and brush on before cooking. For quick breads or muffins, 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.