Food Characteristics
Cooking Techniques
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.
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
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
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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