Installation and Operation, cont.
Wrapping in waxed paper or paper towel: Sandwiches and many other foods containing prebaked bread should be wrapped prior to microwaving to prevent drying out.
Arranging and spacing: Individual foods such as baked potatoes, small cakes, and hors d’oeuvres will heat more evenly if placed in the oven and equal distance apart, preferably in a circular pattern. Never stack foods on top of one another.
Stirring: Stirring is one of the most important of all microwaving tech- niques. In conventional cooking, foods are stirred for the purpose of blending. Microwaved foods, howev- er, are stirred in order to spread and redistribute heat. Always stir from the outside towards the center as the outside food heats first.
Turning over: Large, tall foods such as roasts and whole chickens should be turned so that the top and bottom will cook evenly. It is also a good idea to turn cut up chicken and chops.
Placing thicker portions near the edge: Since microwaves are attract- ed to the outside portion of foods, it makes sense to place thicker por- tions of meat, poultry and fish to the outer edge of the baking dish. This way, thicker portions will receive the most microwave energy and the foods will cook evenly.
Elevating: Thick or dense foods are often elevated so that microwaves can be absorbed by the underside and center of the foods.
Piercing: Foods enclosed in a shell, skin, or membrane are likely to burst in the oven unless they are pierced prior to cooking. Such foods include both yolks and whites of eggs, clams and oysters, and many whole vegeta- bles and fruits.
Testing if cooked: 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 still slightly undercooked and allowed to finish cooking during standing time. The internal temperature of foods will rise between 5° F (3° C) and 15° F (8° C) 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 flavors to blend and develop.
HOW FOOD CHARACTERISTICS AFFECT MICROWAVE COOKING
Density of foods: Light, porous food like cakes and breads cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods such as roasts and casseroles. You must take care when microwaving porous foods that the outer edges do not become dry and brittle.
Height of foods: The upper portion of tall foods, particularly roasts, will cook more quickly than the lower por- tion. Therefore, it is wise to turn tall foods during cooking, sometimes several times.
Moisture content of foods: Since the heat generated from microwaves tends to evaporate moisture, relative- ly dry foods such as roasts and some vegetables should either be sprinkled with water prior to cooking or covered to retain moisture.
Bone and fat content of foods: Bones conduct heat and fat cooks more quickly than meat. Therefore, care must be taken when cooking bony or fatty cuts of meat that the meats do not cook unevenly and do not become overcooked.
NOTE: It is a common misconception that microwaves cook food from the inside out. This comes from heating filled pastries with a high sugar con- tent, like jelly doughnuts. The pastry is cool but the filling is very hot! If you cook a chicken or a roast, you’ll see the outside is cooked first.
Shape of foods: Microwaves pene- trate only about 1 inch (2.5cm) into foods; the interior portion of thick foods is cooked as the heat generat- ed on the outside travels inward. In other words, only the outer edge of any food is actually cooked by microwave energy; the rest is cooked by conduction.
It follows then that the worst possible shape for a food that is to be microwaved is a thick cube. The cor- ners will burn long before the center is even warm. Round, thin, and ring shaped foods cook most successfully in the microwave.
Quantity of foods: The number of microwaves in your oven remains constant regardless of how much food is being cooked. Therefore, the more food you place in the oven, the longer the cooking time. Remember to decrease cooking times by at least
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