Microwave cooking tips

Cooking Guide

Amount of food

If you increase or decrease the amount of food you prepare, the time it takes to cook that food will also change. For example, if you double a recipe, add a little more than half the original cooking time. Check for doneness and, if neces- sary, add more time in small increments.

Starting temperature of food

The lower the temperature of the food being put into the microwave oven, the longer it takes to cook. Food at room temperature will be reheated more quickly than food at refrigerator temperature.

Composition of food

Food with a lot of fat and sugar will be heated faster than food containing a lot of water. Fat and sugar will also reach a higher temperature than water in the cooking process.

The more dense the food, the longer it takes to heat. "Very dense" food like meat takes longer to reheat than lighter, more porous food like sponge cakes.

Size and shape

Smaller pieces of food will cook faster than larger pieces and same-shaped pieces of food cook more evenly than irregularly shaped foods.

With unevenly shaped foods, the thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker areas. Place the thinner parts of chicken wings and legs in the center of the dish.

Stirring, turning foods

Stirring and turning foods distributes heat quickly to the center of the dish and avoids overcooking at the outer edges of the food.

Covering food

Cover food to:

Reduce splattering

Shorten cooking times

Retain food moisture

All coverings that allow microwaves to pass through are suitable.

Releasing pressure in foods

Several foods (for example: baked potatoes, sausages, egg yolks, and some fruits) are tightly covered by a skin or membrane. This can cause the food to burst from steam building up in them during cooking. To relieve the pressure and to prevent bursting, pierce these foods before cooking with a fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick.

Using standing time

Always allow food to stand for a while after cooking. Standing time after defrost- ing, cooking, or reheating always improves the results since the temperature will then be evenly distributed throughout the food.

The length of the standing time depends on the volume and density of the food. Sometimes it can be as short as the time it takes you to remove the food from

the oven and take it to the serving table. However, with larger, denser food, the standing time may be as long as 10 minutes.