AEG MCD1761E Blanching vegetables, Preserving fruit and vegetables, Large & small quantities

Tips & advice

Blanching vegetables

Before freezing vegetables, they should be blanched. This preserves the quality and flavour at their best. Method: wash and chop the vegetables. Put 250 g of vegetables in a dish with 275 ml water and cover. Heat for 3-5 minutes. After blanching, immerse immediately in cold water to prevent further cooking and then allow to drain. Pack vegetables in an airtight container and freeze.

Preserving fruit and vegetables

Using the microwave for preserving is quick and easy. There are preserving jars, rubber vacuum seals and

suitable seals made of plastic available specially made for microwaves.

The manufacturers will supply precise instructions for use.

Large & small quantities

Microwave times are directly dependent upon the amount of food which you would like to thaw, heat or cook. This means that small portions cook more quickly than larger ones. As a rule of thumb:

TWICE THE AMOUNT = ALMOST TWICE THE TIME HALF THE AMOUNT = HALF THE TIME

Deep & shallow containers

Both containers have the same capacity, but the cooking time is longer for the deeper one. You should therefore choose as flat a container as possible

with a large surface area. Only use deep containers for dishes where there is a danger of overcooking, e.g. for noodles, rice, milk etc..

Round & oval containers

Food cooks more evenly in round or oval containers than in containers with corners, since the microwave energy concentrates in the corners and the food in these areas could become overcooked.

Covering

Covering the food retains the moisture within it and shortens the cooking time. Use a lid, microwave cling film or a cover. Foods which are to be crispy, e.g.

roasts or chickens, should not be covered. As a general rule, whatever would be covered in a conventional oven should also be covered in a microwave oven. Whatever would be uncovered in a conventional oven can also be left uncovered in a microwave oven.

Irregular shaped food

Place the thicker, more compacted end of the food pointing towards the outside. Place vegetables (such as broccoli) with the stalks pointing

outward.

Stirring

Stirring the food is necessary, since the microwaves begin by heating the outer areas. The temperature is thereby

equalised and the food heats up evenly.

Arrangement of food

Place a number of individual portions, such as small pudding moulds, cups or potatoes in their jackets, in a circle on the turntable. Keep the portions at a distance from each other so that the microwave energy can reach the food from all sides.

Turning

Medium-sized items, such as hamburgers and steaks, should be turned over once during cooking, in order to shorten the cooking process. Large items, such as roasts and chickens, must be turned, since the upper side receives more microwave energy and could dry out if not turned.

Standing time

Keeping to the standing time is one of the most important rules with microwaves. Almost all foods, which are

defrosted, heated or cooked in the microwave, require a certain amount of time to stand, during which temperature equalisation takes place and the moisture in the food is evenly distributed.

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