Safety Precautions
Follow These Safety Precautions When Cooking in Your Oven
IMPORTANT
Proper cooking depends upon the power, the time set and the quantity of food. If you use a smaller portion than recommended and cook at the time for the recommended portion, fire can result.
1)HOME CANNING / DRYING FOODS / SMALL QUANTITIES OF FOODS
•DO NOT use your oven for home canning, your oven cannot maintain the food at the proper can- ning temperature. Improperly canned food may spoil and be dangerous to consume.
•DO NOT dry meats, herbs, fruits or vegetables in your oven. Small quantities of food or foods with
low moisture content can dry out, scorch or catch on fire if overheated.
2) POPCORN
Popcorn may be popped in a microwave oven corn popper. Microwave popcorn which pops in its own package is also available. Follow pop- corn manufacturers’ directions and use a brand suitable for the wattage of your microwave oven.
CAUTION: When using
If these instructions are not followed, the popcorn may not pop adequately or may ignite and cause a fire. Never leave oven unattended when popping popcorn. Allow the popcorn bag to cool before opening, always open the bag away from your face and body to prevent steam burns.
3) DEEP FAT FRYING
•DO NOT attempt to deep fat fry in your microwave oven. Cooking oils may burst into flames and may cause damage to the oven and perhaps result in burns. Microwave utensils may
not be able to withstand the temperature of the hot oil, and could shatter or melt.
4) FOODS WITH NONPOROUS SKINS
•Potatoes, apples, whole eggs, egg yolks, whole squash and sausages are examples of foods with nonporous skins. These types of foods must be pierced before microwave cooking to prevent their bursting.
•Use fresh potatoes for baking and cook until just done. Use recommended weights for programmed
cooking. Overcooking causes dehydration and may result in a fire.
5) LIQUIDS
•Liquids can become "superheated" in a microwave, and when the container is moved in any way, the superheated liquids can "explode" out of the container. "Superheated" water is hotter than boiling water, EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BUBBLE. To reduce the possibility
of this occurrence:
Always make sure that liquids are stirred vigorously before heating to assure that the liquid is mixed with air. NEVER HEAT LIQUIDS FOR AN EXCESSIVE LENGTH OF TIME.
6) GLASS TRAY / COOKING UTENSILS / FOIL
•Cooking utensils get hot during microwaving. Heat is transferred from the HOT food to the container and the Glass Tray. Use potholders when remov- ing utensils from the oven or when removing lids or plastic wrap covers from cooking utensils to avoid burns.
•The Glass Tray will get hot during cooking. It should be allowed to cool before handling or before paper products, such as paper plates or microwave popcorn bags, are placed in the oven for microwave cooking.
•When using foil, skewers, warming rack or uten- sils made of metal in the oven, allow at least 1- inch (2.5 cm) of space between metal material and interior oven walls. If arcing occurs (spark- ing), remove metal material (skewers etc.) and/or transfer to a
•Dishes with metallic trim should not be used, as arcing may occur.
•If an entree is heated in a foil tray, maintain at
least
7) PAPER TOWELS / CLOTHS
•DO NOT use paper towels or cloths which con- tain a synthetic fiber woven into them. The syn-
thetic fiber may cause the towel to ignite. Use paper toweling under supervision.
8)BROWNING DISHES / OVEN COOKING BAGS
• Browning dishes or grills are designed for microwave cooking only. Always follow instruc- tions provided by the manufacturer. DO NOT preheat browning dish more than 6 minutes.
• If an oven cooking bag is used for microwave cooking, prepare according to package directions. DO NOT use a wire
9)THERMOMETERS
•DO NOT use a conventional meat thermometer in your oven. Arcing may occur.
thermometers are available for both meat and candy.
10) BABY FORMULA / FOOD
•DO NOT heat baby formula or food in the microwave oven. The glass jar or surface of the food may appear to be only warm while the interi- or can be so hot as to burn the infant’s mouth and esophagus.
11) REHEATING PASTRY PRODUCTS
•When reheating pastry products, check tempera- tures of any fillings before eating. Some foods have fillings which heat faster and can be extremely hot, while the surface remains warm to the touch (ex. Jelly Donuts).
12) GENERAL OVEN USAGE GUIDELINES
•DO NOT use the oven for any reason other than the preparation of food.
•DO NOT leave oven unattended while in use.
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