Here’s a little feature we all need to know about that can make using one of the handiest gadgets in the kitchen safer to use – especially these days when more and more of us are cooking for ourselves, or at least heating up pre-made stuff for, the gang in our isolation bubbles…
It’s just as important to use our cooking thermometers when
microwaving as it is when Grilling or Roasting. Buy a
good one and learn how to ujse it properly…
Those who haven’t cooked much (or at all) are among those who probably don’t know the ins and outs of Microwave safety. But even some of us who use the microwave every day probably aren’t aware of at least a few of the pointers shared by pro chefs in a recent Insider report.
Don’t cook or re-heat everything at once
Most of us know that some foods heat faster than others in the microwave. So reheaing a complete, plated meal on one plate in one go is not such a great idea. separating food items into separate groups according to food density or moisture level then reassembling the plate after individually micing them is the way to go.
This can be especially important cooking foods for the first time in the mic. Which leads us to Hint #2…
Always use your cooking thermometer
Because of the way the mic cooks foods, always use your cooking thermometer to check the internal temp of foods you’re cooking through for the first time. Which is not say this isn’t important when re=heated previously-cooked foods.
Stirring and/or Turning foods can help them cook evenly
That’s why you’ll often that instruction on the packages of processed or pre-made foods that you take from freezer to oven to table. And be sure to check with your thermometer before serving.
Micing Plain Water in smooth glass can be dangerous
Class containers with perfectly smooth surfaces can allow water to heat beyond the theoretical limit – the boiling point – before it starts to bubble. This is called superheating, and is dangerous because you’re storing up lot of extra energy in the water that usually escapes in the bubbling. When you grab a container of superheated water from the mic, you’re going to agitate it for sure, and this can trigger a chain reaction of super-heated bubbles and steam that will shower your kitchen and you with extremely hot water.
Micing food in plastic containers can be harmful
The catch here is, hot foods can leach chemicals in certain types of plastics out into your food as it’s cooking. So don’t cook or heat foods in storage containers that aren’t clearly marked ‘microwave safe’. And never, ever heat stuff up in styrofoam containers. This goes double for lids. They can drip noxious or toxic chemicals into your food via condensation or steam.
Never cook/re-heat foods in sealed containers
I think all of us have heard about happens when you try to cook Eggs in their shells without venting the shells. Ka-blamm! The same rule applies to cooking in sealed containers, for the same reason. This is why you’ll always see the instruction on prepared or frozen foods to ‘loosen the lid’ or ‘vent foil or plastic’ cover sheets before micing.
Don’t heat oils or oily foods in the mic
Never heat cooking oils or even heavily-oiled foods in the mic. Overheated Oils can cause ‘off’ flavours to be released into the food, always changing its taste for the worst.
Micing hot peppers can lead to eye and throat irritation
This comes from the liberation of vapours containing the hot chemical component of Chili Peppers, capsaicin, into the steam that naturally forms during cooking. Remember where the oven vents cooking odours and steam during cooking: right out into the room where you’re cooking!
Finally… Never turn on an empty microwave oven!
This can lead to the overheating of oven components themselves possibly causing a fire.
So… There you have it!
A list of Donts for your microwave from to chefs courtesy of Insider magazine. I’ll follow up with a list of Dos later this week, when I have the chance. Meanwhile, use your microwave safely, and enjoy the convenience and speed it can offer you!
~ Maggie J.