Transcript Microwave Cooking

How do microwaves work?
Microwave ovens generate electromagnetic waves (called
microwaves) which makes water move. This motion leads to friction,
and friction leads to heating. Microwave heating works by heating
water in foods by making water molecules vibrate. That is why dry
foods like pasta will not cook in a microwave, unless it is in some
water. Covering food in a microwave helps keep moisture in.
A microwave oven has a little metal box inside called
a magnetron. The magnetron produces the
microwaves and a little metal fan inside, breaks up
the microwaves and spreads them throughout the
oven. Some ricochet off the walls, some hit the food
directly.
Microwave radiation can pass through plastic and glass,
but it’ll reflect off of the metal. If you put a metal object into
the microwave oven, this can cause the microwaves to
reflect back to the source that produces them (the
magnetron), and can result in considerable damage to the
oven.
What type of equipment used in
a microwave?






Plastic containers
Microwave cookware – can cut cooking time by 15-20%
Paper towels
Wooden skewers
Heat resistant glass
Stoneware
AVOID- foam trays, paper
bags, paper plates, colored
paper towels, metal
What is arcing?

Sparks in the oven that can cause a fire.
What causes arcing?
Wrong containers used, such as metal, aluminum foil,
Brown paper bags, and wooden containers.
Rules of Thumb:
Cover foods with plastic, wax paper, or paper
towels.
 The more dense the food, the longer to cook
(eg. Potatoes longer than broccoli)
 Liquids heat faster, especially sugary & fatty
ones.
 The smaller the pieces the faster it will cook.
(eg. diced potatoes faster than baked)


Cooking time, if overcooked, will not darken
but become hard, tough, and chewy.
Over/Under cooking
The energy that cooks food in the microwave, isn’t always
distributed evenly. Take action to keep food from
overcooking in some spots and undercooking in others
by:



Arrange thickest parts of food to outside of the container.
Stir foods during or after cooking.
Rearrange pieces during cooking, move outside pieces to center
and inside pieces to the outside.
What is standing time?

When the microwave shuts off, food molecules
continue to vibrate. It is the period when the food
continues to cook after being taken out of the
microwave.
Microwaving Meats

Microwave cooking extracts more fat than any other cooking
method.

Partially cook meat, then add glazes and sauces, as sauces
usually contain sugar/fats, which cook more quickly than
meat and can burn.

Drain meats if there is a lot of fat, as the liquid fat attracts
more microwaves than solids and will increase the meats
cooking time, and splatter more.

Place thicker parts to the outside, thinner ones to the inside,
for more even cooking.
Microwaving Vegetables

Always cook on high power, starting with the minimum
suggested time.

It is not necessary to add extra water to cook frozen
vegetables. Drain canned veggies. Always cooked
covered.

Fresh veggies, use only small amounts of water, and
cover with no vent, to steam rather than boil, (retains
color and nutrients).

Always add salt AFTER cooking and tasting. Adding
prior, will toughen foods.
Tips

Extract more juice from citrus fruits by microwaving
on HIGH for 30-45 seconds.

Freshen stale crackers and potato chips. Cook 2
cups uncovered on HIGH for 1 min.

Leftover pancakes and waffles- freeze them, then
reheat on HIGH for 1.5-2min.

Always stir boiling water before adding anything, to
avoid overflow.
Health Canada

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used to
make hard, clear plastics.

Health Canada found that BPA does not pose a
risk to the general population. Heating containers
are safe, and the media hype about it was an over
reaction. (You would have to heat 300 pounds of
food in the microwave to a temperature of 400*,
and eat all of it, EVERYDAY for the REST OF
YOUR LIFE, for it to affect you).