Cooking TipsA Guide To Using Your Microwave Oven
A Guide To Using Your Microwave Oven
When it comes to using your microwave there are some basics that you need to remember to obtain the optimum results that you are seeking.
Safety:
Always observe manufacturer"s instructions when operating your microwave oven. It"s important to keep the oven interior clean from spills and splatters, especially around doors and seals. Food buildup can impede cooking time and effiency.
If your microwave is not functioning correctly, get it check by a professional before using it again.
Heating Consistency:
To assure thorough results; rotate, stir or rearrange large amounts of food and/or containers halfway through the cooking cycle. Microwave ovens with a carousel feature do this automatically for you.
Standing Time:
Foods removed from microwave ovens often require a few minutes of "standing time" prior to serving.
Steaming:
Microwave steamers and roasters require a quarter inch of water or other liquid at the bottom of the microwave cookware unit. Some foods will require you to monitor the cooking progress and to add water to prevent drying.
High Fat Foods:
Avoid microwave foods with high fat content (such as some meat pork products) in microwave and storage containers not designed for those foods.
Timing:
Compact and other low-watt microwave ovens (600 watt or less) may require longer cooking times than some recipes or packaging intructions call for.
Cleaning:
Fill microwave safe glass container with 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. The steam will help loosen stuck on food products and splatters for easy cleaning. The Lemon is also a natural deodorizer.
Proper Microwave Containers:
You should only use proper microwave safe containers in your microwave. Just because a container is made of plastic doesn"t mean its microwave safe.
Make sure any paper products such as paper plates, paper towels, etc. that you use in your microwave are also designated safe for microwave use.