6
ABOUT MICROWAVE COOKING
• Arrange food carefully. Place thickest areas towards outside of dish.
• Watch cooking time. Cook for the shortest amount of
time indicated and add more as needed. Food severely
overcooked can smoke or ignite.
• Cover foods while cooking. Check recipe or cookbook for
suggestions: paper towels, wax paper, microwave plastic wrap or
a lid. Covers prevent spattering and help foods to cook evenly.
• Shield with small fl at pieces of aluminum foil any thin areas
of meat or poultry to prevent overcooking before dense, thick
areas are cooked thoroughly.
• Stir foods from outside to center of dish once or twice during
cooking, if possible.
• Turn foods over once during microwaving to speed cooking
of such foods as chicken and hamburgers. Large items like
roasts must be turned over at least once.
• Rearrange foods such as meatballs halfway through cooking
both from top to bottom and from the center of the dish to
the outside.
• Add standing time. Remove food from microwave oven and
stir, if possible. Cover for standing time which allows the food
to fi nish cooking without overcooking.
• Check for doneness. Look for signs indicating that cooking
temperatures have been reached.
Doneness signs include:
- Food steams throughout, not just at edge.
- Center bottom of dish is very hot to the touch.
- Poultry thigh joints move easily.
- Meat and poultry show no pinkness.
- Fish is opaque and fl akes easily with a fork.
ABOUT FOOD
• Cook eggs in shells.
• Reheat whole eggs.
• Dry nuts or seeds in shells.
• Pop popcorn in regular brown bags or glass bowls.
• Exceed maximum time on popcorn package.
• Heat disposable bottles.
• Heat bottles with nipples on.
• Heat baby food in original jars.
• Heat or cook in closed glass jars or air tight
containers.
• Can in the microwave as harmful bacteria may not
be destroyed.
• Deep fat fry.
• Dry wood, gourds, herbs or wet papers.
Eggs,
sausages,
nuts, seeds,
fruits &
vegetables
Popcorn
Baby food
General
FOOD
DO
DON’T
• Puncture egg yolks before cooking to prevent
“explosion”.
• Pierce skins of potatoes, apples, squash, hot dogs
and sausages so that steam escapes.
• Use specially bagged popcorn for microwave cooking.
• Listen while popping corn for the popping to slow
to 1 or 2 seconds or use special
popcorn
pad.
• Transfer baby food to small dish and heat carefully,
stirring often. Check temperature before serving.
• Put nipples on bottles after heating and shake
thoroughly. “Wrist” test before feeding.
• Cut baked goods with fi lling after heating to release
steam and avoid burns.
• Stir liquids briskly before and after heating to avoid
“eruption”.
• Use deep bowl, when cooking liquids or cereals, to
prevent boil-overs.
ABOUT UTENSILS AND COVERINGS
It is not necessary to buy all new cookware. Many pieces already in your
kitchen can be used successfully in your new microwave oven. Make
sure the utensil does not touch the interior walls during cooking.
Use these utensils for safe microwave
cooking and reheating:
• glass ceramic (Pyroceram
®
), such as Corningware
®
• heat-resistant glass (Pyrex
®
)
• microwave-safe plastics
• paper plates
• microwave-safe pottery, stoneware and porcelain
• browning dish (Do not exceed recommended preheating time.
Follow manufacturer’s directions.)
Remove wire rack from oven before cooking popcorn.
Use ceramic tray on top of metal tray to pop popcorn.
•
•
Do not re-pop un-popped kernels.
Do not use wire rack when cooking popcorn.
Do not pop popcorn directly on metal turntable tray.
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•
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