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MAINTENANCE
Food characteristics &
microwave cooking
keeping an eye on things
Always watch your food while it cooks. Your
microwave function is equipped with a light that turns
on automatically when the oven is in operation so
that you can see inside and check the progress of
your food. Directions given in recipes to elevate stir,
and the like should be thought of as the minimum
steps recommended. If the food seems to be cooking
unevenly, simply make the necessary adjustments
you think appropriate to correct the problem.
Factors affecting microwave cooking times
Many factors affect cooking times. The temperature
of ingredients used in a recipe makes a big difference
in cooking times. For example, a cake made with
ice-cold butter, milk, and eggs will take considerably
longer to bake than one made with ingredients
that are at room temperature. Some of the recipes,
particularly those for bread, cake, and custards,
recommend that food be removed from the oven
when they are slightly undercooked.
This is not a mistake. When allowed to stand, usually
covered, these foods will continue to cook outside of
the oven as the heat trapped within the outer portions
of the food gradually travels inward. If the food is left
in the oven until it is cooked all the way through, the
outer portions will become overcooked or even burnt.
You will become increasingly skillful is estimating both
cooking and standing times for various foods.
Density of food
Light, porous food such as cakes and breads cook
more quickly than heavy, dense foods such as
roasts and casseroles. You must take care when
microwaving porous food so that the outer edges do
not become dry and brittle.
Height of food
The upper portion of tall foods, particularly roasts, will
cook more quickly than the lower portion.
Therefore, it is wise to turn tall food several during
cooking.
Moisture content of food
Since the heat generated from microwaves causes
moisture to evaporate, relatively dry food such
as roasts and some vegetables should either be
sprinkled with water prior to cooking or covered to
retain moisture.
Bone and fat content of food
Bones conduct heat and fat cooks more quickly
than meat. Care must be taken when cooking bony
or fatty cuts of meat in order to prevent unevenly or
overcooked meat.
Quantity of food
The number of microwaves in your oven remains
constant regardless of how much food is being
cooked. Therefore, the more food you place in
the oven, the longer cooking time. Remember to
decrease cooking times by at least one third when
having a recipe.
Shape of food
Microwaves penetrate only about 2 cm into food, the
interior portion of thick foods are cooked as the heat
generated on the outside travels inward. Only the
outer edge of food is cooked by microwave energy;
the rest is cooked by conduction. The worst possible
shape for a food that is to be microwaved is a thick
square.
The corners will burn long before the centre is even
warm. Round thin foods and ring shaped foods cook
most successfully in the microwave.
Covering
A cover traps heat and steam which causes food to
cook more quickly. Use a lid or microwave cling film
with a corner folded back to prevent splitting.
Covering with greaseproof paper
It is a looser cover than a lid or cling film, the food
may dry out slightly. But because it makes a looser
cover than a lid or clingfilm, it allows the food to dry
out slightly.
Stirring
Stirring is one of the most important of all microwaving
techniques. In conventional cooking, food is stirred for
the purpose of blending. Microwaved food, however,
is stirred order to spread and redistribute heat. Always
stir from the outside towards the centre as the outside
of the food heats first.
Placing thicker portions facing outwards
Since microwaves are attracted to the outside portion
of food, it makes sense to place thicker portion of
meat, poultry and fish to the outer edge of the baking
dish. This way, thicker portions will receive the most
microwave energy and the food will cook evenly.
Summary of Contents for LMC2075 Series
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