Microwave Oven and Health

Make Meals In Minutes With Microwave Oven

Microwave Oven

Microwave Oven is a great way to cook a healthy and small amount of oil. We can make food delicious and healthy using Microwave Oven. Today I will share with you some important information about Microwaves Oven. These tips will make you a microwaving expert in no time.

What is a Microwave Oven?

A Microwave Oven is a kitchen appliance that uses electromagnetic radiation, which penetrates food, to cause internal heat and cook it from Inside out. ‘Micro’ means small or electromagnetic waves that are a form of Radiant Energy. Microwaves have a special affinity for water, sugar, and fat. Microwaves reflect from metal surfaces and therefore metals cannot be used in the microwave oven. Microwaves pass through the glass, paper, plastic, wood, bone china, etc. Like light and radio waves, microwaves are also a form of electromagnetic radiation. Most types of glass and plastic do not absorb microwaves but simply allow the microwaves to pass through without heating the glass or plastic. The most important part of the microwave is the magnetron whose function is to generate the microwaves.

There are three types of microwave ovens are available in the market - 

✦ Solo microwave oven. Best for Reheat, simple cooking.

✦ Grill microwave oven. Best for Reheat and Grill.

✦ Convection microwave oven. Best for Reheat, Grill, and Bake.

 

Advantages of Microwave Cooking:- 

✬  Food prepared in a microwave oven is cooked in minimal water, therefore, promotes the retention of water-soluble vitamins, particularly Vit C and most other nutrients, and therefore, food are more nutritious.

✬  It preserves the natural flavours of food which makes you less likely to add extra sugar or salt.

✬   Reheating food quickly in a microwave retains more nutrients than holding food hot for long periods.

✬  Fat-free cooking is also possible. As food is cooked in its own moisture, no added fats such as butter/oil are needed therefore it is a boon for the dieters.

✬  Food gets cooked more quickly.

✬  No loss of natural colours of food.

✬  Convenient and easier than conventional methods.

✬  Defrosting and reheating are easy.

✬  Energy is saved as cooking time is reduced.

Microwave safe utensils:-

Only utensils which are designed for the purpose should be used in a microwave oven. Many types of microwave-friendly utensils are available in the market, but remember to use only utensils marked “Microwave-safe”. Glass, ceramic containers, and all plastics that are safe to use will usually be labeled for microwave oven use.

                                  Cookware Selection Table

Cookware	Microwave	Grill	Combination	Convection
Glass Ceramics (Heat resistant or oven Tempered)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fancy Ceramics (Pottery & Porcelain, China & Stone)	Yes	No	No	Yes
Plastics (Polystyrene/Melamine)	No	No	No	No
Special Plastic Microwave	Yes	No	No	No
Metal Dishes		Yes		Yes
Paper plates/cups/paper napkins Butter Paper Recycled Paper (Brown Paper)	Yes(for short time) Yes No	No No No	No No No	No No No
Wood & Straw	Yes	No	No	No
Aluminium Foil	For Shielding	For Shielding	Yes	Yes
Aluminium Foil Containers		For Shielding	Yes	Yes
Cling Film	Yes	No	No	No
Fine Glassware / Crystal	No	No	No	No
Melamine	No	No	No	No

Shape of Container:-

Container shapes may also influence the way your food reacts to cooking. Circular or oval containers help to prevent the edges of the food from burning because energy absorption occurs evenly around the edges. Square containers tend to encourage burning on the edges of a product. Shallow containers are a good choice for hitting food because they provide a large surface area.

Microwave Oven Techniques:-

Since microwaves penetrate the surface of foods, the outside areas absorb more energy than the centre. In many microwave ovens, some parts of the cavity receive more energy than others. By using techniques that equalize heat, you can make sure that all parts of the food are equally cooked. Some of these techniques are:-

❁ Covering: Microwaving is a moist cooking method. Although most foods will not dry out, using a cover holds in the stream that helps food cook faster. Covering gives you the full benefit of microwave speed. You can use plastic wrap or a microwave-safe lid, depending on what you are cooking in the microwave oven. Keep in mind that most ordinary plastic dishes and covers will fail in the microwave at high temperatures.

❁ Stirring: Stirring food from the outside towards the centre of the dish redistributes the heat. Stirring once or twice during cooking is usually sufficient.

❁ Turning over or Rearranging: Some parts of the oven cavity receive less energy than others, so turning over or rearranging large food items, such as vegetables and pieces of meat, moves them into a new energy pattern and helps all parts cook evenly.

❁ Arranging in the Oven: It is natural to place a single item in the centre of an oven, but when you are cooking several pieces at the same time, arrange them in a ring. Keep space between them, and leave the centre open so energy can penetrate from all sides.

❁ Arranging in the Dish: Take advantage of the fact that the centre of a dish receives less energy than outside. Arrange the food so that thin or delicate parts, such as the tails of fish fillets or the tips of asparagus spears, are in the centre, with the thick or tough parts near the outside.

❁ Shielding: This technique protects areas that absorb the most energy so the rest of the food can catch up. The most common method is to use strips of foil to shield the top of a large roast, the wingtips of poultry, or the ends of a loaf dish. Another form of shielding is to cover the meat with a sauce or vegetable.

❁ Rotating: Some foods, such as cakes or lasagne, cannot be stirred during cooking. Giving the dish a quarter or half turn will bring food into a new energy pattern and help it heat evenly.

Make meals in minutes:-

Have you ever used your microwave to cook an entire meal? Using the microwave won't heat up your kitchen, more nutrients are retained during the cooking process and some foods, like vegetables, have better taste and texture. These tips will make you a microwaving expert in no time.

✴ Standing time: This is the time given to the food after it is cooked in the microwave. The dish or casserole must be allowed to stand with the lid closed, to retain heat and finish the cooking for the specified time. Standing Time allows heat to spread, the cooking to finish, and allows the temperature of the food to stabilize and moderate.

 

✴ Doneness Tests:  Every microwave oven will cook differently. Hot spots and variations in wattage all make a difference in cooking times. Pay careful attention to the doneness tests as specified in the recipes.

 

✴ Food Temperature: Most foods are cooked starting at the refrigerator or room temperature. Using frozen foods, unless specified, will change the cooking time and may affect the recipe quality.

 

✴ Quality: Microwave cooking times are directly related to the amounts of food being cooked. When you double the quality of a recipe, increase its cooking time by at least 50% and check carefully for Doneness. As an example, two medium potatoes will take 5-7 minutes to cook, while four potatoes will take 10-12 minutes.

✴ Food Sizes and Shapes: Foods that are the same size and shape (e.g. vegetable, meat, chicken, etc.) will cook more evenly in the microwave and will finish cooking at the same time, which means there will be no overcooked or undercooked sections. Foods with thick and thin sections should be arranged so that the thin portions are towards the centre of the dish. Microwaves penetrate the food from ¾" to 1-½".

 

✴ Stirring: Best microwave recipes direct you to stir the food at least once during cooking time. This helps redistribute the heat to the food cooks more evenly.

 

✴ Rearranging Foods: Solid foods like pieces of meat or large vegetables may need to be rearranged or turned over during cooking. Corners or sides of casseroles and dishes will receive more energy, so the foods need to be turned and rearranged for even cooking. Placing foods in a ring generally assures even cooking.

 

✴ Browning: Foods typically do not brown in the microwave oven. Some foods, like meats, will turn brown because of the caramelization of sugars and starches in the food. For browning, you can add browning agents like Soy-sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, Worcestershire Sauce, Seasoning Mixes, Cinnamon, and other Spices.

 

✴ Covering: Cover the food with microwave-safe plastic or waxed paper if the recipe specified. This helps hold in steam for fast and even cooking. Paper towels are used to absorb spatters and moisture. Pay close attention to venting instruction. Venting presents dangerous amounts of steam from building up in the dish.

Microwave Defrosting:-

✢ Remove food from the packaging before defrosting. Do not use form trays and plastic wraps because they are not heated stable at high temperatures. Melting or wrapping may cause harmful chemicals to migrate into the food. 

 

✢ Cook meat, poultry, and fish immediately after defrosting in the microwave oven because some areas of the frozen food may begin to cook during the defrosting time. Do not hold partially cooked food to use later.

✢ Cover foods with a lid or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and provide safe, even heating.

✢ Heat ready-to-eat food such as hot dogs, luncheon meat, fully cooked ham and leftover until steaming hot.

Note: The preparation time and result of cooking may vary from model to model due to the difference in their wattage and size of the cavity. There may be an increase or decrease of 2-3 minutes. in the time, with an increase or decrease in the cavity size. The result may also vary due to a change in the quality and quantity of ingredients, water used, improper arrangement of food, and voltage fluctuation caused during microwaving.

(In my next blog, I will share some diet recipes that can be made with the help of a microwave oven. So keep watching my blogs friends.)