Family & Consumer Sciences
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Microwave Magic
If you like your food in a hurry, using a microwave
oven may become your preferred method of cooking.
1. What are microwaves? _____________________
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2. What is a molecule? _________________________
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3. What is density?_____________________________
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4. How does microwave energy cook food quickly?________________________________
5. In addition to your oven's power, what other factors influence cooking time?_____________
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6. List facts to remember when cooking with a microwave.
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7. List 4 guidelines to follow when adjusting a conventional recipe for the microwave oven.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy much like that of heat, light, or radio
waves. A magnatron tube within the oven produces the microwaves and a fan distributes
them throughout the oven. The waves penetrate the food and cause the molecules (the
smallest portion of an element or compound that retains its chemical identity) of the food to
vibrate rapidly, thus creating heat by friction. This acts in the same way as rubbing your
hands together to cause heat. Simply, a microwave oven is a device that produces
electromagnetic energy that is converted into heat by vibrating water fat and sugar
molecules.
The cooking time in a microwave oven is determined by starting temperature, the
volume of food, the density, the moisture content, and the shape of the food. Density refers
to lightness, firmness, or porous nature of the substance. Microwaves penetrate dense
substances more slowly; therefore, cooking time needs to be increased. Likewise, foods
with high water content require more energy to reach the desired temperature. Foods with a
relatively high fat or sugar content come to temperature quickly in a microwave oven. For
example, the frosting on a cupcake will become hot before the cupcake itself; meat closest
to the fat will heat first, and so on. The shape of the food influences the cooking time. Flat,
thin food articles heat faster than thick, large pieces. Try to keep pieces of food the same
size for even heating.
When possible, arranging food into a round shape avoids overcooking on the edges.
Stirring will help to redistribute the heat within some foods. Another technique is turning the
food or repositioning it to allow even cooking. Covering the food helps to retain steam and
to speed cooking. Microwaves cook from the outside in and only penetrate into the food 1 to
1½ inches. These techniques are helpful for cooking larger quantities. Food will continue to
cook when it is removed from the microwave oven. It is necessary to allow up to two
minutes of standing time when cooking. This is especially true for large pieces of dense
foods.
Some important facts about microwave cooking to remember are the following:
1. Pierce whole fruits or vegetables before cooking to allow steam to escape.
2. Do not cook eggs in the shell. Pierce the yolk with the tip of a fork before cooking.
3. Pierce or open plastic lids or other airtight containers to allow steam to escape.
4. Thick liquids should be stirred before and during heating to avoid eruption.
5. If foods begin to smoke or burn, turn off oven and extinguish the fire.
6. Do not use containers with restricted openings, such as baby food jars or catsup bottles
because of rapid expansion.
7. Do not use metal cookware because sparks (arcing) will occur.
8. Do not use newspapers and recycled paper in a microwave oven because they can burn.
9. Don’t reheat Chinese food in containers with metal handles.
10. Don’t use mugs, glasses or serving ware with metallic rims or decoration.
To adapt your favorite recipe for use in the microwave oven, study the recipe. Is it a food
that microwaves well? Look for cooking techniques that are similar to microwave
techniques, such as covering, steaming, or cooking in sauce or liquid. If the food requires a
crisp crust or very dry surface, it may be better to cook it conventionally. Since liquids do not
evaporate when microwaved, reduce the amount in saucy casseroles. Add more thickening
to sauces and gravies. Reduce some seasonings; they will not lose intensity in the short
time required for microwave cooking. Salt meat and vegetables after cooking. If an
ingredient takes longer to microwave than others in the same dish, precook that ingredient
before adding it to the dish.