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manual abstract
Microwaves are present in the atmosphere all the time, both naturally and manmade sources. Manmade sources include radar, radio, television, telecommunication links and car phones. HOW MICROWAVES COOK FOOD In a microwave oven, TRANSMISSION electricity is converted Then they pass through the into microwave by the cooking containers to be MAGNETRON. absorbed by the water molecules in the food, all foods contain water to a more or lesser extent. REFLECTION The microwaves bounce off the metal walls and the metal door screen. ABSORPTION The microwaves cause the water molecules to vibrate which causes FRICTION, i.e. HEAT. This heat then cooks the food. Microwaves are also attracted to fat and sugar particles, and foods high in these will cook more quickly. Microwaves can only penetrate to a depth of 11/2 - 2 inches(4-5cm) and as heat spreads through the food by conduction, just as in a traditional oven, the food cooks from the outside inwards. CONVERSION CHARTS WEIGHT MEASURES VOLUME MEASURES SPOON MEASURES 15 g 25 g 50 g 100 g 175 g 225 g 450 g 1/2 oz. 1 oz. 2 oz. 4 oz. 6 oz. 8 oz. 1 lb. 30 ml 100 ml 150 ml 300 ml 600 ml 1 fl.oz. 3 fl.oz. 5 fl.oz. (1/4 pt) 10 fl.oz. (1/2 pt) 20 fl.oz. (1pt) 1.25 ml 2.5 ml 5 ml 15 ml 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tbsp FLUID MEASUREMENTS 1 Cup = 8 fl.oz. = 240 ml 1 Pint = 16 fl.oz. (UK 20 fl.oz.) = 480 ml (UK 560 ml) 1 Quart = 32 fl.oz. (UK 40 fl.oz.) = 960 ml (UK 1120 ml) 1 Gallon = 128 fl.oz. (UK 160 fl.oz.) = 3840 ml (UK 4500 ml) 12 COOKING TECHNIQUES STANDING TIME Dense foods e.g. meat, jacket potatoes and cakes, require standing time(inside or outside of the oven) after cooking, to allow heat to finish conducting to cook the center completely. Wrap meat joints and jacket potatoes in aluminium foil while standing. Meat joints need approx. 10-15 minutes, jacket potatoes 5 minutes. Other foods such as plated meal, vegetables, fish etc require 2-5 minutes standing. After defrosting food, standing time should also be allowed. If food is not cooked after standing time, return to the oven and cook for additional time. MOISTURE CONTENT Many fresh foods e.g. vegetables and fruit, vary in their moisture content throughout the season, particularly jacket potatoes. For this reason cooking times may have to be adjusted. Dry ingredients e.g. rice, pasta, can dry out during storage so cooking times may differ. DENSITY Porous airy foods heat more quickly than dense heavy foods. CLING FILM Cling film helps keep the food moist and the trapped steam assists in speeding up cooking times. Pierce before cooking to allow excess steam to escape. Always take care when removing cling film from a dish as the build-up of steam will be very hot. SHAPE Even shapes cook evenly. Food cooks better by microwave when in a round container rather than square. SPACING Foods cook more quickly and evenly if spaced apart. NEVER pile foods on top of each other. STARTING TEMPERATURE The colder the food, the longer it takes to heat up. Food from a fridge takes longer to reheat than food at room temperature. LIQUIDS All liquids must be stirred before and during heating. Water especially must be stirred before and during heating, to avoid eruption. Do not heat liquids that have previously been boiled. DO NOT OVERHEAT. TURNING & STIRRING Some foods require stirring during cooking. Meat and poultry should be turned after half the cooking time. ARRANGING Individual foods e.g. chicken portions or chops, should be placed on a dish so that the thicker parts are towards the outside. QUANTITY Small quantities cook faster than large quantities, also small meals will reheat more quickly than large portions. PIERCING The skin or membrane on some foods will cause steam to build up during cooking. These foods must be pierced or a strip of skin should be peeled off before cooking to allow the steam to escape. Eggs, potatoes, apples, sausages etc, will all need to be pierced before cooking. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BOIL EGGS IN THEIR SHELLS. COVERING Cover foods with microwave cling film or a lid. Cover fish, vegetables, casseroles, soups. Do not cover cakes, sauces, jacket potatoes or pastry items. 13 DEFROSTING GUIDE • Do not defrost covered meat. Covering might allow cooking to take place. Always remove outer wrap and tray. Use only containers that are microwave-safe. • Begin defrosting whole poultry breast-side- down. Begin defrosting roasts fat-side-down. • The shape of the package alters the defrosting time. Shallow rectangular shapes defrost more quickly than a deep block. • After 1/3 of the defrost time has elapsed, check the food. Toy may wish to turn over, break apart, rearrange or remove thawed portions of the food. • During defrost, the oven will prompt you to turn the over. At this point, open oven door and check the food. Follow the techniques listed below for optimum defrost results. Then, close oven door. • When defrosted, food should be cool, but softened in all areas. If still slightly icy, return to microwave oven very briefly...