Though I use my microwave more often for reheating than cooking and baking, I do have some great tips that I picked up that can come in handy. In fact, you will be delighted once you try them. These tips will save effort, time and sometimes salvage foods or recipes that took a wrong turn. Therefore, I hope that you’ll want to try them.
Don’t you hate when crackers become stale? Spread them out on a plate before microwaving those crackers for about 30 seconds is an easy fix. They will be a bit soft when you take them out of the microwave so give them about one minute to harden up before eating. This little trick will freshen them back up and make them crisp again.
If you cooked meats and vegetables in the microwave and noticed they were usually tougher than cooking on the stove or the oven, then you probably salted them on the outside. The reason this is a bad move is because sprinkling salt over the meats and vegetables causes their dehydration. A better method is salting those foods after you remove them from the microwave.
Rubbing salt over your meats when using your oven, stove or crock pot helps cut down some types of bacteria and disinfect due to its antibacterial properties. You can also cut down some of the bacteria in fresh meats using the microwave by microwaving them on high for about 20 seconds. However, I usually avoid fully cooking meats in the microwave because the heat can be uneven and not kill all the bacteria as your oven or stove might. The best way to explain this is because the microwave cooks the meats from the outside in so proper disinfection for cooking them also depends on radiation and the need for rotation as they cook.
When attempting to cook a meatloaf in the microwave, here is a trick that can help it cook more thoroughly instead of dealing with an undercooked center. Believe it or not, the shape of your meatloaf matters. For the best results, try shaping your meatloaf into a ring than a normal loaf.
You can rectify burnt edges when baking a cake easily enough also by changing the type of microwave pan that you use. A round pan will bake the cake more evenly than a square where those corners have a tendency to overly bake.
Here is another of my favorite microwave cooking tips that I want to pass on. When making chicken, try arranging the meaty pieces against the sides of the dish and the bonier parts near the center can help it better cook more evenly.
Did you know that cakes and quick breads don’t bake the same way as they do in a regular oven? In fact, they grow higher in a microwave. Because of this tendency, you can prevent those cakes and quick breads from spilling over by filling pans just half full of batter. Do yourself a favor and try my microwave chocolate cake recipe that is as light as a feather and never lets me down.
What I shared here are just some of my favorite microwave cooking tips that I have found indispensable. Hopefully, they will also come in handy for you.
