How to defrosting Tips, Cooking Tips and Techniques.

Preparation for freezing

1. Freeze meats, poultry, and fish in packages with only 1 or 2 layers of food. Place wax paper between layers.
2. To assist in defrosting,  if you freeze the meat yourself make sure that you wrap the pieces of meat individually so that the portions can be separated easily.
3. When freezing mince meats, pack them into flat packages rather than a lump, this will help with the defrost process.
4. Package in heavy-duty plastic wraps, bags (labeled “For Freezer”), or freezer paper.
5. Remove as much air as possible.
6. Seal securely, date, and label.

General Defrosting tips;

• Make sure that you use only containers, lids, and wraps that are microwave oven safe.
• Make sure to remove food from any packaging that is not microwave oven safe.
• Make sure that the food is completely defrosted before cooking it in a microwave. Food that has not been completely defrosted can cause uneven cooking.
• Make sure that you cook the food immediately after defrosting.

To Defrost

1. Before defrosting remove the meat from its bag or wrap.  Remove the meat from the styrofoam tray. This helps moisture to evaporate. Juices from food can get hot and cook the food.
2. Place the unwrapped food in microwave-safe dish.
3. Place roasts fat-side down. Place whole poultry breast-side down.
4. Select power and minimum time so that items will be under-defrosted.
5. Drain liquids during defrosting.
6. Turn over (invert) items during defrosting.
7. Shield edges and ends if needed.

After Defrosting

1. Large items may be icy in the centre. Defrosting will complete during STANDING TIME.
2. Let stand, covered, see standing time for your model
3. Rinse foods as indicated in the chart for your model.
4. Items which have been layered should be rinsed separately or have a longer stand time.

Cooking Tips

Piercing

Food with skin or membrane must be pierced, scored or have a strip of skin peeled before cooking to allow steam to escape. Pierce clams, oysters, chicken liver, whole potatoes and whole vegetables. Whole apples or new potatoes should have a 1-inch strip of skin peeled before cooking. Score sausages and frankfurters. Do not Cook/Reheat whole eggs, with or without the shell. Steam buildup in whole eggs may cause them to explode, and possibly damage the oven or cause injury. Reheating SLICED hard-boiled eggs and cooking SCRAMBLED eggs is safe.

Browning

Food will not have the same brown appearance as conventionally cooked food or those foods which are cooked utilizing a browning feature. Meat and poultry may be coated with browning sauce, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or shake-on browning sauce. To use, combine browning sauce with melted butter or margarine and brush on before cooking. For quick breads or muffins, brown sugar can be used in the recipe in place of granulated sugar, or the surface can be sprinkled with dark spices before baking.

Spacing

Individual food, such as baked potatoes, cupcakes and appetizers, will cook more evenly if placed in the oven equal distances apart. When possible, arrange foods in a circular pattern.

Covering

As with conventional cooking, moisture evaporates during microwave cooking. Casserole lids or plastic wrap are used for a tighter seal. When using plastic wrap, vent the plastic wrap by folding back part of the plastic wrap from the edge of the dish to allow steam to escape. Loosen or remove plastic wrap as recipe directs for stand time. When removing plastic wrap covers, as well as any glass lids, be careful to remove them away from you to avoid steam burns. Various degrees of moisture retention are also obtained by using wax paper or paper towels.

Cooking Time

Cooking times will vary because of food shape variations, starting temperature, and regional preferences. Always cook food for the minimum cooking time given in a recipe and check for doneness. If the food is undercooked, continue cooking. It is easier to add time to an undercooked product. Once the food is overcooked, nothing can be done.

Stirring

Stirring is usually necessary during microwave cooking. Always bring the cooked outside edges toward the center and the less cooked center portions toward the outside of the dish.

Rearranging

Rearrange small items such as chicken pieces, shrimp, hamburger patties or pork chops. Rearrange pieces from the edge to the center and pieces from the center to the edge of the dish.

Turning

It is not possible to stir some food to distribute the heat evenly. At times, microwave energy will concentrate in one area of the food. To help ensure even cooking, these foods need to be turned. Turn over large food, such as roasts or turkeys, halfway through cooking.

Standing Time

Most food will continue to cook by conduction after the microwave oven is turned off. After cooking meat, the internal temperature will rise 5 °F to 15 °F (3 °C to 8 °C), if allowed to stand, tented with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. Casseroles and vegetables need a shorter amount of standing time, but this standing time is necessary to allow foods to complete cooking to the center without overcooking on the edges.

Test for Doneness

1. The same tests for doneness used in conventional cooking may be used for microwave cooking. Meat is done when fork-tender or splits at fibers. Chicken is done when juices are clear yellow and drumstick moves freely. Fish is done when it flakes and is opaque. Cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester is inserted and comes out clean.
2. Check foods to see that they are cooked according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s recommended temperatures. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer in a thick or dense area away from fat or bone. NEVER leave the thermometer in the food during cooking, unless it is approved for oven use.
3. Cook all food to these minimum internal temperatures as measured with a food thermometer before removing food from oven. For reasons of personal preference, you may choose to cook food at higher temperatures