- EN 23 -
Microwaving Principles
How Microwaves Cook Food
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 4-5 cm
and as heat spreads through the
food by conduction, just as in a
traditional oven, the food cooks
from the outside inwards.
Foods Not Suitable for
Cooking by Microwave Only
Souffles. This is because these
foods rely on dry external heat to
cook correctly, do not attempt to
cook by microwave.
Foods that require deep fat frying
cannot be cooked either.
Do not boil eggs in your
microwave. Raw eggs boiled
in their shells can explode and
cause serious injury.
Boiled eggs
Standing Time
When a microwave oven is
switched off, the food will continue
to cook by conduction –
not
by microwave energy.
Hence
standing time
is very important
in microwaving, particularly for
dense foods i.e. meat, cakes and
reheated meals (refer to page 26).
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