Microwaving Hints

Microwaving Hints

Did you know…

Microwaves do not cook your food?

·         Microwaves cause food molecules to rub together 2 ½ billion times per second. This friction creates the heat that cooks your food.

Microwaves bounce off metal?

·         Microwaves pass though glass, paper and Tupperware just like sunlight through a window.

Microwaves are attracted to just 3 things?

·         Microwaves are attracted to fat, sugar and water (in that order).

Standing time completes the cooking process for all foods cooked in the microwave?

·         You’ll want to allow 20-25% of the total cooking time for the food molecules to stop moving to finish cooking your food after the microwave stops.

Cooking food at high power in your microwave is similar to cooking  foods at 500 degrees?

·         The high setting on your microwave should be reserved for foods that you normally would deep fry or broil.

Microwave cooking will save money?

·         The cost of 100 hours of microwave cooking is approximately 1/7 of the cost of 100 hours of conventional oven.

Determining Power Level

Conventional      Cooking	500°	350°	300°	250°	150°
Microwave Equivalent	100%	70%	50%	30%	10%

Determining Cooking Time

Power Level	100%	90%	80%	70%
Minutes per lb.	6 min.	7 min.	8 min.	9 min.

-          6 minutes per pound at 100% power will cook most food to done.

-          Sea foods, due to high water content, will cook approx. 3 minutes per pound.

-          Factors that lesson cooking time include high water, sugar or oil content, small pieces, porous/tender texture and warm starting temp.

FYI - Some benefits of microwave cooking

Cut back on rich liquid by 20 24%

Reduce spices and sauces

When using a leavening agent, let the batter stand for about 5 minutes before microwaving

Approx. cooking time will ¾ of conventional cooking time

Reduce your cooking and cleanup time by reducing the number of dishes you use.

Tupperware has several products that are safe for cooking and steaming the microwave.

Check the out at www.myTWbiz.com

PS my favorite is the stack cooker.

How to COLOR UNSWEETENED/SWEETENED COCONUT FLAKES

How to COLOR UNSWEETENED/SWEETENED COCONUT FLAKES

Directions

1. Put the coconut in a ziploc bag.
2. Dissolve a few drops of food coloring in the teaspoon of water, then pour this colored solution over the coconut in the bag.
3. Seal the bag and shake until all coconut is uniformly colored.
4. Best used within a couple of days.

Make many different colors. 

How to Freeze Vegetables Correctly

How to Freeze Vegetables Correctly

Freezing food is a good way to save time and money.

Freezing food helps it to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast and mold—all of which cause food to spoil. However, improper freezing can change the texture, flavor, or even cause spoilage.

To properly freeze food, follow these eight easy tips!

1. Choose the Right Size

Choose the right container for the amount of food to be frozen. A small amount of food stored in a large container traps a lot of air, which increases the likelihood of freezer burn and deterioration. Poor quality containers cause changes to food texture and flavor when defrosting and can cause food to spoil faster while still frozen.

2. Freeze Small Portions

Pack food in small or individual portions so they freeze quickly. This ensures a higher quality product when defrosting. Smaller items will also defrost quicker, which helps save time.

3. Proper Preparation

Most vegetables are best blanched before freezing (see instructions below) because this preserves texture, color, and flavor. Raw vegetables with high water content like lettuce and cabbage don’t freeze well because they are vulnerable to damage from ice crystals.

4. How to Blanch

• Fill a 6 Qt Dutch Oven with water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat.
• While the water heats, fill a 12-cup Bowl about three-quarters full with ice, then add enough cold water to come just to the top of the ice.
• When the water is boiling and the ice bath is ready, trim the vegetables to the size you need. It's best to trim them just prior to cooking so they won't discolor or dehydrate.
• Add the vegetables to the boiling water in small batches to ensure that the water continues to boil.
• Boil the vegetables until they're barely cooked through but still tender (see chart below). To test, remove one piece with a slotted spoon, dip it into the ice bath to cool for several seconds and then eat it.

Vegetable Blanching Time

Asparagus  2 minutes

Beans, Lima Beans, Summer Squash  2 minutes

Broccoli, cut  2 minutes

Carrots, whole  5 minutes

Cauliflower, cut  2 minutes

Celery  2 minutes

Corn on the Cob  4 minutes

Green Beans, whole  2 minutes

Green Peas, shelled  1 ½ minutes

• As soon as the vegetables are ready, remove them from the boiling water and submerge them in the ice bath for the same amount of time they spent in the boiling water.
• Remove the vegetables from the ice bath as soon as they are no longer warm and place them in freezer container.

I use Tupperware Freeze-It Containers to freeze my vegetables.

My Tupperware web page  www.myTWbiz.com

Frozen Shelf Life of Vegetables

Frozen, store bought 1 year

Asparagus 8 – 12 months

Beets, Carrots 8 – 12 months

Beans, Lima Beans, Peas, Summer Squash   8 – 12 months

Bell Peppers – chopped 3 – 4 months

Broccoli Cuts 8 – 12 months

Cauliflower 8 – 12 months

Celery 8 – 12 months

Chilies 8 – 12 months

Corn 8 – 12 months

Garlic – chopped 8 – 12 months

Onions – chopped 3 – 4 months

Greens: Collards, Kale, Mustard, Spinach, Swiss Chard 8 – 12 months

Green Beans 8 – 12 months

Herbs 8 – 12 months

Mushrooms 8 – 12 months

Tomatoes – quartered 3 – 4 months