Tips for using your microwave

[Andy M.]

Steaming fresh vegetables (or defrosting and heating frozen foods) is our MW's primary use.

 

[taxlady]

I like using my microwave for reheating stuff. I'm less fond of defrosting stuff, but I do use it that way sometimes, when I'm in a hurry. One of the things that I think the microwave does better is cornstarch based puddings. There is a lot of milk in those puddings. I have never managed to make that kind of pudding on the stove top without getting a crust of cooked milk stuck to the inside of the pot, even if I use a double boiler. That doesn't happen when I make pudding in the microwave.

 

[taxlady]

I just learned some interesting ways to use the microwave, including softening butter without melting it. How do you use yours, other than for reheating?

I have been meaning to try out some of those garnishes. I also really like Lan Lam.

 

[Katie H]

I use ours for many things but one of the handiest uses is utilizing it as a proofing box for yeast breads, etc.

What I do is to put a cereal bowl of water in it and set the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Leave the bowl in then put whatever product I want to proof, on its last rise, still leaving the bowl inside the oven.

Usually within an hour everything is perfectly risen and ready for the oven.

Been doing this for years.

 

[GotGarlic]

I use ours for many things but one of the handiest uses is utilizing it as a proofing box for yeast breads, etc.

What I do is to put a cereal bowl of water in it and set the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Leave the bowl in then put whatever product I want to proof, on its last rise, still leaving the bowl inside the oven.

Usually within an hour everything is perfectly risen and ready for the oven.

Been doing this for years.

I learned this from you many years ago and have passed it on, here and elsewhere. Great tip.

 

[Linda0818]

Corn in the microwave is the only way I'll do it now.
Love the "don't bother stripping the husk nor the silk. Add water inside husks, throw in micro. Cut off stem end, grab top with mitt and squeeze corn out. Completely and utterly clean of all silk, perfectly cooked"
Only drawback is you have no stem to hold, but then again, most people stick in one those holder thingies anyhow.

I do the same thing, except I've never added water. I just toss the corn cob, husk and all, into the microwave and set it for 2-3 minutes, depending on the size of the cob. Smaller ones, 2 minutes. Bigger ones, 3 minutes. Done.

 

[dragnlaw]

I use ours for many things but one of the handiest uses is utilizing it as a proofing box for yeast breads, etc.

What I do is to put a cereal bowl of water in it and set the microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Leave the bowl in then put whatever product I want to proof, on its last rise, still leaving the bowl inside the oven.

Usually within an hour everything is perfectly risen and ready for the oven.

Been doing this for years.

I've read this many times (some use an oven as well or with just the light). But I would not be able to fit both into my micro at the same time. I'm have a difficult time visualizing a micro fitting both a round cereal bowl and a loaf pan of bread dough.
Also where do you do your first rise? When the dough is still in the mixing bowl?

 

[Katie H]

I've read this many times (some use an oven as well or with just the light). But I would not be able to fit both into my micro at the same time. I'm have a difficult time visualizing a micro fitting both a round cereal bowl and a loaf pan of bread dough.
Also where do you do your first rise? When the dough is still in the mixing bowl?

Our microwave, apparently, is large and I have no trouble fitting 2 loaf pans in it along with the bowl of hot water.

As for the first rise, my hands are knotted with arthritis so most of the mixing, kneading and first rise are done in the bread machine. Can't do it by hand anymore.

 

[SGM Chef]

Ah yes, the microwave...

Great for heating liquids, like the cream for a Ganache.

My favorite use is for making baked/cooked potatoes. Not to eat as a baked potato, to use after they chill.

Baking potato, scrubbed, because I eat the skins, use fork to prick skin about 20 time on all the various surfaces, to release steam so they don't explode! Bake for about 3 minutes. Then allow to cool, then refrigerate.3-5 day shelf life in fridge.

Fully cooked potatoes are just easy to use up because they are already cooked and brown quickly. Good for home fries with onions. 10 minutes vs 30 minutes starting raw.

Now I have a cooked potato to make fried potatoes or a modified Spanish Frittata as a one pan meal. Brown potatoes, add almost any leftovers, bind with eggs, serve. I normally start with some sort of Turkey sausage, add potatoes, onions, garlic, etc. I do normally add cheese, Wisconsin kid.... Great shortcut to feed a group for breakfast. Italians cut into wedges, top with red sauce and Parm.

I also shallow fry potato wedges from them too. 6-8 wedges per potato. Frugal Fries!

Cube, add Cheese sauce, heat, eat. Quick side or add Ham/Bacon and Peas for meal.

I do thaw at 10% power.

 

[dragnlaw]

SGM I tried that routine of keeping a couple of baked potatoes n the fridge, only works if you remember that they are there.

KatieH Yeah, I've started using my bread machine for the mixing. and I guess the 1st rise as well. I will try various bowls and my smaller pullman pan and see if I can get them to fit.

 

[GotGarlic]

SGM I tried that routine of keeping a couple of baked potatoes n the fridge, only works if you remember that they are there.

KatieH Yeah, I've started using my bread machine for the mixing. and I guess the 1st rise as well. I will try various bowls and my smaller pullman pan and see if I can get them to fit.

You can use a coffee mug, too. That might fit better.

 

[dragnlaw]

Good idea GG - thank you!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I now call my microwave my "proofing box" ever since the first time I tried @Katie H's suggestion. @dragnlaw I put a half cup of water in a 1-cup oval measuring cup. I easily fit my larger bread pan in my microwave longway, but could get two smaller ones in if they were front-to-back longways.

 

[Kathleen]

I’m old enough to remember when the microwave was new, and all the rage!
Somewhere, turning to charcoal in my vintage cookbook collection is a recipe spruiking how to use the microwave to make a roast chicken (whole) that will be much better than using any conventional oven.
I was just a kid, but even then I was highly doubtful that you could make a roast chicken in a microwave.
I might go dig out that cookbook and try the “roast chicken” and report back!!

Momma was so excited to get her microwave and tried to cook many things in it. Things did not generally live up to the hype. My favorite was when she discovered she could pop popcorn in a brown bag. Everyone gathered to watch this! So she prepared a bag, hit the button, and we were all thrilled to the sound of popping! Magic! Then the bag caught fire. Dad unplugged it and hauled it out of the back door.

My mother was miffed and took the defective microwave back to Sears to get another. The cookbook that came with the microwave is where she discovered that she could make popcorn so obviously it was defective. The second microwave lasted for years, but she never attempted popcorn in a plain brown bag again.

3) it was yellow.

Now this could have been written by me. Times where the color determined the product choice have been more common than one may think.

 

[dragnlaw]

When I first got a microwave, like your mom Kathleen, I was thrilled to death. I made a Sunday dinner all in there. While the roast didn't look great it was covered up by gravy.
Did the roast and it rested in a warm oven while I did the vegies, etc.
Can't say I'd recommend it now but back then it was pretty novel. LOL!

 

[Linda0818]

We got our first microwave in the 80's and I remember my mom throwing a pack of frozen hot dog buns into it in order to thaw them out. I don't know how long she put them in there for, but they were literally petrified. I teased her about that for a good while afterwards. Truth be told, though, I wouldn't have known any better either.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, I think we all remember any buns we put in there the first couple of times... like your mom Linda, either petrified or so chewy your jaw would ache... (if you even ate them).

 

[caseydog]

Yeah, I think we all remember any buns we put in there the first couple of times... like your mom Linda, either petrified or so chewy your jaw would ache... (if you even ate them).

I warm buns from the fridge in my microwave all the time (I store bread in the fridge here or it molds in a few days). One bun only takes about ten seconds.

CD

 

[Kathleen]

My mother would take hotdog buns, put hotdogs in them along with whatever else like mustard, chili, etc. Then she would individually wrap them up in wax paper and place on a tray within the fridge. We would grab one, nuke it for a minute and our snack, lunch, etc. was done. That was a brilliant move for the MW. Plus, the bun did not get hard as the hotdog would steam it fresh.

 

[taxlady]

I got my first microwave in the 1980s. I had heard lots about them and about a lot of gotchas. But, I had hoped to use it to turn the rocks (frozen hard food}) from the freezer into usable food in a few minutes. Nope, that didn't work well. A frozen chicken had cooked, grey, rubbery wings by the time the whole bird was defrosted, just as one example. Nowadays we don't just shove the food in the MW and try to defrost it at full power. We have better instructions. Also, my current MW has something called "turbo defrost". I tell it how much it weighs in kg or lbs and it figures out how to do a pretty good job of defrosting it. I can hear it change the power level part way through.