Questions
and Answers
(continued)
Food
Question
Answer
What
is wrong
when
baked
foods
have a
A hard, dry, brown
spot indicates
overcooking.
Shorten
the cooking
hard, dry, brown
spot?
or reheating
time.
Why do eggs sometimes
pop?
When
baking,
frying,
or poaching
eggs,
the yolk
may pop due to
steam
build-up
inside
the yolk membrane.
To prevent
this,
simply
pierce
the yolk with a wooden
toothpick
before
cooking.
CAUTION:
Never
microwave
eggs
in the shell.
Why are scrambled
eggs sometimes
a
little dry after cooking?
Is it possible
to pop popcorn
in a
microwave
oven?
Why do baked apples sometimes burst
during cooking?
Eggs will dry out when they are overcooked,
even if the same
recipe
is used each time. The cooking
time may need
to be varied
for one of these
reasons:
• Eggs vary in size.
• Eggs are at room temperature
one time and at refrigerator
temperature
another
time.
• Eggs continue
cooking
during
standing
time.
Yes, if using one of the two methods
described
below:
(1) microwave-popping
devices
designed
specifically
for microwave
cooking
(2) prepackaged
commercial
microwave
popcorn
that is made
for specific
times and power
output
needed
Follow
exact
directions
given
by each
manufacturer
for
its popcorn
popping
product
and do not leave
the oven
unattended
while
the corn
is being
popped.
If corn
fails
to pop after
the suggested
time,
discontinue
cooking.
Overcooking
could
result
in an oven
fire.
CAUTION:
• Never
use a brown
paper
bag for
popping
corn
or attempt
to
pop
leftover
kernels.
• Do not pop prepackaged
commercial
microwave
popcorn
directly
on the glass
turntable.
To avoid
excessive
heating
of
the glass
turntable,
place
the popcorn
bag on a plate.
The peel has not been
removed
from the top half of each apple
to
allow for expansion
of the interior
of the apple during
cooking.
As in
conventional
cooking
methods,
the interior
of the apple
expands
during
the cooking
process.
Why do baked
potatoes
sometimes
If the cooking
time is too long, fire could result.
At the end of the
burn during
cooking?
recommended
cooking
time,
potatoes
should
be slightly
firm.
CAUTION:
Do not overcook.
Why is a standing
time recommended
Standing
time allows
foods
to continue
cooking
evenly
for a few
after microwave
cooking
time is over?
minutes
after the actual
microwave
oven cooking
cycle. The
amount
of standing
time depends
upon
the density
of the foods.
Why is additional
time required
for
As in conventional
cooking,
the initial temperature
of food
affects
cooking
food stored
in the refrigerator?
total cooking
time.
You need
more time to cook food taken
out of a
refrigerator
than for food
at room temperature.
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