 |
| What
is wrong when baked foods have a hard, dry,
brown spot? |
 |
A hard, dry, brown spot indicates overcooking.
Shorten the cooking 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 before cooking.
CAUTION: Never microwave
eggs in the shell. |
 |
| Why
are scrambled eggs sometimes a little dry
after 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. |
 |
| Is
it possible to pop popcorn in a microwave
oven? |
 |
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.
, Listen while corn pops. Stop oven when popping
slows to 2-3 seconds between pops.
, Do not leave microwave unattended while
popping corn.
, Follow directions on bag. |
 |
| Why
do baked apples sometimes burst during cooking? |
 |
| 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 burn during cooking? |
 |
If
the cooking time is too long, fire could result.
At the end of the recommended cooking time,
potatoes should be slightly firm.
CAUTION: Do not overcook. |
 |
| Why
is a standing time recommended after microwave
cooking time is over? |
 |
| Standing time
allows foods to continue cooking evenly for
a few 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 cooking food
stored in the refrigerator? |
 |
| As
in conventional cooking, the initial temperature
of food affects total cooking time. You need
more time to cook food taken out of a refrigerator
than for food at room temperature. |
 |