Contents
What you can do in the microwave and what not to put in it
This kitchen assistant can save you a lot more cooking time than we used to think.
Defrost quickly, reheat – these are perhaps the most popular ways to use the microwave. But she can do more! The gadget will save us a lot of time and effort in the pre-New Year bustle, if we know about its hidden capabilities.
1. Light breakfast
An omelet can be cooked in one and a half minutes: beat eggs with milk in a regular mug with a fork, add grated cheese, put in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and turn on for another 45 seconds. Ready!
2. Potato chips
Cut the peeled potatoes into thin slices, season with salt and pepper, arrange on a plate in one layer and microwave for three minutes at medium power. Turn the slices over and turn the potatoes on for another three minutes.
3. Garlic without the hassle
Small cloves are sometimes so difficult to peel off! She doesn’t want to come off. Heat the head of garlic in the microwave on medium power for only 20 seconds – and the husk will fall off by itself.
4. Dried herbs
Got extra dill or parsley? Chop the herbs, pour a thin layer onto a plate and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir the greens, turn on for another half a minute – you need to repeat the cycle several times until the greens are completely dry. The procedure usually takes 2 to 4 minutes.
5. More juice
If you are used to making yourself freshly squeezed orange juice for your morning coffee, we have a life hack on how to extract more from an orange than usual. You need to hold the citrus in the microwave for 10 – 20 seconds at medium power – so that the peel warms up. You will be surprised how much more generous the fruit will be.
6. Onion without mallow
Oh yeah. There are many ways to avoid sobbing while fiddling with onions: moisten a knife with cold water, whistle, and God knows what to do. Or you can heat the onion in the microwave for 30 seconds at medium power – and you won’t have to cry.
7. Sugar ambulance
If the granulated sugar has taken up lumps due to dampness, you can return it to the mold in 30 seconds: just put a bowl of sugar lumps in the microwave and turn it on for half a minute at medium power.
8. Peel the tomatoes
Many recipes require you to do this with tomatoes. It is usually advised to pour boiling water over the tomatoes. But you can do it without Chinese torture: half a minute in the microwave at medium power will work the same way.
9. Soak peas or beans
Borsch with beans, pea soup – for such dishes, you need to soak legumes in advance. Forgot? Don’t be scared, don’t put off the preparation of dinner because of this. Pour the beans or peas with water, add a teaspoon of baking soda and microwave on high power for 10 minutes. Then let it stand for another 30 – 40 minutes, and you can start cooking.
10. Reanimate stale bread
Bread from mini-bakeries, unlike industrially made, stale literally the next day. The situation can be corrected: put the bread in a plate, cover with a clean cloth or towel, microwave for 10 seconds on high power. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
6 ways to make life easier
1. The oven will clean itself
Pour (non-metallic) water into a bowl, cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the bowl, throw the lemon there. Microwave for five minutes at medium power. Open the door – be careful, there will be a lot of hot steam! – let the oven cool down a little and wipe the inside with a napkin. This is not the only way, but it works.
2. Unstick stamps
Are you into this old-fashioned hobby? Place a few drops of water on the stamp and microwave the envelope for 20 seconds at medium power. Voila – the stamp will come off by itself.
3. Checking the container
Can the container be used in the microwave or not? In theory, if it’s not made of metal, yes. But the process may not be very efficient. To check if the container is suitable for a microwave, you need to put a mug of water in it, put it in the oven and turn it on for a minute at high power. If the container is then cold, and the water is hot, then everything is ok, you can use it. And if the container is hot, it is better not to put it in the microwave.
4. Sterilize the soil
Life hack for fans of plant growing: you can sterilize the earth by putting it in the microwave for a minute and a half at high power. Just not in a bag – you need to pour the soil onto a flat plate.
5. Clean the sponge
Kitchen sponges should ideally be changed once a week, because this is the dirtiest thing in our house. But in the meantime, it’s not a sin to sterilize it: put it in a bowl of water, put it in the microwave for two minutes at medium power. This procedure will kill 99 percent of the bacteria.
6. Disinfect the cutting board
Just rub the board with half a lemon. Then microwave the board for a minute at medium power, along with the lemon. Attention: the method is suitable for wooden boards, but not for plastic.
That in no case should you heat in the microwave
– Breast milk: after such treatment, pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply in it.
– Broccoli: after cooking in the microwave, the vegetable loses 97 percent of its beneficial qualities.
– Frozen fruits: defrosting in the microwave can turn beneficial compounds into carcinogenic compounds.
– Frozen meat: because of this, bacteria begin to multiply in it very quickly. In addition, meat, after just six minutes in the microwave, loses half of its vitamin B12.
– Plastic containers and dishes containing plastic: when heated, such dishes begin to release toxic substances, which are immediately absorbed by the food.