Microwave ovens are versatile inventions that allow the average student, family, or friend to prepare a vast amount of meals in various ways. The microwave oven has not been around for very long, but it has revolutionized how we use our kitchens today. One of its features you may not have known about is its ability to defrost frozen foods. Here are your tips on how to defrost food in a microwave oven.
Defrosting Food in a Microwave Oven
You can avoid having to wait hours or overnight to let your frozen meats, vegetables, and fruits defrost in at least two ways. Your microwave oven may come with a defrost or auto-defrost button. You could use this method, or you could manually set your microwave oven power level to 20-30% and defrost the food however long it will take.
Defrosting Meat in a Microwave
Perhaps the most common item people want to defrost is meat. Your chicken, steak, fish, etc., do not have to wait. You can place your frozen meat in a microwave safe container and defrost it in the microwave oven. The time to defrost may be about 8-10 minutes per pound, so check the weight on the package before setting the time. You can also turn and flip the meat every few minutes to ensure even defrosting.
Once you have defrosted your protein, you can immediately cook it to prevent any harmful bacteria from starting to grow on it.
Defrosting Fruits and Vegetables in a Microwave
Frozen fruits can be tricky to defrost, especially as some may become sour afterward. On the other hand, the microwave oven may be able to assist you in this process. Once again, place your frozen produce in a microwave safe container and check the weight. If the weight is not on the package, you can test it on a food scale. Separate the pieces as much as possible so they do not stick together and check the defrosting progress at about two minutes.
