Buzz
Besides its exceptional features that assist homemakers in cooking faster and more delicious meals, the microwave also has another common function—thawing. However, using the microwave for food thawing safely is not known to everyone. Explore it with Mytour in the article below!
How to Use Microwave for Thawing Food
Step 1: Take the food from the freezer and place it on a microwave-safe dish.
Step 2: Place it in the microwave.
Step 3: Select medium power, set the time for 4-5 minutes.
Step 4: Wait and take the food out of the microwave once thawing is complete.
Some notes when thawing food with the microwave
Guide to thawing some everyday foods.
For meat weighing from 200g to 800g, thaw for 5 – 10 minutes. After thawing in the microwave, to ensure complete thawing, wrap the food in aluminum foil and keep it warm for an additional 10 – 15 minutes. Note that whole meat needs 50% medium power, minced meat needs 50% medium power, and fish products need 30% medium power.
Avoid over-thawing.
With high power, the microwave supports rapid food thawing. Without setting a reasonable time mode, the food can become watery or even start cooking during thawing. Research suggests that over-thawing can lead to the loss of inherent nutrients, and the prepared dish may lose its freshness and flavor.
Avoid leaving food thawed for too long, as it can easily lose its nutritional value.
- Process the thawed food immediately.
There are common misconceptions among consumers that after thawing, keeping the food tightly sealed in the microwave until cooking and then taking it out can prevent exposure to external bacteria. However, this is a misguided belief. Right after thawing, food can be contaminated from the outside, especially if your microwave is not clean. Prolonged exposure to bacteria in the microwave can alter the food, leading to potential poisoning or diarrhea. Homemakers should consider the preparation time to ensure proper thawing of food.
- Avoid using the microwave to thaw fruits.
In reality, frozen vegetables only require 30% of the energy to thaw compared to foods like meat and fish. Due to the high power of microwaves, inappropriate temperatures can make vegetables mushy, crushed, and lose their nutritional value. A simple trick for thawing these foods is to take them out and let them slowly thaw or, if you're in a hurry, soak them in water for a quick preparation.
Avoid using the microwave to thaw vegetables.
After thawing, do not store vegetables back in the freezer.
Many households have the habit of stocking up on food for the week or longer. When cooking, they take out the food to thaw, prepare a portion, and return the rest to the freezer for future use. This is a highly mistaken practice. Right after thawing, the food becomes susceptible to bacteria in the surrounding environment. If not cooked and consumed immediately, storing it in the freezer allows these bacteria to multiply rapidly, affecting both the stored food and the overall hygiene. A small tip for homemakers is to divide and store food in small, convenient, and hygienic portions before freezing, ensuring safety and ease during preparation.
Thawing food using a microwave is not complicated or time-consuming at all. The crucial point for homemakers is to adjust the power and time appropriately. However, it's essential to keep in mind some small tips for microwave thawing to prevent nutrient loss and the infiltration of harmful bacteria that can affect everyone's health.
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