The microwave is comfortable and fast, but not always the right choice to heat the leftovers. Some foods can become dry, rubbery or lose flavor, while others can even become dangerous for health. Find out what are the foods to avoid and how to heat them correctly.
When you have little time and you want to warm up something to eat quickly, the first thought is always the same: use the microwave. It is simple, immediate and saves precious minutes. But have you ever noticed that some foods, once heated, completely change consistency and flavor? The main problem is that the microwave does not distribute the heat uniformlyleaving some cold parts and others excessively hot. This not only alters the taste of food, but can also represent a health risksince irregular heating can favor the proliferation of harmful bacteria.
Some foods also contain fat and proteins which, if exposed to the heat of the microwave, degrade, causing an unpleasant taste or an uninviting consistency. If you want to avoid these problems, here 5 foods that you should never heat in the microwave and the best methods to taste them without ruining them.
Because some foods should never be heated in the microwave
Il microwave Heats food by exploiting electromagnetic waves that make the water molecules vibrate in food. This process, however, does not always guarantee uniform heating, which can lead to one poor quality of food and potential health risks. Take for example the hard eggs: if heated in the microwave, they can explode due to the internal pressure generated by the steam. The pollo and the steakon the other hand, become dry and stopposiwhile the pesce It develops a very intense smell and loses its natural softness. The riceFinally, it can host dangerous bacteria if not preserved correctly, increasing the risk of food poisoning.
Knowing which foods to avoid warming in the microwave will help you preserve them flavor, consistency and safetyavoiding bad surprises and improving experience at the table.
The 5 foods not to be put in the microwave
Some foods change completely when they are heated in the microwave. If you want to avoid it, here are the 5 foods never to be heated and the best alternatives to taste them at best.
- Hard eggs: explosion risk
The hard -boiled eggs may seem a safe food to be heated, but in reality they are among the worst candidates for the microwave. The heat increases the internal pressure of the egg, which has no escape routes, leading to a sudden explosion to the first cut or even while you eat it.
Alternative: Give them cold or ambient temperature. If you want a hot dish, you can crumble them in a soup or in a warm salad. - Chicken: Become dry and stopposte
Advanced chicken loses its natural juiciness when heated in the microwave. This happens because the heat evaporates the water contained in the meat, making it hard, dry and without flavor. In addition, fats oxidize, further altering the taste.
Alternative: To keep the chicken soft and tasty, heat it in the oven at low temperature or use it to prepare salads, tacos or wrap. - Fish and seafood: ruined consistency and unpleasant smell
Fish is a delicate food that does not tolerate the intense heat of the microwave well. The result? A rubbery and dry consistency, accompanied by a strong and not very inviting smell. The seafood, in particular, tend to release an unpleasant aroma when heated, making the experience unpleasant.
Alternative: Heat the fish in a water bath or in a pan with a little broth or water to keep it soft. Or, cold taste in salads or sandwich. - Beef: loses juiciness and becomes hard
If you have an advanced steak, be careful how he warm up. The microwave makes its tenderness lose meat, drying it and altering its flavor. In addition, the heat is distributed irregularly, creating too cooked parts and others still cold.
Alternative: Heat it in a pan with a little butter or oil, or cut it into thin stripes and use it in salads or sandwiches. - Rice: a potential risk to health
You might think that advanced rice is harmless, but in reality it could contain spores of Bacillus cereusa bacterium that resists cooking and can proliferate if the rice has not been preserved correctly. The problem is that the microwave does not heat uniformly, leaving cold areas that allow bacteria to survive.
Alternative: Heat it in a pan with a little water or broth to rehydrate it. Or, transform it into a creative dish, such as a rice skipped with vegetables or a rice omelette.
The right method makes the difference
In addition to the choice of the heating method, there are other factors that can influence the quality of heated food. The humidity, for example, plays a fundamental role: adding a thread of water or covering foods with a lid helps to keep them soft and juicy.
The temperature also makes its part: heating over low heat or a moderate temperature avoids thermal shocks that can alter the consistency and flavor. In addition, some ingredients can benefit from a slight marinade before heating to revive the flavors.
It is not always necessary to warm everything: some dishes are also perfect cold, such as rice salads, pasta or meat, which can be reinvented with fresh and aromatic condiments.
Experimenting with new combinations can transform a simple meal into a surprising experience!
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