DEFROSTING IN A MICROWAVE — 5 rules

Housewives know: quick defrosting in the microwave reduces the wait for the workpiece to thaw naturally to 3-5 hours. Let’s consider the main «can» and «can’t» in this simple matter.

Defrost mode in a microwave oven: general rules of use

Many microwave ovens are equipped with a Defrost function. It is indicated by the «snowflake» icon in the control panel. If it is not there (this often happens in budget models), then you need to set the minimum power of the oven to 100-150 W.

For defrosting, choose only the container that is designed for use with a microwave oven — this is indicated by a small microwave oven icon.

It is better to defrost puff pastry, pizza and large pieces of meat on flat plates. They are more capacious. If you have to deal with small pieces of meat or vegetables, medium and deep plates are suitable.

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Meat and fish: juiciness is ensured

You need to think about how to defrost meat, minced meat and fish even before you put the product in the freezer. It is better to keep portioned pieces of the same size. They defrost more evenly and cook faster.

Defrosting in a microwave oven is a matter of a few minutes:

1. It is necessary to place the food on the plate in one layer
   If you stack the pieces on top of each other, the top layer will thaw, and the bottom layer will remain with an «ice crust.»
2. Turn on the defrost mode for 2-3 minutes
   If it is not there, then set the relay to the minimum heating power — 100-300 W. The optimal operating time — 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix the pieces and let them cool
   If you do not do this, and immediately turn on the oven again, part of the meat will begin to «cook» in its juice, and the other part will still defrost.
4. If the products are not defrosted properly, repeat all the steps
   Do this until the food finally reaches the desired condition.

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Vegetables, fruits and berries: vitamins at a click

Before defrosting vegetables in the microwave oven, they should be placed on a plate of medium or large depth. A flat one will not fit here — fruits may release juice during defrosting, which will spill onto the tray.

The duration of heating depends on the amount of food, the degree of moisture content (whether the fibers are «meaty» or have a lot of water in them), and the degree of freezing. Due to a number of factors, the defrosting time of products is calculated individually:

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Heat the dough: we do it right

It is best to defrost the dough in the microwave in a saucer or plate of medium depth. In this way, it will warm up evenly — in a deep one, the top will quickly warm up, but in the middle it will remain frozen.

Puff pastry should be defrosted in a large, flat plate (such as an Ardesto Bagheria) — the fewer creases in it, the better. So it will not tear during removal, being warm.

It is better to warm up the flour dough like this:

1. Turn on the microwave oven for 60-80 seconds
   If you heat longer, the upper edge of the dough will bake.
2. Turn the dough over and microwave for a minute
   Repeat the actions until the dough becomes soft.
3. If the dough is heated, let it cool
   Usually, up to 10 minutes is enough.

To prevent the yeast dough from drying out in the air, we recommend covering the plate with a napkin or cling film.

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Ready meals and semi-finished products: 3 minutes and dinner is ready

Before placing food from the refrigerator in the microwave, it must be removed from the protective packaging and placed in dishes suitable for microwave ovens. It usually has a microwave oven icon.

It is enough to transfer the pizza and pancakes from the box to a plate of the appropriate size. If the food is too large for a particular oven, it is cut into several portions.

Following the advice, even those who have never done it before will be able to safely defrost food in a microwave oven.

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