When you pop some food in the microwave, you’re often on auto-pilot. Toss it in, and that piping hot pizza is ready to burn your mouth—it’s not the microwave’s fault, you’re hungry and ready to take on such a feat. Whether you cover your food with a paper towel to avoid a splattered mess, or plan on defrosting foods, it’s important to make sure you’re cooking your food safely. Here’s a few uncommon tips to make sure your food safety in the microwave is up to par:
1) Add Liquid to your Dish
When you're reheating your food, it’s best not to only arrange it as evenly as possible, but to also add liquid to your dish if it is especially dry with little to no moisture. The reason? According to the USDA, the steam from the heat cooks your food in a uniform matter and kills dangerous bacteria. So the next time you heat something up, add some water to it. If you’re looking for a little more flavor, vegetable stock is another option to consider as well. Remember to allow the steam to escape, and cover your food with the added liquid.
2) Cover Foods with These Microwave-Safe Items
If you’ve ever wondered what is safe to cover your food with, we’ve got you covered (no pun intended). From wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and microwave-safe paper towels—the USDA claims these items should be safe to use. You can even use microwave-safe plastic wraps when nuking your dish. The only catch? Keep the plastic wrap off of your foods while microwaving, ie—no touching the food.
Now, what you shouldn’t nuke in the microwave consists of plastic storage bags, paper or plastic grocery bags, newspapers, styrofoam, or anything metal like aluminum. The same goes for take-out containers and reused plastic containers; these items are not meant for the microwave and can melt as well as leach chemicals into your food.
3) Never Store Partially Cooked Food
It’s common to get a head start by partially nuking your food in the microwave. Time is money, and you want to finish it off in your oven or on your BBQ grill. Totally get it. However, once you have partially cooked your food in the microwave, it's super important to transfer it to your heat source of choice, pronto. So, having a preheated oven or grill is the right way to go. You should never ever pop your particially cooked food in the fridge. It’s just asking for a bacteria party. Ick.
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