20 Foods You Should Avoid Reheating in the Microwave

The microwave is a wonderful appliance that allows us to save time, something so precious. It heats up products faster than a stove or oven, and you don’t have to monitor the process. Just choose the power and time for your meal to be ready. However, not all foods can be heated in the microwave. Some of them can get spoiled during the process; in others, substances harmful to health appear.

We, from awesome.club🇧🇷 We have prepared a list of foods for which the microwave is a real enemy. At the end of the post, we offer another list of small cooking tips, in which this appliance is indispensable.

If you improperly store cooked meat, even for two hours, dangerous bacteria such as salmonella can develop. The wrong way of heating in the microwave can be ineffective against these microorganisms.

In addition, some ready-to-eat meat dishes contain preservatives. The influence of the electromagnetic field can transform them into dangerous chemical compounds, such as oxidized lipoprotein.

The crispy skin of roasted chicken in the microwave can make a food with an unpleasant texture, while the meat heats unevenly.

Anyone who has tried to reheat a dish of fish in the microwave knows that this is an unforgettable experience. First, the whole house is flooded with a “fantastic” smell. Second, fish becomes something you can’t eat. When you heat salmon in the microwave, it loses moisture, becomes dry and tough.

Prepared in the microwave, broccoli loses most of its beneficial characteristics. It is best to steam them. Thus, both the flavor and most vitamins and nutrients are preserved.

Vegetables (beetroot leaves, for example) have certain characteristics and can catch fire during the microwave process. As a result, instead of a delicious meal, what will be on the table is burnt food, in addition to the broken appliance.

Electromagnetic radiation can trigger the synthesis of harmful nitrosamines in spinach and beets, substances that can be carcinogenic.

Capsaicin, a substance found in peppers and responsible for their heat, evaporates during microwave heating. As soon as the appliance door is opened, the kitchen fills with acid smoke.

Fresh grapes and currants in the microwave become pieces of plasma. A picturesque experiment, however, quite risky.

As for boiled mushrooms, it is better not to heat them at all. It applies to all heating methods, including the microwave. It is a food loved not only by humans, but also by microorganisms of all kinds. At room temperature, they contaminate the dish at an incredible speed. Spoiled mushrooms, at the very least, will cause indigestion, and in the worst case — severe food poisoning.

It’s hard to imagine a less appetizing dish than microwave pizza. The crispy dough turns into something moist and sticky; the cheese takes on the texture of rubber. There is nothing harmful about food, but neither is there any joy in enjoying it. Much better to warm up in a frying pan or in the oven.

Food cannot be microwaved in the container in which it was delivered. Often, the metallic elements of the packages, at first glance, are imperceptible. However, they can cause fires.

Chinese dishes retain their flavor and charm even when they get cold. They can be heated, but not in the microwave. The problem is hidden in the ingredients themselves. The microwave turns that delicious food into something mucusy, wet, and nasty.

Heating rice in the microwave always has an unpredictable result. If it has been stored at room temperature for a while or has been in the refrigerator for more than a day, it is best to throw it away immediately. In rice grains live a bacteria bacillus cereus, which can persist even after the first cooking. Microwaves do not develop enough temperature to kill these pathogenic organisms, which can cause severe food poisoning. The same applies to other foods containing starch.

A watery soup can be heated in the microwave without any problems. Another thing is a thick or creamy soup. At some point, the plate starts to explode like a geyser and inevitably stains the entire appliance. This happens because the liquid in the soup heats up unevenly. To avoid this effect, you need to stir the soup once every minute and leave a wooden spoon or toothpick in the container.

Microwaves inevitably destroy the flavor of coffee. No harmful substances appear in the drink, however, only those who like bitter coffee will appreciate it. If you really want to finish your cup of coffee that has gone cold, it’s worth adding ice instead of heating it up.

Baby food, baby food or breast milk also heat up unevenly in the microwave. Therefore, in the liquid, hot bubbles can form, which will burn the baby’s tongue, mouth or throat.

Even plain plain water in a glass can also come as a surprise. In the microwave, the temperature of the liquid rises to 100 °C, but bubbles, which are normal when boiling, do not always appear on the surface. If you put a tea bag or a spoon in this water, the liquid boils instantly and the cup may explode.

Various oils (grape, canola, sesame) or olive oil are not liquids but fats. Therefore, the oil in the microwave simply does not reach the required temperature.

Having studied the entire list of products that should not be heated in the microwave, it is not worth getting rid of this household appliance right away. The microwave is a useful appliance and can be used for completely unexpected purposes.

Quickly peel the garlic. In order not to suffer, peeling the cloves, just put the garlic in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Prepare freshly squeezed juice. If you put oranges or lemons in the microwave for 10 seconds, it will be much easier to squeeze out the juice. Electromagnetic radiation destroys the inner membranes of citrus fruits.

Fry seeds and nuts. Place these products in a ceramic container suitable for microwave use, pour a drop of oil and place in the oven. It is necessary to process the seeds and nuts for five minutes, taking breaks every 60 seconds to stir.

Soften the brown sugar. If the sugar sticks and forms a hard stone that is difficult to separate, you need to wrap it in a damp paper towel and keep it in the microwave for 25 seconds.

Melt the crystallized honey. If honey sits on the shelf too long and looks more like butter with grains of sugar, rather than viscous sweetness, the microwave will help. Important: honey cannot be reheated in a plastic container. Shake the product every 30 seconds until it regains its original texture.

Peel the vegetables. Sometimes zucchini and tubers are a bit of work to peel. For the task to be simpler and faster, just leave them for two to three minutes in the microwave, at the lowest power. Afterwards, the shell comes off much easier.

Chop the onions. To avoid tears, keep the onion in the microwave for just 30 seconds. This inhibits the enzymes responsible for releasing sulfur compounds, which irritate the eyes.

Beat the milk foam🇧🇷 A cappuccino can be prepared without an expensive coffee maker. Pour the milk into a glass or ceramic jar with a lid (filling the container halfway) and shake well. About 30 or 60 seconds will be enough for foam to form. Then place the container in the microwave for another 30 seconds, so that the foam rises. Afterwards, just add it to the coffee and the cappuccino is ready.

Let the beans soak. If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, don’t worry. Put it in a ceramic bowl and pour water in a 1/3 ratio (3 glasses of water for every 1 glass of beans). Then place the container in the microwave and heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid boils. Let rest for one hour at room temperature, drain and rinse with ice water.

Experts recommend not heating any dish more than once. The longer food is stored, the greater the risk of contamination by pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria. When prepared in the right way, food will not cause any harm to health. It is worth buying a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature of the dish after heat treatment. It’s also important to carefully stir the food so that there are no ”islands” of cold ingredients — these can become a hotbed for infections. Another thing, the more you reheat food, the less tasty it becomes: vegetables turn to mush and meat to rubber.

Would you add anything to the first or second list based on your personal experience?