Brilliant Microwave Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
The microwave is often seen as a tool just for reheating leftovers, but it's actually a powerful kitchen assistant. Using it correctly can save time and effort in your day-to-day cooking.
These hacks focus on clever ways to use the microwave to make your cooking process much more efficient and enjoyable.
Revive stale bread
If your bread or rolls have become hard and dry, you can easily bring them back to life. Wrap the bread in a damp paper towel and heat it for about ten seconds.
The moisture from the towel turns into steam, which softens the crust and makes the inside fluffy again.
Get more juice out of citrus fruits
Getting every drop of juice out of a lemon or lime can be difficult if the fruit is cold and firm. Place the citrus in the microwave for twenty seconds before cutting it open.
The heat softens the internal membranes and makes the fruit much easier to squeeze. This hack will help you get significantly more juice out of a single fruit.
Peel garlic more easily
Peeling the papery skin off individual garlic cloves is a tedious and sticky task. To speed this up, place the entire bulb or separate cloves in the microwave for fifteen seconds.
The steam created between the skin and the clove causes the skin to pop right off. This trick is quick, easy, and saves your fingers from smelling like garlic for the whole day.
Toast nuts and seeds
You don't need to turn on the oven just to toast a small handful of walnuts or pumpkin seeds. Spread them out on a microwave safe plate and heat them in one minute intervals, stirring in between.
This method provides an even toast and brings out the natural oils. It's a faster and more controlled way to add crunch.
Dry fresh herbs
Fresh herbs provide a fragrant garnish for many dishes, but they tend to spoil quickly, making them difficult to store for long periods of time. Luckily, the microwave makes drying herbs simple.
Pluck the herbs off their stems and arrange them on a plate between two sheets of paper towel. Heat the herbs for about a minute and then add 20 second intervals until they have completely dried.
Soften sticks of butter vertically
Softening butter for better spreadability is much easier with this quick microwave hack. Simply turn the butter stick so that it's standing vertically in the microwave.
Heat for a bout 7 seconds, flip it around, and heat for another 7 seconds. This way, you'll have softer butter without all the mess.
Make perfectly poached eggs
Poaching eggs on the stove can be intimidating because the whites often spread everywhere. To simplify this, fill a microwave safe bowl with half a cup of water and a drop of vinegar.
Crack an egg into the water and poke some holes around the egg white to prevent explosive mess. Be sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cook it for 45 seconds to get a firm white and runny yolk.
Simple solutions
These simple microwave techniques show that you can do much more than just heat up a frozen meal.
By understanding how the appliance interacts with water and heat, you can solve common kitchen problems in seconds.