Kenmore 63263 Use and Care Guide - Page 21

Questions and Answers (continued) Food Question What is wrong when baked foods have a hard, dry, brown spot? Answer A hard, dry, brown spot indicates overcooking. or reheating time. Shorten the cooking Why do eggs sometimes pop? When baking, frying, or poaching eggs, the yolk may pop due to steam build-up inside the yolk membrane. To prevent this, simply pierce the yolk with a wooden toothpick before cooking. CAUTION: Never microwave eggs in the shell. Why are scrambled eggs sometimes a little dry after cooking? Eggs will dry out when they are overcooked, even if the same recipe is used each time. The cooking time may need to be varied for one of these reasons: • Eggs vary in size. • Eggs are at room temperature one time and at refrigerator temperature another time. • Eggs continue cooking during standing time. Is it possible to pop popcorn in a microwave oven? Why do baked apples sometimes burst during cooking? Yes, if using one of the two methods described below: (1) microwave-popping devices designed specifically for microwave cooking (2) prepackaged commercial microwave popcorn for specific times and power output needed that is made Follow exact directions given by each manufacturer for its popcorn popping product and do not leave the oven unattended while the corn is being popped. to pop after the suggested time, discontinue If corn fails cooking. Overcooking CAUTION: could result in an oven fire. • Never use a brown paper bag for popping pop leftover kernels. corn or attempt to • Do not pop prepackaged commercial microwave popcorn directly on the glass turntable. To avoid excessive heating of the glass turntable, place the popcorn bag on a plate. The peel has not been removed from the top half of each apple to allow for expansion of the interior of the apple during cooking. As in conventional cooking methods, the interior of the apple expands during the cooking process. Why do baked potatoes sometimes burn during cooking? If the cooking time is too long, fire could result. At the end of the recommended cooking time, potatoes should be slightly firm. CAUTION: Do not overcook. Why is a standing time recommended after microwave cooking time is over? Standing time allows foods to continue cooking evenly for a few minutes after the actual microwave oven cooking cycle. The amount of standing time depends upon the density of the foods. Why is additional time required for cooking food stored in the refrigerator? As in conventional cooking, the initial temperature of food affects total cooking time. You need more time to cook food taken out of a refrigerator than for food at room temperature. 21