Timeline for Is it ok to microwave veggies without water instead of blanching them in a pot of water?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
8 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 3, 2021 at 10:13 | comment | added | Willeke | I wonder when that fine dining kitchen manager got his education and whether he has kept up with newer knowledge. I guess 'a long time ago' and 'no'. | |
| Jul 14, 2015 at 17:37 | comment | added | moscafj | @FuzzyChef ...doing things wrong? Hardly...see these folks, for example: chefsteps.com/activities/…. ...not sure this answer should be marked as correct. I wouldn't call it "blanching", but you can use your microwave to cook veggies well. | |
| Mar 22, 2015 at 3:32 | vote | accept | FuzzyChef | ||
| Dec 4, 2011 at 18:11 | comment | added | FuzzyChef | BMG: certainly there's differences. I take your point about leafy greens, which it tends to burn. Peas, carrots, green beans, diced potatoes, beets, etc. work perfectly well, though -- better than blanching if you are avoiding dilution of flavor. | |
| Dec 4, 2011 at 1:15 | comment | added | BobMcGee | Well, it's not just received wisdom. The microwave periodically does ungodly things to frozen spinach when I thaw it; I posted a question about it here a while back. I've also seen it dry out broccoli pretty badly as well. Also, the flavor and texture of stuff is never quite the same as thawing it by a steamer or in the toaster oven. | |
| Dec 3, 2011 at 6:07 | comment | added | FuzzyChef | BTW, I'm not saying this answer is wrong. I'm just saying that it has the tone of "recieved wisdom" rather than tested knowledge. I do agree with the comment about color though; blanching is better for bright colors, no question. | |
| Dec 2, 2011 at 4:49 | comment | added | FuzzyChef | Hmmm. I don't find that it dries out the outside of vegetables at all, except maybe that it doesn't add moisture the way a pot of water does. Also, since microwaves penetrate around an inch into the vegetables, for pieces less than 2" thick, the inside heats the same as the outside. I think this calls for a blind taste-test. | |
| Dec 2, 2011 at 4:32 | history | answered | BobMcGee | CC BY-SA 3.0 |