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– 41 –
Reheat
IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER
WHEN REHEATING COLD FOODS
STARTING TEMPERATURE —
Foods taken from the refrigerator will take longer to
reheat than foods from room temperature.
Quantity —
One serving heats faster than several servings.
When heating large quantities, stir food to ensure
even heating. It is quicker to heat individual plates of
food than large quantities in a casserole dish.
Plated Dinners —
Arrange foods with the most dense items towards the
outside of the plate. Cover meats with sauces/gra-
vies if desired, spread out mashed potatoes or rice
so it heats more evenly. When assembling plates of
leftover foods, use foods which have a similar start-
ing temperature.
Covering Foods —
Most foods need to be covered with one sheet of ab-
sorbent paper towel to hold in the heat and prevent
splattering without steaming. When more moisture is
desired, cover with plastic wrap.
Heating —
Reheating is usually done on 1100 W, however, if
food has a more delicate texture, like a baked cus-
tard, a lower power setting should be used. 800 W
for a little longer will be gentler on the food. An aver-
age plate of food would generally take 1 to 3 minutes
to heat depending on the density of the food. Place it
in for the minimum time and add extra heating time if
required.
Ensure food is hot by feeling the bottom of the plate
in the centre. If the plate is cool, food may be warm
but will lose heat quickly as the plate will absorb the
heat and taste cold when served.
If food is not heated enough, consumption may
cause illness.
Elevation —
Elevate pastries and breads on a small plastic rack
with paper towel under the food to prevent it from
becoming soggy.
Caution:
Pastry items which have a fi lling that is high in
fat., sugar or moisture will become hotter in the
centre and the pastry may only feel warm. Ensure
you allow it to stand for several minutes before
eating.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER
WHEN REHEATING FOODS FROM THE
FREEZER
VOLUME —
The greater the volume and the more dense the
item, the longer it takes to reheat, e.g. frozen cake
will take less time than frozen casserole.
LARGE VOLUME —
Large, dense, frozen precooked foods are best
thawed on defrost until icy in the centre then heated
on 800 W. This prevents overcooking of the edges.
Stirring is often needed to distribute heat evenly.
Commercial frozen foods —
These foods should be removed from their foil
containers if possible and placed into suitable mi-
crowave safe containers. If a foil container is used in
the microwave oven it shouldn’t be more than 4 cm
high and must not touch the interior of the microwave
oven. Remove the cover from the tray and replace
with paper towel or plastic wrap to prevent splatter-
ing.
Foods to be served at room temperature —
For best results, defrost for a short time and allow to
stand to complete thawing, e.g. frozen cake.
Vacuum sealed pouches —
Pierce pouches, bags before heating to allow steam
to escape. This prevents bursting.
Containers —
Use dishes about the same volume of the food or
slightly larger to allow for stirring. Remove or release
snap seal lids other wise they will pop during heating
and may disfi gure.
Pies and pastries —
Pies and pastries that contain raw pastry and fi lling
cannot be cooked in the microwave oven. Precooked
products can be thawed and heated. Place them on
a sheet of paper towel and elevate on plastic rack
for best results. For added crispness place under the
grill or in a hot oven for few minutes. Pastry items
can become tough and rubbery if overheated, re-
member to allow 5 minutes standing then test before
adding extra heating time.
F0003CA00QP_OI_07_180507.indd 41 2018/5/8 14:00:58
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