Would it damage the fats in my coconut milk if i gently warmed it in a microwave for 20 seconds? Or is that amount of time/exposure ok?
thanks

coconut oil is very stable, i think it would be ok, but as you say 'gently' would be even safer.

should be ok..as you can also fry stuff in it in low/mediums temps...

Pan cooking with it is fine.

Polanesians have been using it this way for 1000's of years.

kp1512 wrote:should be ok..as you can also fry stuff in it in low/mediums temps...

You can certainly fry in it even with high temperatures..you know when it's oxidising when your pans on fire.

I believe microwaving is the harshest way of cooking food though.

I believe coconut fats to be one of the most stable. As KP said microwaving is very harsh, so if I have to use it... which lets face it there's always sometimes when we're in a rush... then I never use it on full power, always the next one down. Also try and cook in short bursts, stir and then go again, etc.

cheers guys, 20 seconds shud do no harm then. Only do it so its liquidly and no lumps

You should be fine with just 20 secs... if you start glowing in the dark then tone it down to 10-15 secs

What's so bad about microwave cooking? I use my micro more than anything else....frozen veg in pyrex...done in ten mins.

Is it unhealthy to use the micro too much then?

My biggest worry is the extreme temperatures they can generate in certain hotspots, possibly causing damage to the nutrients, oxidizing of fats, etc?

Yeah, temperatures can get very hot very quickly. As you do bison, i do it in short bursts and mix/stir.

Yeh, I tend to chop food that's to be microwed. Even frozen broccoli/cauli, as soon as it's defrosted, it gets cut up into smaller pieces with food scissors before it gets zapped further.

Plus it's such a quick (lazy) way to scramble eggs, which isn't the best way to eat them but when you can't be arsed.....

Microwaves destroy the flavonoids & other nutrients in food (veg). BUT so can boiling and baking.

For veg it's best to steam over a pan.

health4ni wrote:Microwaves destroy the flavonoids & other nutrients in food (veg). BUT so can boiling and baking.

For veg it's best to steam over a pan.

I steam my veg in the microwave, does that still destroy the nutrients?

yep.

health4ni wrote:yep.

bugger.

Orinoco wrote:Yeh, I tend to chop food that's to be microwed. Even frozen broccoli/cauli, as soon as it's defrosted, it gets cut up into smaller pieces with food scissors before it gets zapped further.

Plus it's such a quick (lazy) way to scramble eggs, which isn't the best way to eat them but when you can't be arsed.....

WTF?! No way - I do em in a non-stick omelette pan and it takes less than 2 minutes, I only add a tiny bit of oil (less than a tsp) and when you come to wash it, it takes a qucik wipe - takes me ages to soak and scrub eggs off a glass dish from the microwave.

using the micro changes the molecular structure of whatever you are cooking and can also tamper with the GI of food.
prime example being the potato- go google the difference between long slow cooking in oven and blasting in micro on the respective GI's of the same spud.

upright wrote:

Orinoco wrote:Yeh, I tend to chop food that's to be microwed. Even frozen broccoli/cauli, as soon as it's defrosted, it gets cut up into smaller pieces with food scissors before it gets zapped further.

Plus it's such a quick (lazy) way to scramble eggs, which isn't the best way to eat them but when you can't be arsed.....

WTF?! No way - I do em in a non-stick omelette pan and it takes less than 2 minutes, I only add a tiny bit of oil (less than a tsp) and when you come to wash it, it takes a qucik wipe - takes me ages to soak and scrub eggs off a glass dish from the microwave.

Umm...little confession, when I moved into my new place jan 2007, it was all electric being a new build etc (why there's no gas I'll never know). I gave away my gas cooker to my brother and, well....kinda never got around to buying a replacement .

I also find cookers messy to clean, so wanted to wait until I could afford one with those 'glowing' halogen hob efforts. Thing is they cost a bob or two....

Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet or I'll be glowing

Ash, if you are mixing the coconut milk into a shake, best way is to use boiling water as part of the shake, that should do it.

all im doing is having coconut milk with nesquick, well tasty lol

Anyone know if those worktop steamers are good for frozen veg?

yeah they work. I've been meaning to get one, but just end up doing it the easy cheap way by bunging the veg in a sieve, putting on top of a pan over heat and adding a lid; thus making my very own steamer. Seems to do the job

health4ni wrote:yeah they work. I've been meaning to get one, but just end up doing it the easy cheap way by bunging the veg in a sieve, putting on top of a pan over heat and adding a lid; thus making my very own steamer. Seems to do the job

Good idea!!!

One of these days you'll post something that's not useful...



Until then you shall be known as the oracle

EDIT: Scott, are microwaves pretty useless overall then? Would it limit the damage if you warm things slowly over a greater amount of time?