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Wed 4 Aug, 2004 11:56 am
I comprehend that the purpose of "stand time" in microwave recipes is to allow all those vigorous little electrons to finish zipping round and round in the food that you've microwaved so that the food finishes cooking.
Does "stand time" have to take place in the microwave oven? Or are those little electrons well enough trained to zip around and finish the cooking process if the dish is on the kitchen counter?
No way Noddy. The second you take the dish out of the oven it starts to cool. Electrons are not excited without the stimulus.
Once the microwave is off, the electrons are quiescent. I leave the food in the oven, just so that the warmth won't dissipate that quickly!
This Luddite is still confused:
I put a pound of lovely, fresh beets in the microwave in a bit of what-I-have-on-hand stock and set the timer for 10 minutes.
The timer rings. The microwave turns itself off.
The microwave book suggests a "stand time" of five minutes. If this five minutes is for the bounding electrons, I can see leaving the casserole dish in the microwave oven.
If the "stand time" is to further cook my beets by contageous heat, it doesn't really matter whether the casserole is in the oven or on the counter.
Once again, please--with feeling, in baby talk.