Thawing raw food in the Microwave?

[swiddweas]

I have to freeze alot of the raw foods I prepare, simply because we cannot eat all that food in a few days' time. And when I prepare food, I make alot. Perhaps that's the Italian in me?

Needless to say, I have alot of half-pint mason jars full of raw food goodies in my freezer. Lately, I haven't gotten my P's and Q's together I guess and find I have nothing thawed out to eat when I want it. SO.. this evening I decided to put into my microwave my little jar and set it to thaw. Do you know what? It really and truely worked because the food was cold, but thawed out in 2 minutes.

My concern, do I have a good reason to worry that I am not doing the right thing by using the microwave to thaw if the food is still cold? Will the microwave hurt the food by radiation, ect. do you know?


Now, this sets up a whole nother way of fast food. Just put my fave dish in the micro and thaw. Walla! Dinner in two minutes. A raw one at that! With no day-old-mold. I am one happy camper.

Does anyone else do this?

Pattye

[SamuelWilson]

I did want to add a tip though. Take the jars out of the freezer and then run cold water slowly over the jar working up to warm faucet water. If you run warm faucet water over a frozen jar, the sudden temp change may crack the jar. After you have run warm water over the jar, then put the jar in large mixing bowl so that it is submerged in warm faucet water. You can change the water if it gets cold.

I actually take the jars and place them in my make shift double boiler. I started a thread on here about it. The idea is to never subject the contents of the jar to enzyme destroying temperatures. (118, 105 or whatever your magic number is)

After the contents of the jar has thawed enough to work with it. You can place it in the dehydrator. However, most the time, if I have something in a jar, it is a raw soup and I just warm it up in my double boiler.

I hope this helps.

[exurb]

In addition to microwaving not being raw, Dr Andrew Weil put some information out there recommending to minimize microwaving, but even more strongly to never microwave in plastic, that the microwaves actually grab the plastic molecules and put them in your food. Also I have read that there are sometimes other strange compounds created, amended proteins, etc. I don't know that much about it, but that's what I read. I don't even microwave water to warm it up.

Does all that stuff you're making need to be frozen or would it be ok in the fridge for long enough to eat it. I sort of "cook" (dehydrate) in a big batch on Saturday morning, then that stuff gets me through the week in containers in the fridge.

[theresaann]

you're kidding, right?

did you know the inventor of the microwave was working on a military contract and stated ADAMANTLY that microwaves must NEVER be used to heat anything for human consumption. He even said that people shouldn't even be in the same room when it's running-that's how dangerous he said it was- and he was the INVENTOR. Also, microwave ovens are banned in Russia, cause they know this. (I've heard).

[rawpriestess]

I agree that microwaving just isn't a good thing.

This is how I do it.

I make stuff, I put it into portions, I double freezer zip lock baggy it, toss it in the freezer, now when I do this, I make the portions, into flat shapes, like you would put on a plate, not in a big ball, so it freezes faster, and thaws faster.

Then when I want it, if it is a wet food, I take out of the plastic, place on a plate, and put in my dehydrator, to warm, this way if I forget it, which often happens, I can go eat it whenever I remember to.

If it is a dry thing, like a burger patty or something that I don't want to dry out any more, then I leave it in one of the freezer baggies, and dehydrate in that, which warms the food, and keeps in the moisture.

Then I take it out and toss onto a plate or wrap in lettuce or whatever.

I make almost all of my recipes this way. because I simply can not eat 30 pesto stuffed mushrooms, and that is how much the recipe makes. I've tried cutting recipes into 1/2 or ever 1/4 but not always does this work, because your food processor and blenders need enough food to process.

So, I just have learned, to make the whole batch, freeze in portions, and that's it. I also write on the baggie, the date and what it is.

This is also a great thing to have on hand, in case of un-suspected company, or being excesively hungry one day, or your family wanting to "try" your meal, which usually means they eat it. LOL

Or if you wish to go to a friend's home for dinner, you can take a couple things with you, so you are prepared.

Or what ever reason you can think of.

I'm sorry about the microwave thing, it was a great idea, it's always good to think out of the box.

So, keep those great ideas coming, and ask tons of questions, and we'll come up with loads of answers.

And usually many suggestions. :)

[swiddweas]

Thank you all for your kind thoughts!

The dehydrator by golly-gumbo, I forgot about THAT! That's what I shall use. That makes alot of sense to me.

How long does it take to thaw in the dehydrator I wonder? Gosh, what a good idea- why didn't I do that? I DID think about it, but pushed it out of my mind.... thanks again!


Pattye

[rawpriestess]

It depends, if I am warming a burge patty, that is mostly nuts and veggies and about 1/4 inch thick, maybe 15 mintues to warm it. to thaw about 5

If I am warming say enchiladas that are about 1 inch thick, I like them warm so about 1hour.

Although you could just keep checking to see, I usually forget my food is in there.

I think Dragggon says the pesto muchrooms take about 20 minutes to warm up.

[tvillemom]

So...RP...if I make the WHOLE batch of mushrooms, and FREEZE them, then I just pop the little bites in the dehydrator for about 20 minutes? HOW easy is that. Being the only RAW fooder in my home, I'm always trying to cut my recipes in half...but I was afraid my mushrooms would go bad before I could eat them all. YIPPEE! I think I end about all of my posts here with "THANK YOU" :D I could never have made RAW without ya'll! :D :D :D
Wendi

[Ariannah]

you're kidding, right?

did you know the inventor of the microwave was working on a military contract and stated ADAMANTLY that microwaves must NEVER be used to heat anything for human consumption. He even said that people shouldn't even be in the same room when it's running-that's how dangerous he said it was- and he was the INVENTOR. Also, microwave ovens are banned in Russia, cause they know this. (I've heard).

I've been discussing this with my DH. Could you, (or anyone) please cite a source for this?

I'm having a hard time googling for all this in the sea of popular opinion that says "Microwaves are wonderful inventions".

Ariannah

[Ariannah]

Here are two very well written articles about the dangers of microwaving.

http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1045383/
http://www.besthealth.com.au/microwaveart.htm

[rawpriestess]

WOW, Ariannah, fascinating reading.

I never did like microwave ovens.