Microwave Hacks That Will Change the Way You Cook! | This Morning

Microwave Hacks That Will Change the Way You Cook!

Presenter / channel: Grace Farel, This Morning

Ingredients & common pantry items

• Stale bread (slices or baguette)
• Kitchen roll / paper towel (damp for bread; dry for herbs)
• Nuts (e.g., pine nuts) — olive oil optional
• Lemon or lime
• Garlic cloves (2–3 shown)
• Tomatoes (whole; score the skin)
• Onion (peeled)
• Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme; experiment with others cautiously)
• Small vessel of water (for warming plates)
• Airtight container (for storing dried herbs)

Equipment & prep

• Microwave (use different settings where appropriate; read your manual)
• Microwave-safe plate
• Small microwave-safe bowl or vessel (for water, oil if used)
• Knife (to score tomatoes)
• Kitchen roll / paper towels
• Airtight container for dried herbs

Step-by-step methods, timings, technique cues and tips

1. Revive stale bread

• Prep: Flick kitchen roll with water so it’s damp (do not soak). Wrap the bread completely in the damp paper towel.
• Microwave: about 10 seconds.
• Technique: steam from the damp roll softens the bread.
• Tip: works for baguettes as well.

2. Toast nuts in the microwave

• Prep: place nuts on a plate; a little oil helps but isn’t necessary.
• Microwave: 1-minute bursts on full power, shaking or stirring between bursts. Repeat until toasted — a couple of minutes total depending on nut type.
• Technique: short bursts and stirring prevent burning; pine nuts brown very quickly.
• Tip: keep a close eye — hands-off toasting is easy but timing varies.

3. Soften citrus for juice (lemons/limes)

• Microwave whole lemon or lime (no wrapping): ~10 seconds.
• Technique: brief heat loosens membranes so fruit is easier to squeeze.
• Tip: citrus will be only slightly warm; use care when handling.

4. Loosen garlic skins (quick peel)

• Prep: place whole garlic cloves on a plate.
• Microwave: full power, ~15–20 seconds.
• Technique: steam forms between clove and skin so skins slip off easily.
• Tip: cloves will be slightly warm; this trick also helps with tomatoes (see below).

5. Skin tomatoes (blanching shortcut)

• Prep: make a small cross at the bottom of the tomato so it doesn’t burst.
• Microwave: about 1 minute.
• After: allow to cool ~1 minute before handling.
• Technique: heating loosens skins so they slide off.

6. Reduce onion eye-watering

• Prep: peel the onion first.
• Microwave: ~30 seconds.
• Technique: brief heating reduces some sulfur compounds that cause tears, making chopping easier.

7. Dry herbs quickly (dehydrate)

• Prep: remove leaves from stems; place leaves on a piece of kitchen roll and cover with another piece of kitchen roll.
• Microwave: high power, ~1-minute at a time; check and repeat until leaves are dry and crunchy (a few minutes total).
• Technique: evaporates moisture to produce dried herbs.
• Tip: store immediately in an airtight container. Works very well with rosemary and thyme; experiment with other herbs but keep a close eye to avoid burning.

8. Warm plates more effectively

• Prep: put plates in microwave and place a small vessel of water on/near the plates.
• Technique: microwaves heat water efficiently; the heated water helps transfer heat to the plates for more even warming.
• Tip: better than microwaving plates on their own.

Chef tips, cautions & common mistakes to avoid

• Don’t treat the microwave as a “one-button” appliance — different settings are useful. Full power is best for liquids, but other tasks may benefit from lower power or short bursts. Read your microwave manual for model-specific functions.
• Don’t soak the kitchen roll for bread; make it damp only.
• Keep a close watch when toasting nuts or drying herbs — short bursts and frequent checking prevent burning.
• Items (garlic, tomatoes, citrus) may be hot or warm after microwaving; allow them to cool briefly before handling.
• For tomato skin removal, score the skin so the fruit doesn’t burst.
• When drying herbs, store immediately in an airtight container to preserve them.

Variations / notes

• Bread: works on slices and baguettes.
• Nuts: oil is optional; pine nuts toast very quickly — adjust timing.
• Herbs: rosemary and thyme recommended; experiment cautiously with other herbs.
• Garlic technique can assist peeling tomatoes and other similar-skinned items.

Presenter recommends consulting your microwave’s manual (available online) for model-specific settings and capabilities.

Presenter / channel: Grace Farel, This Morning