Microwaves baking

Oruna-Concha, M. J., Bakker, J., Ames, J. M. (2002). Comparison of the volatile components of two cultivars of potato cooked by boiling, conventional baking and microwave baking. J. Sci. Food Agric., 82, 1080-1087. 

Effects of Conventional Baking, Microwave Baking and Steaming... 

Protein efficiency ratios of conventionally baked, microwave-baked, and steamed breads, presented in Table II, were 0.79, 1.20, and 1.25, respectively. The significantly lower PER of conventionally baked breads indicates that more... 

Fortifying wheat flour with 0.2% lysine or 12% soy flour raised the PER to 1.54 or 1.36 respectively, for conventionally baked bread to 2.09 or 2.15 for steamed bread and to 2.03 or 2.25 for microwave-baked bread (Table II). 

The marked increases in PERs with lysine and soy or milk fortifications (Tables II and III), regardless of baking method, confirm that wheat bread is deficient in lysine. Conventionally baked bread s high response to lysine than soy or milk fortification indicates that conventional baking can aggravate the lysine deficiency of wheat bread much more than does microwave baking or steaming. 

One of the major problems associated with the flavor development of microwave products results from the fact that the reduced time/temperature relationship during baking is not conducive to the formation of a crisp, outer crust or many of the Maillard compounds associated with a conventionally baked flavor. These microwave baked products thus have a different flavor character from conventionally baked products and are typically judged "inferior by consumers. 

To date, there has been virtually no published research specifically addressing the source of these differences in flavor character. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how the flavor system of a microwave baked cake differs from that of a conventionally baked cake. Raw batter (without heat treatment) was also analyzed as a control. 

Comparison of flavor extracts from white cake batter, micro-wave, and conventionally baked cakes have provided insight as to the types of flavor compounds initially present before baking and as to the types of compounds which form (or do not form) during the baking process. Ultimately, this type of information will aid in the formulation of conventionally baked flavors to be added to microwave products. frJien used in conjunction with microwave accessories which promote crust formation, these flavors can benefit the food industry in the development of quality microwave baked products. 

When you bake in the sun, your body absorbs energy from sunlight. Infrared radiation from a heat lamp in a restaurant keeps food warm until the server delivers the meal to the customer. When a microwave oven cooks food, the food absorbs energy from microwave radiation. Sunlight, infrared light, and microwaves are examples of electromagnetic radiation, which possesses radiant energy, as we discuss in Chapter 7. 

There are several ways to define efficiency. One general definition says that energy efficiency is the ability to produce a desired effect with minimum energy expenditure. For example, suppose that you want to bake a potato. You can use a microwave oven or a conventional oven. 

Ref. Boiled Mashed Baked Fried Microwaved Canned Roasted... 

Chlorine atoms were produced by flowing a mixture of 5 % Cl2 in helium through a quartz tube, coated with a thin film of baked phosphoric acid to inhibit Cl atom recombination, and enclosed in a 2.45 GHz microwave cavity operating at 35 W. The purity of reactants was 99.5 to 97 %, and they were frequently subjected to several freeze-pump-thaw cycles. The reactants were flowed inside the reactor neat or diluted in helium (3% mixtures). 

Bread is an excellent staple supplying key nutrients carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Its nutritive value affects a great majority of the human population. The marked increase in nutritive value of microwave or steamed breads, observed in the present study, indicates that those processes deserve attention or that conventional baking warrants some modification. 

Melt the chocolate either in the microwave (see baking tools, page 247) or in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, stirring it frequently with a rubber spatula. Remove the chocolate from the heat and set aside to cool. 

Flavors added to microwave food systems have a greatly expanded role compared to flavors added to products prepared by conventional heating. The flavors must provide not only the characterizing flavor (i.e., lemon, butter, vanilla, etc.), but also the typical roasted, toasted, and baked flavors which do not develop in microwave heated products. New flavors designed for use in microwave products must mask the raw uncooked flavor characteristics and other undesirable flavor notes frequently found in many microwave bases. Microwave flavors must also deliver pleasant aromas into the room during the microwave process. Development of these flavors for microwave application is dependent upon a fundamental understanding of microwave heating on flavor performance in food systems. 

Preparation of Microwave and Conventional Cakes. Diacetyl and acetoin were added at 200 ppm to a commercially available cake mix. The conventional cake was baked 35 minutes at 250 degrees F. in a standard General Electric electric oven. The microwave cake was baked 6.5 minutes in a 600 Watt G.E. Space Maker Microwave Oven. Diacetyl and acetoin concentrations were determined by gas chromatographic headspace analysis as previously described for quantitation of the Strecker aldehydes. 

Chemical reactions occur during microwave processing of food systems, however, their contribution to flavor appears to be minimal. The volatile aldehydes quickly flash off during subsequent heating. The desirable baked, toasted, and roasted flavors typical of Maillard Browning do not develop in microwave heated food products. 

Flavor Development in a Microwaved Versus a Conventionally Baked Cake... 

Many problems associated with successfully identifying and simulating the flavors characteristic of conventionally baked foods have yet to be overcome in the development of new microwave products. This study addresses these problems by identifying compounds most important to the characteristic flavors of white cake batter, microwave and conventionally baked cake. Gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and odor analysis by sniffing indicated that compounds such as diacetyl, C4-C10 aldehydes, C4-C10 alcohols, C8-C11 dienals, 3-octen-2-one, and 7-octen-4-ol were common to all three flavor systems. Conventional cake was found to contain higher levels of isopentenal and furfural than microwave cake. 

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