Defrosting Foods Without Microwaves: What Are the Alternatives?
Want to defrost food?
The freezer and microwave are modern inventions that have made our lives much easier.
The problem is that they are very power hungry devices.
To save money, we have a very simple solution: defrosting in the open air.
Instead of using your energy-consuming microwave to defrost your food quickly, just take it out ahead of time.
How to do
All you have to do is plan ahead!
While it's true that you don't always decide what to eat in advance, it's a good habit to take.
When you prepare your shopping list, you plan menus for the entire week and check what's in your stash.
This organization allows you to know what to prepare for dinner, you just have to consult your menus to put the right foods to defrost the day before.
Yes, but according to what methods?
1. In the open air
Perfect for all foods that do not represent health hazards: vegetables, fruits, whole pieces of meat, aromatic herbs ... It is the method which takes the most time, but also the one which preserves the food the best. Be careful, this trick does not work for hamburger steaks.
2. With lukewarm water
In a container, pour lukewarm water and immerse the food for the necessary time. It varies according to the size of the part to be defrosted. A little faster, this process also protects the food. Scallops or fish lend themselves well, as long as they are cooked immediately.
3. In the refrigerator
Place your food to be defrosted under a film in the fridge, for gentle and safe defrosting. Ideal for fish, minced steaks and all other foodstuffs which must respect the cold chain, such as fish, eggs, foie gras, products of animal origin and generally prepared. Otherwise, the tourista is guaranteed!
The advantages of these 3 microwave alternatives?
Of course, we save a little energy, but not only. Foods that pass in the microwave lose their flavor and especially their nutritional qualities. Worse, they start to cook while they are thawing.
Meat, for example, loses its tenderness because of this thermal shock and the process used by the microwave.
Thawing your food without microwave is therefore a preferred method for our taste, our health and our wallet ...
Your turn...
Do you have any tips for defrosting certain foods in particular? At comment-economiser.fr, we are fans of your good ideas, so come and tell us about them in the comments.
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Also to discover:
The 5 foods you should never microwave again.
The Trick To Defrost Meat Quickly.