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permaculture - Re: Microwaved food

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  • From: Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Microwaved food
  • Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2000 08:32:22 -0800


John Irwin wrote:
> I came to the conclusion that
> maybe it might be OK to heat up food a little - say for a minute - but not
> to cook food with a microwave.

I'd be inclined to agree. Microwaves work by pouring tons of energy into the
bonds that hold molecules together, causing the atoms to vibrate very
rapidly (think of two balls attached to either end of a spring, and you
shake the spring vigorously). This rapid motion of the molecules converts
the microwave energy into heat. Microwaves are tuned to frequencies that
specifically energize the bonds in water molecules; that's why dry items
(like a plate) don't heat as much, but there is plenty of spillover to other
molecules and their bonds. That high-energy shaking can break bonds, causing
Hugh's "radiolytic byproducts" (lytic = to loosen).

So I'd guess that John is right in that the less you heat, the less
radiolysis. So maybe get your food no hotter than it needs to be and use low
power settings (although that means longer exposure, but I'll bet shorter
bursts of energy shakes fewer atoms loose).

I still heat some food in a nuke, but do it less and less. They're so easy,
and I hate scrubbing pots. It's really tempting.

Toby





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