Plastic Vegetable Steamer Safety
Steaming foods helps to retain their color, as well as their nutritional content. Plastic microwave vegetable steamers can perform the same functions as stove tops steamers, with less hassle. Microwave steamers work by placing the food on steamer platform. Liquid is added to the bottom of the steamer. As the liquid reaches boiling temperature during heating, steam is released inside the steamer. The steam is trapped beneath the lid, cooking the food as it circulates. Does this Spark an idea?
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Hot Surfaces
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Use caution when handling hot foods and liquids, both during cooking as well as after. As with any other method of cooking, microwaved foods are hot when removed from the microwave oven. While food grade plastic cooking vessels should remain cool to the touch after microwaving, it is best to err on the side of caution. Use hot pads to protect your hands and arms from being burned by hot surfaces. Allow the food to rest for several minutes in the microwave, before removing the steamer from the oven. Use tongs or other utensils to remove food from the steamer, since foods cooked by steaming hold heat longer than foods which are cooked using other methods.
Steam and Water Burns
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The liquid at the bottom of the steamer will just as hot as water boiled on the stove. The liquid at the bottom of the steamer is just as hot as liquid boiled on the stove. As the water in the steamer boils the steam rises inside the steamer. This hot liquid gathers on the underside of the steamer lid. In order to avoid burns, follow the manufacturers suggested guidelines for cooling, before removing the lid. When removing the lid of the steamer stand to the side with your face turned away from the steamer, in order to prevent steam burns to the face. Use hot pads when lifting the lid from the steamer.
When removing the steamer from the microwave be careful to hold it in an upright position. There is some risk of the boiling water running out of the container, if the steamer is tipped to one side.
Never leave the hot steamer on a counter or any other area where it is in reach of children. According to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation the most common burn for a child under the age of 5 years is a scald. Hot foods, or hot liquids are responsible for many of the childhood injuries.
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Plastic Safety
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Plastic cookware marked with a #1 is thought to be safe for microwave cooking. Check the type of plastic before you purchase a plastic vegetable steamer. Every piece of plastic is marked with a number 1 through 7. Some forms of plastic are thought to be harmful when heated. Plastics marked with a number 3, 6 or 7 are being evaluated for safety by the Food and Drug Administration as of summer, 2010. Some forms of plastic (usually number 7) can release substances known as plasticizers. These substances have been shown to have harmful effects upon humans.
Trust your sense of taste and smell. If you either smell or taste plastic after heating, the cookware should not be used. Look for plastic vegetable steamers which are made out of polyethylene, or have the number 1 printed on the bottom. As of 2010, polyethylene is considered the safest variety of plastic to use in microwave cooking.
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References
- Photo Credit vegetables image by Pawel Wodzinski from Fotolia.com boiling blood image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com recyclement image by NJ from Fotolia.com
