The microwave is one of the most widely used kitchen appliances in the world. You can quickly heat or defrost something and even cook some dishes in it even easier than on the stove or in the oven. That's why it's loved by everyone - from bachelors who eat convenience foods to mothers with many children.

However, Popular Science magazine claims that the benefits of the microwave are not limited to this. Here are eight more ways to use it.

Dry herbs

If you're a fan of herbal teas or spices and make them yourself, you know how difficult it can be to dry the plants you've collected properly. Use the microwave. Wash and dry the collected herbs well - not a drop of water should remain on them. Next, place 4-5 sprigs between two paper towels and put them in the oven on high power. 2-3 minutes will be enough. If the plants do not dry properly, put them in the oven for another 30 seconds. Once the herbs have cooled down, they can be chopped and stored in an airtight container.

A quick burst of heat has a similar effect to blanching. It preserves the colour and flavour of your herbs. The water in the leaves evaporates quickly when exposed to microwaves, resulting in perfectly dried plants that can be used all year round.

Make orange juice

Microwaving citrus fruit for 20 seconds before juicing it will soften the juice membranes, allowing you to extract more juice. This way you get more juice for your drinks and dishes. To enhance this effect even further, roll the unpeeled fruit on the table, pressing lightly on it, before microwaving it, to soften it even more.

Don't cry from onions

You can get rid of tears while cutting onions by warming the vegetable in the oven for 45 seconds beforehand. This will neutralise the sulphur derivative syn-propanthial S-oxide, which is the main cause of lacrimal gland irritation.

Heat two dishes at the same time

Heating two plates in the microwave is not only possible, it's essential. Place one on the edge of the turntable inside the oven and the other on an upside-down mug or bowl. This is not only convenient. This uneven rotation will help food warm up better. Or cook.

Peel garlic easily

Of course, garlic is not as unpleasant to peel as onions. But it's still a bit of a hassle. So just put the number of cloves you need in the microwave and heat them for 15-20 seconds. The water inside the vegetable will start to evaporate and separate the skin from the flesh. It will be easy to peel off. Tomatoes can be peeled in the same way. Just before putting them in the oven, you'll need to make a shallow cross-shaped cut on the part of the fruit opposite to where it was attached to the stem. And it will only take 3-5 seconds to heat the tomato.

Prepare a meal for one

Those who live alone or with a small family sometimes want to enjoy a homemade cake. In this case, it may be irrational to cook a whole one - it will be too much, you will have to throw something away, and it is also quite expensive. But it is quite possible to bake desserts in the microwave by putting the dough and fillings in a ceramic mug. Similarly, you can bake just one potato without preheating the whole oven and washing a whole bunch of dishes afterwards. Put the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl, pierce them in several places with a fork, add a few drops of olive oil, a little salt and your favourite spices and cook them for 5 minutes on high power. Then remove the dish, turn it over and cook for another 3 minutes.

Use a paper towel

When you're heating something in the microwave, place a paper towel dampened with water on top of the food. Firstly, this will prevent splashing, and secondly, it will retain more moisture in the food - these appliances can dry out food due to the rapid evaporation of water.

Clean the oven yourself

Anything that cooks food quickly gets dirty with food residue. The microwave is no exception. But it can clean itself. To do this, cut a medium lemon in half and squeeze a little juice into a microwave-safe bowl filled with water to 2-3 centimetres. Put the rest of the lemon in the same bowl - the water should not cover it completely. Put this bowl on high power for three minutes or until the water boils. When the oven is switched off, leave the bowl inside - the water vapour will carry the lemon juice, or rather the citric acid needed for cleaning, to all corners of the appliance. The acid will dissolve all the dirt under the influence of heat. After 5 minutes, you just need to open the door, carefully remove the bowl and wipe the inside with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told why off-centre food heats up better in the microwave.

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