Whether it’s baking cookies or roasting a chicken, your oven is a handy tool to get the job done. But some foods don’t belong in the oven. Here are 6 of them.
Dairy products :
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t put dairy products in the oven. First, they can spoil quickly when exposed to heat. So you should make sure to use them immediately. Also, dairy products can curdle when heated. Which can affect the texture and flavor of your dish.
In particular, the use of milk and cream in baking can turn out to be a real disaster. Since both contain water and when exposed to high temperature, the water evaporates, which leads to drying out. Therefore, the fat in dairy products can cause baked goods to brown too quickly or even burn. It is therefore preferable to avoid using them in high temperature recipes. However, some dairy products are specifically designed for baking, such as mascarpone. And cheeses like mozzarella and cheddar. If you’re looking to add a creamy touch to your dish, these are better choices than milk or cream.
Spicy foods:
When it comes to cooking spicy dishes, the oven is often not the best choice. First, the high heat of the oven can cause the spices to lose their flavor and become dull. As a result, they can also dry out foods, making them tougher and less flavorful. Then the long cooking time can make the spices more potent. Which gives a much spicier dish than expected. Finally, cooking dishes with a high spice content can fill your kitchen with an overpowering smell that lingers for hours. For these reasons, it is generally best to avoid putting spicy foods in the oven. Instead, opt for methods like cooking on the stovetop or grilling, which help preserve the flavor of the spices. Otherwise, it’s always better to put your main course in the oven and leave the spices until the end.
Breaded meats:
Some love to eat breaded meats for their irresistible taste and crispy texture. Certainly, to escape the extra calories of fat used in frying, many people put breaded meats in the oven. Big mistake ! the high heat of the oven can make the breading tough and crunchy. As cooking in the oven only absorbs the juices from the meat, which makes it drier and less juicy.
That’s why it’s still possible to cook your breaded meat on the stove using less fatty substances. The stove, however, allows you to cook meat more slowly and at a lower temperature. This gives the breading time to cook without becoming too crispy. Also, cooking on the stovetop gives you more control over the browning of the meat and creates a more even crust.
Foods high in starch:
Acrylamide is a chemical found in some starchy foods that have been cooked at high temperatures, such as potatoes and rice. It is not known exactly how acrylamide is formed, but it is thought to occur when the amino acid asparagine reacts with sugars during the cooking process. Acrylamide has been shown to cause cancer in animals and, although it is still unclear whether it poses a risk to humans, the World Health Organization has classified it as a “carcinogen”. probable for humans” For this reason, it is preferable to avoid cooking foods containing acrylamide at high temperatures. You can boil or steam them instead, which will help reduce the amount of acrylamide that forms.
Nitrate-rich foods:
Using the oven to cook certain foods can be the most convenient and easy way to have a simple and healthy meal. However, some foods have no place in the oven, including those high in nitrates.
Processed foods like deli meats and hot dogs. As well as certain vegetables such as carrots, peas and spinach are among many other foods that must be kept away from the oven. Nitrates are chemical compounds that contain the element nitrogen. When heated, nitrates can turn into nitrites, which are known to be carcinogenic. If you cook foods high in nitrates in the oven, don’t do it again! Replace baking with steaming or stovetop for better temperature control.
Frozen foods:
Many people think they can save time by putting frozen foods straight into the oven. But this is actually a bad idea for several reasons. First, it can lead to uneven cooking because the frozen part of the food will take longer to thaw than the rest. This can result in burnt or overcooked edges and undercooked centers. Second, frozen foods often release a lot of moisture during cooking, which can make the dish watery and mushy. Third, a sudden change in temperature could support the proliferation of bacteria, which could be the cause of food poisoning.
For these reasons, it is always best to thaw frozen foods before baking them. It may take a little longer, but you will get a much tastier and more beautiful dish.
