| MadSci Network: Chemistry |
Interesting problem. And I think there is something else going on here, not a chemical reaction between the beans and salt. I will try my best to explain my thoughts so please bear with me... When you microwave something, you are essentially 'exciting' the water molecules in the food. You are using the energy from the microwaves to heat the water in your green beans, heating the beans themselves. If you try putting something dry in the microwave, it will burn almost immediately. The frozen beans are behaving in a way similar to a dry food (at least until they are thawed). The ice crystals need a chance to melt before you hit them with the full force of the microwaves, otherwise you burn the food while the ice thaws. I believe this reaction is why most microwaves have a defrost setting… I might recommend trying a few things: 1. cover the beans with a damp paper towel 2. or try the defrost microwave function on the beans before a cook setting 3. or put the salt and a bit of water under the beans before microwaving. I hope this information help you out with your microwaved foods. It is always a shame to be burning green beans (green beans are my absolute favorite veggie). Good luck! Kieran
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry.