So I actually kinda lost but I know that this sub has a lot of wise people so why not.
Is microwaving frozen berries/fruits okay? I really just want to eat them, not cook but I have no idea how to defrost them better and faster.
Also, does microwaving kills bacterias/germs? I heard a lot of stories frozen berries containing bad bacteria and frosting does nothing to them but I’m not sure what could be done for those.
I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frozen wild blueberries every morning with breakfast. I put them in a microwaveable bowl, press the Defrost button and run it for about 20 seconds. It was a bit of trial and error at first. After 20 seconds, the berries are still very cold, but not frozen. Just the way I like them.
As for microwaving killing bacteria, I have no clue. I buy organic frozen berries, and I guess that’s about the best I can do. I’ve never gotten sick from any berries, whether frozen or fresh. And I eat a lot of different kinds, especially when they’re in season.
Yes.
Never heard of that. There’s food safety regulations for all food products, especially packaged ones, so I don’t know where that information came from. Please elaborate if you can. Maybe there was a food recall? Anyway, microwaving frozen fruits is safe.
Can’t speak on bacteria, but I’ve definitely microwaved in a pinch. I worry about losing nutrients w/heat so do cold water bath. If you use a big enough bowl, shallow pan, whatever, to make a single layer they will defrost quickly. Add water just enough to cover, wait 15 mins or so, DRINK THE WATER (so many good nutrients in there), and that usually will do it depending on fruit amount. If not in a single layer, it might take another round of water. Blueberries, especially, give you a nice, ice cold, purple shot of liquid goodness. :)
The directions on the packages of frozen fruit I get suggest leaving them at room temp for a half-hour to defrost. Like others, I put a portion in a small bowl in the fridge overnight and they are ready to eat the next morning.
So, fun fact, one time I microwaved some frozen raspberries and they caught on fire. Apparently, this can happen because of minerals in the berries.
I love putting frozen blueberries in hot oatmeal in the morning. I know it sounds horrible and when I first heard it that is what I thought, but I gave it a try and it is really really good - hot and cold at the same time.
That being said it would seem to me that microwaving the blueberries would be fine since I’ve never gotten sick from oatmeal and frozen blueberries.
I think freezing prevents bad guys from multiplying (?) - as for microwaving they defrost fairly quickly once they are out as they are so tiny and moist naturally. Wild berries are smaller, what are you putting them in or are you eating as is?
Microwaving wont kill germs properly, except you use some special dish which is closen, and then cook it for 15-20 minutes or so at 800watt and open it several times and turn it around with a spoon, it kinda needs to reach temperatures around 70-80°C for several minutes.
Yes frozen berries are sometimes contaminated with Norovirus but also Hepatitis A (which is a real issue, if youre not vaccinated), causing vomiting and diarrhea for several days, for older people also be dangerous. Not sure if this is a thing in America, but here in Europe it is an issue, most contaminated berries come from China and I guess the same is true for USA sources.
Most people on here will mostly tell differently and start downvoting this post, I knew from the past how it works on here, just ignore them, they dont know what Norovirus even is I guess. But I know from my own experience, that the danger is true. I got Norovirus infection several times in the past years from frozen berries, and then just stopped eaten them.
Norovirus also are hard to kill, they survive in frozen state but you also you need to cook the food at high temperatures, they easily survive between -30°C to 60°C.
It is a two sided sword honestly, by cooking you also destroy most of the vitamins in the berries unfortunately.
That is the reason why I stopped eating berries at all. I dont see the positive things really in doing so, if you have to cook them, lose all vitamins. Then it is just a thing for your enjoyment if you still want to eat them, but after cooking, also you cant do much with them anymore except putting in yogurt.
Here in Germany, you always read news paper articles about Norovirus outbreaks at schools or kindergarden after some digestion of frozen berries. And the only advice always is to cook berries before eating them.
>2) Also, does microwaving kills bacterias/germs?
Microwaving doesn’t directly kill bacteria. The heat from microwaving can, though. And you’d need to heat it to an internal temperature of 165°F to do that.(165° is the local regulation for (re)heating food in a microwave and may vary by location)
I just put them in a bowl and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. I wouldn’t ever consider putting mine in the microwave because I’m worried it would kill the antioxidants which is half the reason I eat them everyday. If anyone knows about any studies on the effects of microwaving them please link them.
I read microwaving broccoli kills 97 percent of antioxidants and bunch of phytochemicals, but I’ve never seen studies on nuking berries. I’m assuming it would damage what I value in blueberries till proven otherwise.
Take this for what it’s worth from this article https://www.mashed.com/70561/foods-never-put-microwave/
“It may sound strange to microwave your frozen fruit, but some people do so in order to defrost it so that it’s ready for other uses. According to a 2010 study published in the journal Bioelectromagnetics, popping your frozen fruit in the microwave to defrost or otherwise prepare isn’t a good idea. Beneficial properties can be converted to carcinogens, and subjecting your expensive frozen fruit to microwaves can also result in adverse immunological effects. Not good. Defrost your frozen fruit in the refrigerator overnight instead.”
Sounds pretty scary if true it’s something I would look into more if you consume microwaved berries often.
I grow my own. I put them in a clean empty ice cream tub without washing them. I make pancakes put nutella on them and wrap the berries in my hot pancakes. The 4 off us eat them weekly for years. Never been ill. In winter the kids eat them like sweets straight out off the freezer, never had an issue. You are more likely to get issues from bought stuff in my opinion.
I’m pretty sure frozen berries are subject to Listeria outbreaks every so often. Listeria survives the freezing process but can’t survive heat so microwaving them until they’re hot would fix them. Only one batch every so often is subject to an outbreak and the supermarket usually posts a recall on those items.
I haven’t heard of frozen berries as being unsafe with bacteria etc ever so I don’t think that’s a concern.
You can microwave them as others have said, you can also place the in a bowl and put that bowl in a larger bowl of warm water (google water bath defrost). Or put them in a baggie and run that under warm water.
I don’t always like the consistency when they are microwaved to defrost.