Cooking Frozen Peas (and Other Vegetables) in the Microwave

A couple of years ago, many manufacturer's such as Birds Eye (Steamfresh brand) and Green Giant (Valley Fresh Steamers) began selling frozen vegetables that can be microwaved in the bag they were sold in. This is undeniably convenient. More recently, Ziploc introduced the Zip 'n Steam bags that allow consumers to microwave any vegetable, not just the frozen ones that come in the special packages.

But both these products are relatively expensive. And all this extra packaging creates more waste in landfills. I can cook just about any frozen vegetable without the aid of this specialized packaging. All it takes is a bowl and some ordinary plastic wrap or a lidded microwave-safe container.

First, I place the vegetable of choice, about 1 cup per person, in a microwave-safe bowl about twice as large as is required to hold the desired quantity of vegetables. I add a few tablespoons to 1/4 cup of water so that the vegetables will be steamed when heated. I then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the microwave. If you want to eliminate landfilled waste entirely, substitute a microwave-safe container with a lid for the bowl and plastic wrap.

To cook, I microwave my vegetables on high for 2-5 minutes, depending on how much is in the bowl. If you're unsure how much time is needed, start at two minutes. Keep cooking the vegetables for an additional one minute at a time until hot. Beyond this heating, most frozen vegetables require little or no cooking time. Overcooking the frozen vegetables only reduces their flavor. For buttered vegetables, remove the plastic wrap, drain, and add a pat of butter. For cheese sauce, drain the vegetables, add shredded cheese, and microwave briefly to melt the cheese.

Another way to microwave frozen vegetables is to place them in an ordinary heavyweight plastic zippered bag, such as a freezer bag, and cook them in the microwave for 2-4 minutes. The cooked vegetables then must be transferred to a serving dish. I often use this zippered bag method when I have already frozen produce from my garden in plastic zippered bags. If they aren't already in a bag, however, I prefer the bowl.