Cambro Containers - Microwave Safe ????


 
R

Rita Y

TVWBB Emerald Member
I need to use a 6-quart Cambro container that barely fits in my microwave to heat 4 to 6 quarts of milk to 200°F for making yogurt (reasons: Unattended cooking, no scorching from a pot on the stove, and no fooling around with a double boiler setup).

Cambro's website says that the Cambros withstand temperatures from -40°F to 210°F, but they really don't specify anything about the microwave.

They are closed until tomorrow morning, so I can't ask them about actual microwave safeness (is that a word?).

Does anyone know if microwaving in a Cambro is safe, considering that they only say that the containers withstand temperatures up to 210°?

Rita
 
UPDATE: I wrote to the engineering department of Cambro and received the following:

"The polycarbonate is not microwaveable and will crack eventually from the microwaves. Chemically you are fine and within all FDA and NSF guidelines."

Rita
 
I have microwaved Rubbermaid polycarbonate containers over the years, and I have gotten small cracks in the plastic, sometimes cosmetic, but sometimes resulting in leaks.

Regards,
Chris
 
Thanks, Chris. I was wondering if his response was company policy or actuality, but I did believe him. Nice to have some validation.

Rita
 
The first series of Rubbermaid Premier polycarbonate containers had a lifetime warranty. I had maybe 5 of them replaced under that warranty. But with time, they stopped offering a lifetime warranty on Premier products, perhaps for this very reason.

Regards,
Chris
 
Hi Rita. I make yogurt all the time. I was told of a trick to prevent scorching when heating the milk on the stovetop. The trick is to pour honey on the bottom of the pot before adding the milk. It does work! I used to employ all sorts of methods to heat teh containers while my yogurt is "fermenting". i found the easiest and most reliable to place my containers in my oven with the oven light left on for heat. I usually leave it in for around 18 hours.
hope this helps
Ken
 
Ken, thanks for the tip about the honey. I haven't heard of that one before and I'm glad to hear that it does work well for you. I know your yogurt must be very tasty! I wonder what the science is, that makes it work. Wow! 18 hours is a long time to incubate the yogurt. Mine is ready after about 7 hours in a 105-109° environment (3 half-gallon canning jars & a 25w lightbulb in a Playmate cooler).

I heat 1 1/2 gallons of milk at a time for yogurt and Kevin (Kevin K) gave me a good recommendation for an 8-quart double boiler from a restaurant supply, a hands-off, scorch-proof method for heating the milk and I've been very pleased with it. I drain the yogurt to wind up with 3 quarts of great Greek-style yogurt for our family (of 5 now). At the rate it disappears, it looks as if it's going to be a weekly event. I'm glad I don't have to babysit the milk for the hour it takes to heat it.

Rita
 
Hi Rita. The yogurt is ready well before the 18 hours but I find that I get a better flavour and thicker consistency with the longer incubation. I heat the milk for 1/2hr at 185f before cooling it down to 110f to stir in the culture. I also like to make it with goat milk. I find that I can often get goat milk for cheaper than cow for this as it is often marked down on the shelf as the best before date is very close.
I use to set my containers on an electric heating pad and then cover them with towels but the oven is much easier.
Ken
 
Ken, I don't think I've ever had the opportunity to have goat milk. How did I miss it?

Last time I checked my oven with the light on, it ran higher than 115° after it was fully heated. I think I'll repeat the experiment and check it again. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to tie up my oven either. As soon as I put milk in there for yogurt, you can be sure that I'd need it for something! Many years ago, I started out with a heating pad like you did, but in a box. The UGA method is pretty much the way I make mine at the moment, which is nicely thickened for a plain, regular yogurt, at about 7 hours, as I mentioned. It drains into a lovely, not-very-tart, creamy Greek-style yogurt:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html

There are many paths to a good yogurt!

Rita
 
Hi Rita. Thanks for the great link. Do you add the milk powder as per the UGA instructions. I never have added powdered milk - just have used it straight. Looks like I will have to try that.
Ken
 
Ken, yes I do add the dry milk and it works very well. When using nonfat liquid milk as I do, one pouch of Carnation dry milk is just the right amount to add to 1 1/2 gallons of milk. If you're using 2%, you'd use one pouch of Carnation to 3 gallons instead. One thing I've noticed is that the addition of the dry milk seems to sweeten the end product some. If you're culturing for 18 hours, I'd think your yogurt would be quite tart.

If you are culturing for 18 hours in order to get a thicker yogurt, and if you are adding honey (to keep the milk from scorching in your heating pot) before culturing, I suspect the honey might be interfering with your yogurt's thickening ability. I see, however, that the UGA directions include an option of adding sugar or honey BEFORE culturing, so I might be off base on that assumption, but I'm checking on it. Stay tuned.

Rita
 
Honey (in general) should not interfere with thickening. It is a possibility, depending on the processing of the honey. Use unprocessed organic if using before culturing to minimize problem potentials.
 
I am using unprocessed organic honey. I am culturing a long time because I do like the tartness that it develops. I've started using it in some tandoori marinades and it is fantastic (in my opinion!) I use to do an 8 hour culture.
 
I checked the temperature of my oven with the light on and after 3 hours it was only at 84°. So I incubated yesterday's batch in the oven set at 105° (which gave me a range of 100 to 120° while it was cycling on and off). It worked fine, but having the oven vent into the kitchen was not good, so I'll probably go back to my Playmate cooler and 25-watt bulb.

We like some tartness, but I think not quite as much as you do. Isn't it great that we can make it as we like it! Since I have a double boiler, I really don't need the honey, but what a great tip. Who knew?

My batch makes 3 quarts of Greek-style yogurt. I pack 2 quarts with fruit in 1/2-cup containers for us and the grandsons, and leave 1 quart unflavored for other uses. I can imagine how good your tandoori marinades are -- you've inspired me to have a go at it too. I just made a big batch of mixed berries and add 2 teaspoons per half-cup portion of yogurt. This might be the last time I do that -- too many seeds and straining the batch was almost impossible. Wish there were an easier way to remove all those seeds. I was thinking of pureeing it and adding water in order to strain it easier, then reducing it, but ran out of time.

Rita
 
Hi Rita,
Too bad your oven temp wit the light is that low. Sounds like you make a yoghurt everyone enjoys. I like marinating with yoghurt as I find it really tenderizes meat and infuses flavour. A good tatziki(sp?) is great every once in a while too!
 
Rita,
I just had a thought. I preheat the oven with the element and the oven light on and turn off the element once its around 100f. Perhaps you could try a little experiment like that. On its own that low wattage bulb in the oven will take some time to bring that volume up to temperature.
Ken
 
Good idea, Ken. I'll try it to see if the short burst of heat will help the lights (there are 2 lights, halogen I think) maintain the temperature once I get it high enough. I'm just curious enough to try it, although I find incubating the yogurt in the cooler is handy because it's out of the way and leaves my oven free. At the moment, I'm incubating for about 7 hours during the day and cooling the yogurt down overnight before draining it; maybe in the future I might switch to overnight.

I've been marinating with buttermilk, pretty similar to yogurt, but now that I have these big batches of yogurt it will be interesting to play with and compare. Thanks for the tips!

Honestly! One never knows what information is going to come one's way each day on this wonderful site. It's like a treasure chest!

Rita
 
A slow cooker for yogurt. What will they think of next, Jim!

It's my understanding that the minimum temperature of the newer slow cookers is required to be a little higher than that of the older ones, so I don't know if my 6-quart cooker would work. I've only had it for a year or so, since I'm only using it as a double boiler for overnight grits or steel-cut oatmeal. One day I just might use it for what it was intended. I ought to check its temperature for my own information. There seems to be a lot of variations for ways to incubate yogurt!

Rita
 
Rita, I looked in my manual and emailed Crock Pot for the temps. I think I just filled the old one with water and let it come to temp on low, then checked it with a thermometer. Those crock pots are handy.
 
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