From today, microwave jar-cooked polenta is possible! Soft and ready to be topped as you like, the polenta cooked in a jar in the microwave is perfectly cooked. Polenta flour with a cooking time of 35 minutes will cook in just 6 minutes. Like the jar-cooked taragna polenta, it was a real discovery for me. I won’t hide that I had tried several times to cook polenta, relying on recipes posted by my readers in my support group, but jar-cooked polenta would set too much during post-cooking. So, during my jar cooking course in Genoa, I realized where the problem was. I just needed to increase the water dosage by 50 ml, and the polenta stayed soft and didn’t stick to the bottom. At the end of this article, you will find some tips to achieve two different results: soft polenta and firm polenta. The latter will be useful for making sliced polenta.
Now, ready, jars, and let’s make the fastest jar-cooked polenta ever!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1 serving
- Cooking methods: Microwave, Jar Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 188.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.70 (g) of which sugars 0.30 (g)
- Proteins 1.74 (g)
- Fat 14.54 (g) of which saturated 2.07 (g)of which unsaturated 0.46 (g)
- Fibers 0.62 (g)
- Sodium 198.99 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for making polenta in a jar
- 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
What you need to cook polenta in a jar
- 1 Microwave oven
- 1 Jar 500 ml with thick seal
Method
Pour the polenta into the jar, add the salt and oil. Gradually pour in the water and mix well with a small whisk or fork. Clean the rim of the jar, close and latch. Rotate the jar on the counter to mix the polenta in the jar before cooking. Do this until you are ready to cook the jar.
Set the microwave to your tested power (I use 600 watts), for 3 minutes, insert the jar and start the first cooking. After the first 3 minutes, remove the polenta jar from the microwave and, using a cloth, stir the polenta, still rotating the closed jar. Set the microwave again at 350 watts (half the tested power), for 3 minutes, and cook the polenta again. Following these steps will give the polenta time to absorb the water and cook gently, without spills.
At the end of jar-cooked polenta, remove the jar from the microwave and stir again. Let it sit for 30 minutes in the closed jar, and as it finishes cooking, shake the jar again, especially in the first 15 minutes.
Now your jar polenta is ready, you can keep it closed in the jar for a couple of days in the refrigerator.
To release the vacuum seal from the jar, simply unlatch, place the jar in the microwave, and start at 750 watts for about 3 minutes. The internal steam pressure will remove the vacuum and simultaneously heat the polenta.
Now the polenta is ready to be dressed, you can enjoy it as a base for jar-cooked cod or dress it hot with chopped cheeses.
Tips: if you want firmer polenta, just reduce the water by 50 ml from the indicated amounts.
Additional tips for jar-cooked polenta
Once the jar is opened, you can add a mix of cheeses, stir well and serve.
Can I cook instant polenta in a jar?
Given that I don’t see much point in it, yes, it is possible. In that case, use a jar with a thin seal and reduce the water to 200 ml.
