I Tried Cooking Veggies in My Dishwasher

Most of you are probably really confused right now. Two weeks ago, I would have been too. Apparently cooking in the dishwasher is not really a new thing, but it seems to be a resurfacing trend. Yes. Seriously. People are cooking up salmon and even shrimp in there. Since it was time for my monthly Pinterest Remake post, it seemed like the perfect time to experiment with a more fail proof option. Vegetables. What could go wrong?  There are affiliate links in this post.

Let me stick a disclaimer out there.  Cooking in your dishwasher is totally weird, I know. This was, as many have tried, a simple experiment.  I'm not recommending it, I'm just sharing my own experience. I am certainly no expert in food safety.  I figured if they could cook a lasagna on Mythbusters there had to be some validity to it. They aren't the only ones, over at PopSugar, someone cooked an entire meal in the dishwasher. That's where this month's Pinterest Remake idea comes from, here is their original Pin on "How to Cook in Your Dishwasher".

The kicker is that you can "cook" WHILE cleaning your dirty dishes.  I sure did toss these veggies in with a full load of dirty dishes and detergent too.  Sounds super gross, right?

Using a vessel that will seal up air tight is the best bet for success in my opinion although I've seen people using just heavy duty foil. I used pint sized Ball Mason Jars. Each one fit about a serving of vegetables.

Cooking might be a pretty strong way to describe what really happens in there, it will strongly depend on the temperature the dishwasher will reach. From what I've learned cooking in the dishwasher can be compared to Sous-vide cooking where food is sealed air-tight and cooked in temperature controlled water.

To be frank, I have no clue what temperature mine gets to which is why I played it safe by only cooking vegetables. No harm done. No soap in. Pretty impressive stuff. Many argue that just cooking in the dishwasher is not practical and I couldn't agree more.  Firing up the dishwasher just to cook a meal could be pretty wasteful, but just adding a jar or two in with a full load isn't a big deal.

My result when cooking veggies in my own dishwasher was that the vegetables actually tasted like they were steamed. BUT, steamed to absolute perfection. I couldn't have prepared them more perfectly on the stove top.

So, let me get to the specifics of what I did.  

I cleaned and prepared green beans, sliced up red peppers and chopped up onions. I simply filled my jars with the veggies.

Then the next step is crucial. You need to add water.  I added about ¾ of a cup of water to each of my pint sized Ball Mason Jars.  Then, I added a couple of drizzles of olive oil and course sea salt for flavor.

Dishwasher Settings.  Since I had dirty pots and pans in my dishwasher, I used the "Pots and Pans" cycle and opted for "extra heat" and "heated dry" selections as well.  My dishwasher has a timer on it, this complete cycle ran in 2 hours and 13 minutes to be exact.

The photo above is how the vegetables looked after the cycle. Still vibrant with color, not overcooked. If you are trying this - make sure to use oven mitts, your jars will be HOT.

Lastly, I just drained the water out of my jars and poured the veggies into a dish.  My husband was not really thrilled about this whole process at all. But, he was a willing participant and gave them a try. We both agree that these veggies were outstanding.

Final thoughts:  I would definitely cook more veggies in my dishwasher if the mood and timing strikes. As far as seafood or any other meats, definitely not.  When I'm up for another experiment, I'll probably try doing cous-cous as it seems people have success with it. Sounds tasty to me.

 

Want more fun Pinterest Remakes? Make sure to check out my friend’s projects too!

• Layered Berry Smoothie Recipe by A Mom's Take
• Yellow Squash Croquettes by Mom Always Finds Out
• Paint Chip Calendar by Upstate Ramblings
• Fruit and Nut Trail Mix by My So Called Balanced Life
• Grilled Chicken with Rootbeer BBQ Sauce by How Was Your Day?

 

Hey, while your here, make sure to follow me on Pinterest NOW.

 

 

What are your thoughts on Dishwasher Cooking? Would you try it? It's it too crazy?