MICROWAVE PORK RINDS
FAQ
Q. MY FIRST BATCH OF PORK RINDS DIDN'T PUFF UP QUITE RIGHT. WHAT'S WRONG?
A. Use your first batch of microwave pork rinds as a test batch. Everyone's microwave oven varies in strength, so you have to find out exactly how long to cook your pork rinds with your first batch. Set the timer for ninety seconds (a minute and a half) for your first batch. If some pellets burn, (unlikely) reduce the cooking time by ten or fifteen seconds. If some pellets don't puff up all the way, (they will be partially puffed, but with a hard, brown edge that is too tough to eat) increase the cooking time by ten or fifteen seconds. With my microwave oven I use at home, 99 seconds is perfect.
If your pellets are not puffing up all the way even though you have increased the cooking time, then you are probably trying to cook too many at the same time. One ounce works perfectly. This is about a quarter of a cup or a small handful. Weigh the batch if you have to. A batch larger than one ounce at a time may not puff up all the way. The fewer you cook at one time, the better your results, but one ounce is ideal. Trying to cook more than one ounce at a time doesn't work very well.
Q. A FEW PELLETS DIDN'T PUFF UP ALL THE WAY, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THEM DID. IS THAT NORMAL?
A. Expect a few "old maids" (pellets that don't puff up properly) with each batch, just as with popcorn. Most of them puff up perfectly though, if you aren't trying to cook too many at a time and you have adjusted the cooking time appropriately according to your oven strength.
Q. DO I HAVE TO USE A PAPER BAG TO COOK THE MICROWAVE PORK RINDS?
A. If you don't have or want to use a paper bag to cook the pellets in, you can use an ordinary plate or paper plate to cook them on, but they won't puff up as well. They will be sort of wrinkled. They will taste fine, but just won't look as impressive not being puffed up to the max.
Q. DO YOU SELL ANY FLAVORING POWDERS THAT WE CAN SPRINKLE ON THE PORK RINDS AFTER WE HAVE COOKED THEM SUCH AS BBQ, OR HOT AND SPICY, OR RANCH?
A. Yes. Go to the PORK RIND SEASONINGS page and you will see the listing of all of the flavors that you can use to season the pork rinds and many other snacks.
Q. HOW DO I STORE THE PORK RINDS AFTER I'VIE COOKED THEM SO THEY DON'T GO STALE?
A. Keep them in a zip lock bag or plastic container with a lid. This will keep them fresh for weeks at a time.
Q. WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF THE PORK RIND PELLETS?
A. Nine months without refrigeration.
Q. I ORDERED SEVERAL CONTAINERS OF THE PORK RINDS ON THIS WEBSITE. SOME OF THE CONTAINERS CONTAINED DRY PORK RIND PELLETS AND SOME OTHERS CONTAINED PELLETS THAT WERE DRIPPING WITH OIL. DID THE ONES WITH OIL GO BAD?
A. Not at all. When manufactured, the pork rind pellets are covered with residual oil from the pig skin from which it is made. When packed into large cartons, the oil starts to slowly seep towards the bottom of the carton. Consequently, the pellets on top in the carton become dry and the pellets at the bottom become quite oily - literally dripping with oil. The pellets in the middle of the carton have various degrees of oil covering them.
So, if you order more than one order of pork rinds, be aware that some may be covered in oil and others may be totally dry. This is perfectly normal and there is nothing wrong with the ones covered in oil. They all cook the same, taste the same and look the same after cooking. They have not "gone bad". They are just fine.
