Slow Cooker Tips- Part 1

* Exported from MasterCook *

Slow Cooker Tips - Part 1

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Information Crockpot

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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DEBBIE HOLLAND HXRH11B

1. Uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will
require 8-10 hours on low (190*-200*) or 4-5 hours on high
(290*-300*).
2. One hour of simmering on the fange or baking at 350*
in the oven is equal to 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on
high in crockpot.
3. Reduce liquid in your recipe to about 1 cup since
the slow cooker method of simmering foods saves all food's
natural juices.
4. Use canned soups and broths, wine or water as liquid
in your slow cooker.
5. Don't use dairy products, such as milk, sour cream,
or cream until the final 30 minutes of cooking.
6. Cook noodles and macaroni products, following label
directions, then add to slow cooker near the end of the
cooking.
7. Frozen vegetables and frozen fish should be thawed
slightly, and added only during the last hour of cooking,
since they require so little cooking.
8. Don't lift the cover of your slow cooker, just to
peed and see how the food is cooking. Every time the cover
comes off, you lose heat that is equal to 30 minutes of
cooking time.
9. Trim as much excess fat as possible from the meat
going into your slow cooker. Fat can increase the
temperature of the liquid in the slow cooker and cut down
on the cooking time so much, you might have an over cooked
dish.
10. Browning meats and poultry is not essential, but it
does help to develop a richer flavor in the food and remove
some of the fat, expecially in pork, lamb and sausages.
Turn the heat control to 350* and brown meat on all sides;
remove and saute vegetables in pan drippings, then remove
vegetables and pour out all fat remaining in cooker before
returning food, then lower heat control to slow cooking
temperature.
11. Crocker and stoneware liners in slow cookers are made
of natural clay with particular qualities that require
special handling to keep them in perfect condition.
12. Do not allow sudden change in temperature, either by
pouring boiling liquids into a very cold crockery cooker or
placing a hot cooker on a cold surface.
13. Be careful not to bang your crockery cooker in the
sink or on the fauce. A sharp blow could break or chip the
crockery liner.
14. Never store foods in a crockery slow cooker in the
refrigerator. The change in temperature can be harmful to
the finish.
15. To clean the interior surface of the cooker, fill with
hot sudsy water as soon as cooker has cooled down; allow to
soak at least 15 minutes, then rub surface with a cloth,
nylon net pad or a plastic sponge, but never use a harsh
abrasive cleaner, metal pad or steel wool. Rinse well in
hot water and wipe dry with a towel.
16. To remove mineral stains on crockery, fill cooker with
hot water and 1 cup white vinegar; cover. Turn heat control
tohigh for 2 hours. Then clean following directions above
without 15 minute soaking.
17. To remove water marks from highly glazed crockery,
rub the surface with vegetable oil and allow to stand for 2
hours before cleaning. Clean, following directions above
without the 15 minute soaking.
18. Never add frozen foods directly to your crockery slow
cooker. Thaw first then add during the last 30 minutes to
one hour of cooking.
19. Do not place crockery cooker, crockery liners or
stoneware pots on electric or gas rage top surface burner,
or place under broiler.
20. Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes from 2 qt. up
to the 8 qt. super pots. It is best to choose recipes to
use that will at least half fill your slow cooker, so the
top surface of the food can be "basted" by the condensed
steam un der the slow cookers cover.
21. Be patient when using your slow cooker. It takes
about 2 hours for the temperature to come to 160* so the
food may seem to be just sitting there.
22. Some slow cookers have heat coils on the bottom. If
your model does, it is best to place some of the vegetables
at the bottom of the slow cooker and then place the meat on
top. The vegetables act as a grid and keep the meat from
sticking after many hours of contact with the heated
surface.
23. Read the use and care booklet to find out the
temperatures for the different settings on your cooker. To
cook foods safely, the heat control setting must be at
least 180*. If your cooker has a warming setting
(140*-160*) for heating cooked foods, NEVER use the setting
for cooking.
24. If you are in a real hurry at mealtime and want to
thicken the cooking liquid, pour liquid into a saucepan and
bring to a boiling; add the thickening called for in the
recipe and cook, stirring constantly, until gravy thickesn
and bubbles 3 minutes.
26. Dry sherry and Madiera go well in shellfish and
creamed dishes.
27. Dry white wines are for poultry and veal casseroles
28. Hearty red wines are best for beef, game and some
fish, chicken and duck dishes.
29. Dry vermouth can be used in place of white wine and
stores for months.
30. Use the same wines you drink for cooking.
31. Pour a few drops of olive oil over the surface of a
dry wine you plan to use just for cooking, if you must keep
it for more than a few days. This prevents the air from
destroying the wine.
32. In most cases it is not necessary to stir foods in
the slowcooker, but in developing some special recipes we
found that stirring at the halfway point in the cooking
time helped to distribute the food more evenly and keep the
heavier foods from all going to the bottom.
33. Use long handled wooden spoons when stirring foods in
your slow cooker. This will protect the inside surface of
the cooker and keep your hands from getting too close to
the hot food.
34. If your slowcooker has the removable stoneware bowl,
you can prepare the food to be cooked the night before and
refrigerate in the stoneware bowl. Then in the morning,
place in cooker and follow manufacturer's directions for
heating.
35. Choose a flat moisture free surface that is in easy
reach of a 120V AC wall outlet, and out of th reach of
young children.