Crockpot tips

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Cookers should be at least half full to get best results.

Directions

2. Don't remove the cover for a 'look see' until at least one hour before the meal is supposed to be ready to eat as heat will escape when you lift the lid and the cooking time will be lenghtened as much as 15-20 minutes

3. It is not necessary to pre-brown any meats unless they are fatty.

If neccessary, brown your meat in a separate frying pan and pour off any excess fat before putting the meat in your pot.

4. You'll probably end up with more liquid than when you started because almost nothing boils away in a slow cooker, and the foods you have been cookin will have given up some of there own natural juices.

Sauces in the slow cooker will, therefore, tend to be on the thin side. To thicken them slightly (for gravies, etc.) laddle out the sauce into a saucepan, boil it down to reduce the liquid volume, add a little flour (or your own heavy gravy recipe) and stir to prevent any burn on.

5. Milk, cream, cheese, pasta, rice and fish usually cook in a short time. These types of ingredients should not be added to the cooker until shortly before you are ready to serve. Milk and cream can curdle during long cooking periods and as far as timing for putting in cheese, rice, fish and the like this will generally be included in the recipe.

6. Always try to use fresh vegetables when required. If you are forced to use frozen vegetable in any recipe,add them durning the last hour of cooking, otherwise they'll lose there bright colors and taste overcooked.

7. If your recipe calls for meat and vegetables cooked in a little liquid place the vegetables on the bottom. Postion doesn't matter all that much if your making a stew or chowder which calls for a large amount of liquid.

8. The more liquid ( juice) the faster the cooking process will be.

9. An extra hour on low doesn't mean that your dinner will be burned, but it may produce slightly mushier vegetables and softer meat.

10. To vary time at different settings, one hour on high is equal to 2-½ hours on low.

11. You may find that your family prefers a bit more seasonings with long cooking- salt, pepper, hot sauces, etc 12. Spices tend to lose there pungency durning long cooking so either add whole spices and leaf herbs at the start, or if your using ground condiments add them during the last hour of cooking time.

Source: Women's Home Cooking Slow Pot Cookery 11/79 Article: Hot Currants From: Sharon Stevens Date: 09-19-94

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