Slow Cooker Tips

1. Try not to lift the lid of the slow cooker. The steam creates a vacuum seal that will be lost each time you unnecessarily lift the lid. Some of the steam and heat will dissipate and can prolong the cooking time.
2. Do not overfill the insert; lid will not fit properly.
3. Always clean the insert after each use. Built-up food stains are impossible to clean.
4. Avoid placing hot insert directly on cold surface-may crack.
5. Condensation will form on the lid, so to avoid spillage in the food, life gently, straight up. Do not tilt.
6. Browning meat or poultry before cooking in slow cooker adds immense flavor.
7. For easy clean-up, spray cold insert with a non-sticking cooking spray.
8. For food safety, always start on high for the first hour and then lower.
9. Frozen foods should be thawed or defrosted before placing in crock pot.
10. One hour on high is the equivalent of two hours on low.
11. Do not refrigerate hot crock pot insert-let food cool down before refrigerating.
12. Foods on the bottom of the crock pot will cook faster so place a little simmering liquid on the bottom with the meat.
13. You can thicken juices or sauce to concentrate the flavors one of two ways; remove cover the last hour of cooking or make a “slurry” using equal amounts of flour or cornstarch and cold water. Mix both and stir into ingredients the last 15 minutes or so.
14. Save time by choosing cheaper cuts of meat for the crock pot. Cooking these cuts slowly will make them very tender.
15. Seafood should be added the last hour or so of cooking. When cooked too long, seafood becomes rubbery.
16. Use cayenne or Tabasco sauce sparingly as it becomes bitter when cooked too long.
17. Tender vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, squash and tomatoes should be added at the end of the cooking time-30-45 minutes left.
18. Add dairy products the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
19. Recipes that are not specifically written for slow cookers may need to be adapted. For example, liquid does not boil and evaporate much in the crock pot, so you should try decreasing the liquid by 1/3 to ½.

The beauty of purchasing a large and a small crock pot is that you can share a bit of your meal with someone in need. How about surprising an elderly neighbor, a sick friend or someone who just needs to feel loved on with a hot and comforting crock pot meal?