CROCKPOT BASICS

Basic Tips

• Only fill the crockpot one half to three quarters full. The foods will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim.
• Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.
• Here's an easy tip to check progress without lifting the lid. Spin the cover until the condensation falls off. Then it's easy to see inside.
• Remove skin from poultry, and trim excess fat from meats.
• You can thicken the juices and concentrate flavors by removing the lid and cooking on HIGH for the last half hour of cooking time.
• For food safety reasons, it's a good idea to cook on HIGH for the first hour to quickly bring the temperature up to 140 degrees. Then turn the dial to LOW and finish cooking.
• One hour on HIGH is equal to two hours on LOW.
• Cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce tend to become bitter if cooked for long periods of time. Use small amounts and add toward the end of the cooking time.
• Add tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini during the last 45 minutes of cooking time so they don't overcook.
• Dairy products should be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, unless the recipes states otherwise.
• Remove cooked food from the crockpot or liner before storage. Because the liner is made of such thick material, the food won't cool down quickly enough to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• Stir in spices for the last hour of cooking. They will lose flavor if cooked with the rest of the ingredients for the long cooking period.
• Follow the layering instructions carefully. Vegetables do not cook as quickly as meat, so they should be placed in the bottom of the appliance.
• Don't lift the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting. Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour.

More tips from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Mary Alice Gettings and Cindy Javor

In the past several years, the Crock-Pot (or slow- cooker) has emerged as a popular appliance for quick meal preparation. If it and the food have been handled properly, it is a very safe, handy way to provide nutritious meals for your family and friends.

Testing a Crock-Pot
The food safety concern surrounding any slow-cooker is its ability to reach a temperature above 140 degrees within four hours. Since bacteria grow rapidly between the temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees, it is of great importance that food not to be in that range for more than four hours in order to limit this growth.

To determine if your slow cooker is reaching this temperature, you will have to experiment on a day when you are home. Prepare a recipe and check to see if the temperature rises above 140 degrees within four hours on the low setting. It would be better to prepare a thick food, such as chili, gumbo or stew, because this would take longer to reach the temperature as compared to a thin food, such as chicken noodle soup. Quickly take the temperature, because it will drop rapidly when the lid is opened. If the temperature does not reach 140 degrees within four hours, there is a problem with the Crock-Pot, and it should be thrown away.

Preparing food
When cooking meat or poultry in the slow-cooker, make sure it is completely defrosted and cut into small pieces. These appliances were not made to help thaw or cook large pieces of meat or poultry. If unthawed meat/poultry or large pieces of meat/poultry are placed in the Crock-Pot, they will not reach 140 degrees quickly enough and possibly result in a food borne illness.

If you cut up the meat/poultry and vegetables the night before, make sure you store them in separate containers in the refrigerator to limit bacterial growth and to avoid cross-contamination. Because vegetables take longer to cook in the slow-cooker, place them on the bottom and the sides. Add the meat, then the liquid, such as broth, water or sauce. Fill the slow-cooker no less than half-full and no more than two-thirds full. Lift the lid only occasionally to stir the food and check for doneness.

While it is safe to cook food on low all day, it is suggested, if possible, that you place the setting on high for the first hour to help the temperature reach 140 degrees as quickly as possible.

Power outages
If the power goes out while you're not home, you will have to throw the food away. If it goes out while you are at home, finish cooking the food on a gas stove top or grill or in a gas oven. If the food is completely cooked and the power goes out, it will be safe to eat for up to two hours.

Storing leftovers
Any leftovers should be placed in shallow containers and in the refrigerator within two hours after cooking is completed. Although it is not advisable to reheat leftovers in a Crock-Pot, you can place foods that have been reheated to 165 degrees on the stove top or grill or in the microwave or oven in a preheated slow-cooker.

Converting recipes
Many preparation steps are not necessary when using a slow-cooker. For example, vegetables do not need to be sauteed or browned. In addition, all ingredients can be added at the beginning of cooking with the exception of milk, sour cream or cream, all of which should be added during the last hour of cooking.

Liquids do not boil away as they do in conventional cooking. You may need to reduce the liquid by half. There are exceptions to the rule, such as soups and recipes with long-grain converted rice (1 cup liquid per 1/4 cup of rice).

Note: Most uncooked meat/poultry and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on low.