Preparation:
LEAVE IT ALONE The main advantage of slow cooking is to set and forget
it. You do not need to tend the pot. By all means do not hestitate to
leave your home while your crockpot is on. DO make sure it is not
touching the walls or or other appliances. STIRRING Stirring is not
required for the great majority of crock- pot recipes. Occasionally I
encounter one that requires basting, but that is most infrequently. KEEP
IT COVERED LEAVE THE LID ON. I cannot stress this point enough. Every time
the crockpot is uncovered, 1/2 cooking time is lost. NEVER remove the lid
during the first two hours when baking breads or cakes. Most pots have a
glass lid, so you can see pretty much whats going on inside. If for some
reason you must open the pot, make sure you do all your additions then to
minimize overall heat loss. COOKING TIMES It is best to follow the
recipe's instructions, but a general rule of thumb is ONE HOUR ON HIGH
EQUALS TWO HOURS ON LOW. If for some reason you cannot be there at
exactly the time specified to turn it off, don't worry. Because of the
low cooking temperatures your food will not burn. HIGH ALTITUDE COOKING
Allow more time than given in the recipe at altitudes over 4000 feet.
TEMPERATURES There are generally two temperature settings, low and high.
Low is 200 degrees and high is 300 degrees. FROZEN FOODS When using
frozen foods in a recipe, thawing prior to adding them to the pot is
essential, actually more because you risk damage to a ceramic pot liner
more than anything. If you have a metal crockpot you may add frozen items
but several extra hours of cooking time must be added as well. (JO's note)
(I have cooked frozen food successfully) SPICES Because so little
evaporation takes place when cooking with this method, spices tend to be
intensified. I am careful not to over-season and just before serving make
my corrections. FOIL SPEEDS COOKING To save time, aluminum foil may be
placed under the crock pot lid. The foil reflects the heat back onto the
food and I feel keeps the heat in the pot a little more effci |
