Recipe - Crockpot Helpful Hints

**see below**

1. To avoid breakage or cracking, never add cold water to a hot crockery
insert. If you want to soak the hot pot immediately after the cooked food
has been removed, add hot water to the hot insert.

2. For best results, most manufacturers recommend that the slow cooker be
half to threequarters full. Refer to the manufacturer's instruction book
accompanying your pot.

3. Keep perishable foods, such as meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables,
refrigerated until preparation and cooking time. If you opt to cut up
vegetables or meats the night before you're planning to cook them, be sure
to package each different item separately and store in the refrigerator.

4. Purchase roasts and other large cuts of meats in a size and shape that
will fit conveniently into your slow cooker. Otherwise, plan on trimming
the meat to fit.

5. To end up with the least amount of fat in finished slowcooker dishes,
use lean meats and skinless poultry, well trimmed of fat.

6. In general, avoid using completely frozen foods in the slow cooker. If
necessary, thaw frozen ingredients in a microwave oven before adding to the
cooker.

7. To avoid heat loss, refrain from removing the lid during the first
threequarters of the cooking time. If you peek often, an extensions of the
cooking time maybe required. Remove the lid only to stir food or check for
doneness.

8. Use cooking times as guidelines. Pots vary; each one is not exactly the
same, and fluctuations in power or voltage may occur. Generally, figure
that 1 hour on high is about 2 hours on low. Some recipes should only be
cooked on high or low, so follow directions carefully.

9. Because they cook more slowly than meats, generally place fresh
vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, celery, and onions, in the bottom
and around the sides of the slow cooker. Then place meats on top.

10. For best flavor and texture, ground beef or ground turkey should
usually be browned on top of the stove before adding to the slow cooker.
With few exceptions, it's not necessary to brown other meats.

11. To speed up the thickening of sauces with flour or cornstarch at the
end of the cooking, increase the heat to the high setting and cook from 15
to 45 minutes longer. Or drain the juices into a saucepan and bring to a
boil on top of the stove or in a glass measure in a microwave oven,
stirring until smooth and thickened.

12. To avoid curdling dairy products, generally add milk, heavy cream, sour
cream, or cheese sometime during the last hour of cooking time. If heating
cheeses for long period, opt to use processed cheeses or cheese spreads,
because they can tolerate more heat. Some dessert recipes in this book use
milk, cream, eggs, and cream cheese successfully, but for the most part,
they are cooked quickly on the high heat setting.

13. At high altitudes (more than 3,500 feet), it may be necessary to
increase the cooking times specified in the recipes here.

14. Flavors often become diluted with long slow cooking; so before serving
any slowcooker creation, taste and adjust the seasonings. You'll not that
many of the recipes in this collection add additional spices, herbs, and
other ingredients at the end of the cooking time for more pizzazz. To add
spark, I also use more seasoned salt and garlic pepper than usual. If you
prefer, you can substitute ordinary salt and pepper, but realize there will
be a concurrent loss of taste.

15. Because colors fade with long, slow cooking, for eye appeal, dress up
slow cooker dishes with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley, cilantro or
watercress, basil or other fresh herbs, cut or sliced up scallions, chopped tomatoes
or red peppers, shredded carrots, shredded cheeses, nonfat yogurt, sour
cream, lemon or lime wedges, cooked crumbled bacon, or cut or sliced up radishes.

Recipe by: The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever by Natalie Haughton

Posted to recipeludigest Volume 01 Number 502 by James and Susan Kirkland
kirkland@gj.net on Jan 12, 1998