More Tips On Crockpot Cooking

[Kitchen Witch]

MORE TIPS ON CROCKPOT COOKING


BEEF

Slow cooked beef is fabulous and you can stretch your penny-pincher budget by buying cheaper, less tender cuts. The pot will make them super tender - and you will end up with more flavor and vitamins. And surprisingly, you will get less shrinkage than with other cooking methods.

To successfully slow cook beef:

Some veggies will take as long or longer to cook than beef. If you are planning on a beef dish with large chunks of carrots or celery, place them in the bottom or around the sides of the pot. Cover them with liquid - such as water, bouillon or tomato sauce. You may even want to cut them smaller than usual. Slow cookers will cook smaller pieces faster.

Also, the good juices of the meat don't evaporate resulting in a liquid with rich and meaty flavor which will give you a great sauce or gravy. In most cases you can stir in cornstarch or dissolve flour after the meat is done. Then cook on HIGH for a few minutes the thicken the gravy.

It is not necessary to brown the meat before placing in the crockpot. But if the meat is fatty, browning first and pouring off the excess fat is helpful. Although the meat can be placed directly on the bottom of the crockpot with the vegetables, if the cut is fatty you may want to place the roast on a rack in the bottom of the pot.

You will notice a broad range of cooking times for beef recipes. But the beef will not stick, burn or overcook. The LOW setting is so low that an hour or two makes no difference in slow-cooking recipes.

How to decide if the beef is done??? Cook for the minimum time suggested in the recipe; remove from pot and stick with a fork to see if it is as tender as your family prefers. The thickness of the cut of beef, distribution of fat and amount of bone will change the cooking time, so always check before assuming the meat is ready to serve.

[Kitchen Witch]

MORE ON MEAT

Be sure to check the meat at the minimum suggested cooking time; this way you can let it cook longer if necessary to suit your own taste buds.

Some larger roasts are designed to fit in 4 1/2 quart and larger crockpots. For these you may want to use a meat thermometer just as you would if cooking in the oven. For 3 1/2 quart or smaller crockpots use a small size roast or have your butcher remove any bones and tie the meat to make it more compact. Smaller roasts take slightly less cooking time.

You will have more meat juices when you finish than you get with other methods of cooking. These can be used to spoon over slices of meat, or thickening them with dissolved flour or cornstarch.



PORK

It is a good idea to brown spareribs before cooking them in a crockpot. Lightly brown them in the oven and drain off the excess fat before adding sauce and vegetables. If pork steaks and chops are fairly lean, either brown them, or just trim the excess fat off the edges.


LAMB

The same principle applies to lamb. If there is fat, trim off excess or brown it and drain off the fat before placing in in the crockpot. You may want to drain the fat at least once during the cooking process.

[Kitchen Witch]

POULTRY

As a general rule, chicken does not take as long to cook as beef, pork or lamb. Sometimes vegetables take longer to cook than chicken when using carrots, eggplant, celery, or potatoes in a chicken dish. Be sure the vegetables are covered with with a liquid such as water, bouillon or tomato sauce. Also, you many want to place the vegetables on the bottom of the pot with the chicken on top. This way, the vegetables cook more evenly and should be done about the same time as the chicken.

Duckling requires special attention because of its excess fat. When cooking duck, be sure to stick it at 2-inch intervals. Place on a metal rack or trivet in the bottom of the crockpot so the fat can drip to the bottom. Then pour off the fat as needed.

Turkey tastes great and is tender and juicy in a crockpot.

[Kitchen Witch]

VEGETABLES


A great advantage of cooking vegetables in a crockpot is being able to cook them ahead of time. There is no need to watch, stir or worry about boil overs. Serve them for dinner or combine with other ingredients in a casserole and brown them in the oven to serve later.

You can stuff squash or zucchini; cook in your pot or add other ingredients and finish the dish in the oven.

Carrots, celery, turnips, parsnips and beets take an extra long time to cook in a crockpot - sometimes as long or longer to cook than many meats.

Sweet or white potatoes are delicious "baked" in a crockpot. Wash the potatoes but do not actually dry. While they are still damp, place in crockpot and cook on low until soft and tender. YOU CANNOT USE THIS METHOD WITH ALL CROCKPOTS - check the use and care section of the booklets that come with your model.

It is wise to cook veggies on HIGH when you are cooking most vegetables in a crockpot. Many of them will dry out and discolor when left on low for too long.

[Kitchen Witch]

HAVING A PARTY??

You will have more time with your guests when you serve hot beverages or appetizers in a crockpot.

Several hours before a party, combine the ingredients for your hot drink and turn your crockpot on LOW. Your beverage will be ready to serve when your guests arrive. It will also stay hot without scorching, boiling over or sticking.

Exact breweing times are unimportant when brewing most hot punches. After several hours, the various fruit juices blend together for a smooth taste. However, if left on too many hours over the suggested time, they may become slightly bitter.

Hot appetizers stay hot in a slow cooker. Heated cheese or bean dip is the right consistency and temperature.

[Kitchen Witch]

SOUPS AND SANDWICHES

If you've never made soup in a crockpot you don't know what your missing! Crockpots bring out the flavors and retain all the natural meat and vegetable juices.

You can start a soup with leftover turkey, chicken or a ham bone. Then you can build almost any traditional soup with a few seasonings and vegetables. Place the ingredients in your crockpot in the morning and by dinnertime you're ready to serve. Complete the meal with thick slices of buttered bread heated.

Cooking soups at such low temperatures will not effect them if they are cooked longer. At the minimum recommended cooking time, stick a fork in the meat and several of the larger vegetable pieces to see whether they are done. Try not to keep the lid off any longer than necessary because steam and heat escape very fast. It takes a long time to replace the heat loss after you've replaced the lid.

If you want, try some of the short-cut soups which start with a packaged mix or canned product as a base. They are surprisingly good and take less cooking time than soups "made from scratch".



Crockpots work fine for serving pots for hot sandwiches. You can combine your sandwich mixture and leave it for several hours.

Sandwiches can be completely assembled and kept warm in your pot. Don't plan to keep these sandwiches much longer than the suggested time because the bread will become soggy.

[Kitchen Witch]

MAIN DISHES

Crockpots are great for those one-pot meals! Assemble the ingredients and let them cook while you are busy with other tasks and you have a well-rounded, delicious meal for your family with no worry.

Here are a few notes I would like to share with you:

Most fish or seafood should be cooked quickly and is not suitable for slow cooking. For this reason, you should use your crockpot for sauce making. Place vegetables and seasonings in the crockpot and add the fish/seafood at the end of the cooking time.

Rice is not at its best when cooked longer than recommended. Cook it first, then add to the crockpot a short time before serving.

This same principle applies to pasta which should also be added near the end of the cooking time.

Remember to add cheese, milk, cream and sour cream shortly before serving. Dairy products are at their best when refrigerated as long as possible, then added for flavor, texture and nutrition near the end of the cooking time or served with the food.

If you want a nice creamy sauce for a main dish, cook the vegetables, spices and meats in water, bouillon or tomato sauce for a special flavor. Then add the cream or milk and thickener later.

[Kitchen Witch]

LET'S TALK BEANS..............

Crockpots are the up-to-date electric cousins of the old bean pot making them ideal for cooking beans and creating that old-fashioned taste of Grandmother's bean pot!

Most directions for cooking beans suggest the long soaking method. If you cannot soak the beans overnight, you can add 6 cups of water to one pound of beans; bring to a boil; simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover; let stand for one hour. Then follow recipe directions for cooking beans.

Many bean recipes can be cooked longer than the times indicated or they may even be cooked one day and re-heated in the crockpot the next day.

For saucy beans, do not pour off any of the liquid in which the beans were soaked - leave as much juice in the pot as possible during the long cooking process.

[Kitchen Witch]

AND WHAT ABOUT BREADS AND CAKES????

Remember that if you are planning to "bake" in your crockpot you must first turn your control on HIGH because LOW is too low to give breads and cakes the texture you would expect.

With breads remember to cover the container with a lid or foil tied on to the can with cooking string. Place the container on a metal rack or trivet to fit in the bottom of your crockpot. If you don't have a metal rack or trivet that fits, crumple foil and place it in the bottom of the crockpot to support the baking container. Pour 2 c. of hot water around the container to provide steam for cooking the bread.

If you are using a deep-fryer type of crockpot, check frequently to make sure the water hasn't evaporated. Add more water if needed.

Do NOT remove the lid or foil from the bread container during the first 2 hours of cooking. After that, check the bread by inserting a toothpick in the mixture. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.




Cakes are baked in a pan set directly on the bottom of the slow cooker. It is not necessary to use a trivet or water. Instead of covering the uncooked cake mixture with foil or a lid, cover the top with 4 or 5 layers of paper towels to help absorb the moist top of the cake mix. Also, leave the lid of your slow cooker slightly open to let extra moisture to escape.


What type of containers can be used in a crockpot?
Molds, coffee cakes, spring forms or small bundt pans make excellent containers. The following containers hold approximately the same amount of batter so you can substitute one for another:

1 2-lb. coffee can
2 1-lb. coffee cans
3 16-oz. vegetable cans
6 or 7-cup mold
1 1/2-qt. baking dish

[Kitchen Witch]

DESSERTS

Have you tried to make desserts in your crockpot?? Crockpots bring out that wonderful old-fashioned flavor for many desserts. Try a fruit compote - slow cooking brings out all those marvelous flavors and blends them so well.

You can also use your crockpot for fruits - fresh or dried.

Apple butter is very easy to make in your crockpot - never sticks or scorches.

You can even "bake" custard in your crockpot. Some puddings, like lemon pudding or rice pudding is best cooked on HIGH and cooked on a trivet in hot water.

[Flossie]

Lots of good cooking in crockpot, Kitchenwitch.

God Bless,Flossie

[Kitchen Witch]

Thank you Flossie!!

KW

[Karen Maples]

When cooking meats in the crock do you have to add water, say I wanted to bake a chicken in the crock, do I need to add water?
thx,
karen

[Kitchen Witch]

No - the only time I add water is for soups and stews. Meat juices don't evaporate in the crockpot - you will be able to make a wonderful gravy from them.

KW

[Kitchen Witch]

and a little more about crockpot use:


Slow cookers come in many sizes, from tiny 1-quart pots all the way up to 6-quart models big enough to hold a small turkey. But there is more you can do than just cook in them:

* Some enterprising cooks use slow cookers to make bread dough rise. Plug in the slow cooker just long enough to get the ceramic liner hot. Then unplug it, oil the liner and put in your bread dough. With the cover on, you don't have to cover the dough with a cloth, and the dough rises in half the time.

* Set your slow cooker on low to keep cinnamon rolls and tamales warm.

* You can keep water hot in a slow cooker all day. When your baby is ready for a bottle, you don't have to wait for a pot of water to boil. Just put the bottle in the Crock Pot, and it is ready in a couple of minutes.

* Use it as a punch bowl for hot mulled cider.

[cookinganyone]

Hi:

I'm new to the forum and was just looking around. It's like a university but without the classrooms. Some of tips you mentioned, I would have never thought of. But, I will sure give a few of them a try this weekend. Particularly the tips for bread dough.

Thanks KW.

[pillotopp]

Whenever I make a beef stew or a chilli in the crock pot its very watery and the flavors are dilluted. What can I do to remedy this?

[Kitchen Witch]

pillotop - welcome aboard! Are you adding additional water to your recipe? Have you tried any of the recipes posted here on the site? Please tell us what you are doing so that we can help you.

Kichen Witch

[busy mom]

I have the same problem. I love my crockpot, but I am a novice and so far I tried only few recipes. Every recipe I tried I added the amount of liquid it asked for and I ended up with lots of liquid in the end.

Thanks,

busy mom