Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Crockpot

There are certain procedures that will make your crockpot recipes turn out the way you'd like.

Check these out to become a better cook with a slow cooker.

Stirring
Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

If your recipe is recommended for 3 to 4 1/2 quart sizes and you want to adjust for a larger quantity in a larger Pot here are:

Guidelines for doubling or tripling ingredients:

When preparing dishes with beef or pork in a larger unit, browning the meat in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker yields the best results; the meat will cook more evenly. Roasted meats, chicken, and turkey quantities may be doubled or tripled, and seasonings adjusted by half. Caution: Flavorful spices such as garlic and chili powder will intensify during long slow cooking. Add just 25 to 65 percent more spices as needed to balance the flavors.

When preparing a soup or a stew, you may double all ingredients except liquids, seasonings, and dried herbs. Increase liquid volume by half, or as needed. The slow cooker lid collects steam, which condenses to keep foods moist and maintain liquid volume. Do not double thickeners, such as cornstarch, at the beginning. You may always add more thickener later if needed.

Adding Ingredients at the End of the Cooking Time

Certain ingredients tend to break down during extended cooking. When possible add these ingredients toward the end of the cooking time. These include: • Milk, cream and sour cream - add during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. • Seafood - add in the last hour of cooking time, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Pasta and Rice • For best results with pasta, cook in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Add the pasta to the stoneware during the last half hour of cooking. • For best results with rice, always use long grain converted rice.

Beans
Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar and/or acid foods so avoid dried beans and open a can.

Roasts can be cooked without water when set on LOW. We recommend a small amount, however, because the gravies are especially tasty. The more fat or “marbling” the meat has, the less liquid you need. The liquid is needed to properly soften and cook vegetables.

Herbs and Spices
When cooking with your slow cooker, it is best to use whole herbs and spices rather than crushed or ground. The flavor of crushed or ground herbs and spices tend to lessen during the extended cooking time with the slow cooker. Fresh herbs and spices take longer to release their flavor, and therefore withstand the extended cooking times required of slow cooking.

Vegetables
Most vegetables should be thinly sliced or placed near the sides or bottom of the stoneware. Meats generally cook faster than most vegetables in a slow cooker.

Cooking with Frozen Foods
You can cook frozen meats in a slow cooker, but it is best to use the following guidelines:

• Add at least 1 cup of warm liquid to the stoneware before placing meat in the stoneware.

• Do not preheat the slow cooker.

• Cook recipes containing frozen meats for an additional 4 to 6 hours on Low, or an additional 2 hours on High.