Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Slow Cooker

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

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

Stirring
Don't lift that lid!! Taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a lot of heat, and making it cook even slower. Ok?

Capacity
Let's say your recipe calls for a 3 to 4 & 1/2 quart size pot and your pot is larger; plus, you have a bigger roast or ham or chicken or "whatever" - those "whatevers" are really big - here are guidelines for doubling or tripling ingredients:

When you're doing beef or pork in a larger pot, browning the meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker yields the best results; the meat will cook more evenly.

Roasted meats, chicken, and turkey quantities can be doubled or tripled, and seasonings upped by half. But watch out for powerful spices like garlic or chili powder or curry! they'll intensify during long slow cooking. In general, add just 25 to 50% more spices to balance the flavors.

If you're doing a large soup or stew, you can double everything except seasonings and dried herbs. Don't double thickeners, like cornstarch, at the beginning. You can always thicken just before serving.

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.
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 - good ol' Uncle Ben,.

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

Roasting
Roasts can be cooked without water when set on LOW. But I think a bit of water will help make a wonderful gravy or sauce. If there is plenty of “marbling” in your meat you need less liquid added. You do, however, eed liquid to properly soften and cook vegetables.

Herbs and Spices
If they're readily available, use whole herbs and spices rather than crushed or ground. Fresh herbs and spices take longer to release their flavor, and therefore withstand the longer cooking times.

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 try to use the following guidelines:

• Add at least 1 cup of warm, not hot, liquid to the stoneware before placing meat in the stoneware.

• Don't preheat the slow cooker.

• Give recipes containing frozen meats an additional 4 to 6 hours on Low, or an additional 2 or 3 hours on High.

Hope these tips help you achieve "Star" status as a slow cooker cooker.