Hazel's Crockpot Tips

I've been asked a couple of questions about crockpot cooking and I wasn't sure how to answer some of them, so I did a little research and came up with some answers/tips. I hope they help...

Tips:

1. Make sure you are using the right size crockpot. A slow cooker needs to be quite full in order to heat evenly and cook properly. I realize that storage space is at a premium, but consider getting a smaller crockpot if you find that you aren't filling your crock at LEAST 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full each time you use it. On the same note, you don't want to overfill your crockpot either.
2. Some vegetables, especially carrots and onions, often take longer to cook than the meat. Place them on the bottom or along the sides of the cooker and cover with liquid which heps the food to cook more quickly. Ingredients are often layered in a specific order with longer cooking ingredients placed in the bottom where they will cook faster and be done with the rest of the ingredients. Stir only if the recipe tells you to.
3. To insure even cooking of meat, be sure there is some space between the pieces to allow for circulation of heat and seasoning.
4. Tender vegetables such as fresh mushrooms, tomatoes or zucchini will only need to be added for the last 30 - 45 minutes of cooking time, otherwise they might overcook.
5. To prevent milk, cream or sour cream from curdling, add near the end of the cooking on high for the last 15 - 20 minutes of cooking.
6. Coating pot roasts and stew meat with flour helps to thicken the broth as it cooks. You can reduce the amount of liquied in the cooker by removing the lid and cooking on high for the last 15 - 20 minutes.
7. Reduce the urge to lift the lid and take a peek! The heat that you lose will add as much as 30 minutes to the cooking time. If you must stir, resume timing when the mixture begins to bubble again.
8. Cooking for 1 hour on high is the same as 2 - 2 1/2 hours on low.
9. If food is not done within the time stated in the recipe, it could be because you live at an altitude above 4,000 feet, the voltage is low in your area, you have used frozen foods which take longer to heat, or you have filled your slow cooker too full.
10. At altitudes above 4,000 feet, plan to cook your food for the maximum time specified in the recipe, especially if the recipe includes vegetables such as carrots, onion, celery, cabbage or potatoes or less tender cuts of meat such as brisket or pot roasts.
11. Slow cooking at the low setting is better for tenderizing these cuts of meat than the high setting. Dried beans will tenderize best if soaked overnight
12. After the food has finished cooking, it can usually be held in the slow cooker for an hour on the low setting without overcooking. If the food was originally cooked on the high setting, reduce the heat to low once it is done. Do check occasionally to see if it needs stirring or is overcooking.
13. Cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce tend to become bitter if cooked for long periods of time. Use small amounts and add toward the end of the cooking time.
14. Stir in spices for the last hour of cooking. They will lose flavor if cooked with the rest of the ingredients for the long cooking period.
15. Before adding anything, spray your crockpot with cooking oil as it will make cleaning much easier.

Hugs...