Tips For Slow Cooker And Crock Pot Cooking

For the stressed out cook nothing is better than the flexibility and versatility of a slow cooker or crock-pot. You would be amazed at how much time you can save with a few cooking tips and a crock-pot! No pots, pans or serving dishes to deal with, just throw it all together set the cooking temperature and go about your daily life. Later when you come in the smell of dinner already steaming is enough to relieve the stress of any hard day at work.

If one doesn't already have a slow cooker, the first consideration centers on size. Small versions are often used for appetizers, dips, and salsas. Generally these are 16 oz. or quart size and are perfect for serving during brunch or potluck dining events or cooking for one. A large family may be best served with a 5 qt. or even a 7 qt. model. The type of cooking one does is also a consideration. If the cook plans on slow cooking a full rack of fall off the bone baby back ribs in the crock pot, they are going to have to spring for the larger version.

Another consideration is whether the cook wants to be able to set or control the temperature or just go with a push button model that cooks with preset low or high temperature settings and sometimes a warmer setting. If the "low" setting is too low and the lid is not on properly, the cooking temperature can drop below the safe level for cooking some foods. Finally, the question of heating elements needs to be considered. Crock pots can come with bottom, side elements or both. Pots with side elements often require more liquid in recipes to avoid the risk of drying up over long cooking times.

If you are the type of person who enjoys experimenting with cooking tips and mixing, it up in the kitchen a slow cooker will be your new best friend. There are tons of recipe possibilities and you might even have a little fun in the process. Where the crock-pot/ slow cooker really excel is in cooking cheaper cuts of meat and making them nice and tender. The slow cooking process will leave nearly any cut of meat so tender you can cut it with a fork and fat dissolves or can easily be removed.

There are some definite dos and do nots for using a slow cooker. Make sure you read all the cooking tips for your unit before you begin. One of the most common issues with a crock-pot is remembering some meals need to cook in stages. Beef stew is a primary example of this rule. With this recipe, you always want to cook your meat for a few hours before adding your veggies. After the meat has cooked awhile, you can add firm vegetables and then just before the meal is done you add your soft veggies. If you added all ingredients at the same time, you would have a fine mess on your hands and likely a lot of dog food as well. A good rule of thumb for spices is to add them first, then meat, firm vegetables, soft vegetables and finally frozen seafood and vegetables. Remember not to stir the meal often either as this breaks apart your ingredients.

Crock pots are so versatile that they can even be used for creating desserts and breads. Interestingly enough this is one area where care must be taken during preparation. This is particularly true if these recipes are going to be left unattended while they cook. An over beaten or whipped dessert can raise the lid straight off of the crock pot and create quite a mess. This is certainly not what one needs to come home to after a long day at work.

You can make almost anything in a slow cooker from simple cream cheese layer dip to pot roast, veggies, and even complex meals such as spicy paella. They also function as an excellent warmer for your holiday side dishes. With a few good cooking tips, a slow cooker can take the stress right out of a busy day.

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