3 Methods of Cooking

Slow cooker is one of the versatile tools famous for making soups and
stews. Cooking can be left unattended for hours. It has a removable
pot made from ceramic glaze or porcelain, along with a lid and
housing that contain a thermostatic electric heating element. Crock
pots can both be utilized as a cooking container and a heat
reservoir.

Operation

Slow cookers come in different sizes, from 16 oz to 7 quarts. There
are different temperature settings used - low, medium, high, and keep
warm options. For more details www.thanks-giving-recipes.com.Slow
cookers typically operate at an approximate of 200 °F in low setting.
It is 300F on high setting.

Medium heat is qualified at 225 to 250F,

Raw food with water or stock can be placed inside the pot, covered and
switched on. Some foods need to be preheated. Some slow cookers can
switch automatically from cooking to warming (160 °F to 165°F). The
heating element can stop at a constant temperature when maximum heat
is reached. Vapor turns to liquid and transfers heat back to the food.

Cooking Techniques

Most slow cookers come with free recipe booklets and guidelines. Here
are some methods that may help cooking with a crock pot:

Browning Meats - Raw ground meats can be added directly to the crock
pot, but browning it first will give better flavor and texture. It
will also reduce meat fats. A roasted meat does not need to be browned
at all.

Dried Beans - There are 3 methods of cooking beans on a crock pot:

• Beans can be cooked on a high-heat setting until tender.

• Another way is to cook about 2 to 3 hours on high heat and switch
to low-heat for the next 8 to 10 hours.

• beans are cooked for about 2 hours in the traditional way. Turn
off the crock pot and let it sit for about 8 to 24 hours. Other
ingredients can be added. For more details
www.300-chicken-recipe.com.You can then cook this on low heat for
about 8-12 hours until it is done. This method is best for baked beans
because it allows the flavor to blend.

Vegetables - Chop root crops like carrots and potatoes no larger than
1-inch thick. Chop thinly because they take longer to cook compared to
leaf vegetables.

Rice and Pasta - Cook rice with ¼ extra liquid or ¼ cup of uncooked
grain rice for better results. Cook pasta only until it becomes
slightly tender. Do not overcook.

Liquids - Liquids easily evaporate in the cooking process. It is
always safe to add a little extra when needed.

Herbs and Spices - Spices and ground herbs easily lose taste when
added early in the cooking process. It is best to add them when the
dish is nearly done.

Soups - To make a thinner soup, add more water after cooking. For
milk-based soups, one or two cups of water is enough. Stir in milk
during the last hours of cooking.

Most crock pot cooking can be made into one dish. Use a single pot to
reduced washing chores. Cooking on lower temperatures make cleaning
easier.

Pre-boil kidney beans first before cooking in a crock pot. Otherwise,
it can cause food poisoning.

_By: *robert.jan2009*_

*About the Author:*

www.dishadvice.com [1]

www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com [2]

Links:
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[1] http://www.dishadvice.com
[2] http://www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com