Convenient Cooking Methods With Crock Pots By David H. Urmann At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A slow cooker or crock pot is an electrical cooking device for countertop cooking. A crock pot works in different ways. Learn the different methods of crock pat and cook better meals.

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.

Slow cookers typically operate at an approximate of 200 °F in low setting. It is 300o F on high setting. Medium heat is qualified at 225o to 250o F,
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. 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.

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