Fw: [NaturesBounty] Chefs' Tips/Crockpots

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BareCare

Friday, July 13, 2001 10:51 AM

NaturesBounty

[NaturesBounty] Chefs' Tips/Crockpots

 

 

Chefs' Tips/Crockpots

 

1. Uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will

require 8-10 hours on low (190*-200*) or 4-5 hours on high

(290*-300*).

2. One hour of simmering on the range or baking at 350* in the

oven is equal to 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high in crockpot.

3. Reduce liquid in your recipe to about 1 cup since the slow

cooker method of simmering foods saves all food's natural juices.

4. Use canned soups and broths, wine or water as liquid in your

slow cooker.

5. Don't use dairy products, such as milk, sour cream, or cream

until the final 30 minutes of cooking.

6. Cook noodles and macaroni products, following label

directions, then add to slow cooker near the end of the cooking.

7. Frozen vegetables and frozen fish should be thawed slightly,

and added only during the last hour of cooking, since they require so

little cooking.

8. Don't lift the cover of your slow cooker, just to peed and see

how the food is cooking. Every time the cover comes off, you lose

heat that is equal to 30 minutes of cooking time.

9. Trim as much excess fat as possible from the meat going into

your slow cooker. Fat can increase the temperature of the liquid in

the slow cooker and cut down on the cooking time so much, you might

have an over cooked dish.

10. Browning meats and poultry is not essential, but it does help

to develop a richer flavor in the food and remove some of the fat,

especially in pork, lamb and sausages. Turn the heat control to 350*

and brown meat on all sides; remove and saute vegetables in pan

drippings, then remove vegetables and pour out all fat remaining in

cooker before returning food, then lower heat control to slow cooking

temperature.

11. Crocker and stoneware liners in slow cookers are made of

natural clay with particular qualities that require special handling

to keep them in perfect condition.

12. Do not allow sudden change in temperature, either by pouring

boiling liquids into a very cold crockery cooker or placing a hot

cooker on a cold surface.

13. Be careful not to bang your crockery cooker in the sink or on

the faucet. A sharp blow could break or chip the crockery liner.

14. Never store foods in a crockery slow cooker in the

refrigerator. The change in temperature can be harmful to the finish.

15. To clean the interior surface of the cooker, fill with hot

sudsy water as soon as cooker has cooled down; allow to soak at least

15 minutes, then rub surface with a cloth, nylon net pad or a plastic

sponge, but never use a harsh abrasive cleaner, metal pad or steel

wool. Rinse well in hot water and wipe dry with a towel.

16. To remove mineral stains on crockery, fill cooker with hot

water and 1 cup white vinegar; cover. Turn heat control to high for 2

hours. Then clean following directions above without 15 minute

soaking.

17. To remove water marks from highly glazed crockery, rub the

surface with vegetable oil and allow to stand for 2 hours before

cleaning. Clean, following directions above without the 15 minute

soaking.

18. Never add frozen foods directly to your crockery slow cooker.

Thaw first then add during the last 30 minutes to one hour of cooking.

19. Do not place crockery cooker, crockery liners or stoneware

pots on electric or gas rage top surface burner, or place under

broiler.

20. Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes from 2 qt. up to the 8

qt. super pots. It is best to choose recipes to use that will at

least half fill your slow cooker, so the top surface of the food can

be " basted " by the condensed steam un der the slow cookers cover.

21. Be patient when using your slow cooker. It takes about 2 hours

for the temperature to come to 160* so the food may seem to be just

sitting there.

22. Some slow cookers have heat coils on the bottom. If your model

does, it is best to place some of the vegetables at the bottom of the

slow cooker and then place the meat on top. The vegetables act as a

grid and keep the meat from sticking after many hours of contact with

the heated surface.

23. Read the use and care booklet to find out the temperatures for

the different settings on your cooker. To cook foods safely, the heat

control setting must be at least 180*. If your cooker has a warming

setting (140*-160*) for heating cooked foods, NEVER use the setting

for cooking.

24. If you are in a real hurry at mealtime and want to thicken the

cooking liquid, pour liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boiling;

add the thickening called for in the recipe and cook, stirring

constantly, until gravy thickesn and bubbles 3 minutes.

25. Dry sherry and Maderia go well in shellfish and creamed dishes.

26. Dry white wines are for poultry and veal casseroles.

27. Hearty red wines are best for beef, game and some fish,

chicken and duck dishes.

28. Dry vermouth can be used in place of white wine and stores for

months.

29. Pour a few drops of olive oil over the surface of a dry wine

you plan to use just for cooking, if you must keep it for more than a

few days. This prevents the air from destroying the wine.

30. In most cases it is not necessary to stir foods in the

slowcooker, but in developing some special recipes we found that

stirring at the halfway point in the cooking time helped to

distribute the food more evenly and keep the heavier foods from all

going to the bottom.

31. Use long handled wooden spoons when stirring foods in your

slow cooker. This will protect the inside surface of the cooker and

keep your hands from getting too close to the hot food.

32. If your slowcooker has the removable stoneware bowl, you can

prepare the food to be cooked the night before and refrigerate in the

stoneware bowl. Then in the morning, place in cooker and follow

manufacturer's directions for heating.

33. Choose a flat moisture free surface that is in easy reach of a

120V AC wall outlet, and out of th reach of young children.

 

Debbie Holland