Released November 16, 2009
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.– Something about colder weather makes us long for a warm meal as we come through the door at night. Crockpots are a great way to prepare those family favorites and have them ready by the time you get home, said Susan Mills-Gray, nutrition and health specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Slow cooking requires extra attention to food safety. Start with thawed foods, which will take less time to heat, said Mills-Gray. If you have to use a frozen cut of meat, add 1 cup of warm water to the pot first, then place the meat in the crock, she said.
Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables take the longest to cook, so place them on the bottom and cut the pieces no thicker than one inch. Tender vegetables, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and squash, which can overcook easily, should be added during the last two hours of cooking.
Foods high in fat cook quickly. Place meats on top of the vegetables. She recommends browning meats before adding them to the crock.
“Fats melt with long cooking times and can produce an unpleasant flavor,” she said. “Browning meats before adding to crock reduces fat and enhances flavor and color.”
Crockpots work the best when they are half to three-fourths full. “If you fill a pot to the brim, it can’t regulate the heating of the food correctly,” Mills-Gray said. If the pot is less than half full, food may overcook.
Get food inside to 140 degrees quickly
“You want to get the food inside the crockpot to 140 degrees as quickly as possible to reduce the chance of bacterial contamination, so use the high setting for the first hour, then switch to low to finish cooking,” she said.
Cooking time depends on the heat setting. One hour on the high setting – 300 degrees – is equal to two hours on low – 200 degrees.
Foods that can spoil, cook quickly or lose their flavor should be added later in the cooking process. They include fish, seafood, milk, dried herbs, spices and pepper sauce. “Condensed cream soups are a good substitute for milk because they don’t break down over long cooking times,” Mills-Gray said.
Cooks should also avoid lifting the lid to check on progress. “Each time you lift the crock lid, you increase the cooking time by 20 minutes,” Mills-Gray said. “Spin the cover until the condensation falls off. This makes it much easier to see inside.”
Use a cooking bag to line the pot or coat with nonstick spray, and clean up will be as easy as preparing a crockpot meal, Mills-Gray said.
Converting conventional cooking times
Many conventional recipes can be prepared in a crockpot. The following chart will help you convert the cooking and baking times for your favorite recipes.
Conventional | Crockpot Low | Crockpot High
15-30 minutes | 4-6 hours | 1.5-2 hours
30-45 minutes | 6-10 hours | 3-4 hours
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http://extension.missouri.edu/news/DisplayStory.aspx?N=588
Source: Susan Mills-Gray, 816-380-8460
Editor: Milly Carter, 816-252-7717, carterm@missouri.edu
