4
USING YOUR SLOW COOKER
. .
TIPS FOR SLOW COOKING:
•
The slow cooker must be at least half full for best results.
•
Slow cooking retains moisture. If you wish to reduce moisture in the cooker, remove the
lid after cooking and turn the control to high (if set to low or medium) and simmer for 30
to 45 minutes.
•
The lid is not a sealed fit. Don
’
t remove unnecessarily as the built up heat will escape. Each
time you remove the lid, allow an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time.
•
If cooking soups, leave a 5 cm space between the top of the cook pot and the food surface
to allow simmering.
•
Many recipes demand all day cooking, if you do not have time to prepare food that
morning prepare it the night before and store the food in a covered container in the
refrigerator. Transfer the food to the crock pot and add liquid/gravy. Select the setting
low, high or medium.
•
Most meat and vegetable recipes require 8-10 hours on low. 4-6 hours on high and 5-7
hours on medium.
•
Some ingredients are not suitable for slow cooking. Pasta, seafood, milk, and cream should
be added towards the end of the cooking time. Many things can affect how quickly a
recipe will cook, water and fat content, initial temperature of the food and the size of the
food.
•
Food cut into small pieces will cook quicker. A degree of
‘
trial and error
’
will be required to
fully optimize the potential of your slow cooker.
•
Vegetables usually take longer to cook than meat, so try and arrange vegetables in the
lower half of the pot.
•
After food is cooked, switch cooker off and leave covered with the lid. There will be
enough heat in the crock pot to keep warm for 30 minutes. If you require longer to keep
warm switch to the low setting.
•
All food should be covered with a liquid, gravy or sauce. In a separate pan or jug prepare
your liquid, gravy or sauce and completely cover the food in the crock pot.
•
Pre-browning meat and onions in a pan to seal in the juices also reduces the fat content
before adding to the crock pot. This is not necessary if time is limited, but improves the
flavor.
•
When cooking joints of meat, ham, and poultry etc the size and shape of the joint is
important. Try to keep the joint in the lower 2/3 of the pot and fully cover with water. If
necessary cut in two pieces. Joint weight should be kept within the maximum limit.
CARE & CLEANING
..
Always make sure the slow cooker is unplugged and in the OFF position before storing away or
cleaning. Make sure the unit has cooled down completely before cleaning.
-
The stoneware insert is dishwasher safe or can also be cleaned with warm soapy
water. To remove any foods that have been cooked onto the bottom of the pot,
simply soak overnight in soapy water and rinse the next day.
-
The exterior of the slow cooker can be wiped with a damp cloth and dried. DO NOT
use harsh abrasive cleaner or scouring pad to clean any part of the slow cooker as this
will damage the surfaces.
WARNING: NEVER SUBMERGE THE ENTIRE SLOW COOKER INTO WATER OR ANY
OTHER LIQUID AS THIS MAY DAMAGE THE SLOW COOKER.
