Tips for the Slow Cooker Newbie

If you are trying to balance a busy life with the benefits of delicious and nutritious homemade meals, then slow cooking (aka crockery pot cooking) may be the thing for you. Most slow cooker recipes can be put together in about 20 minutes. Basically, what you have to do is prepare the ingredients, put them in the pot, and let the cooker do its thing while you are going about your daily life. It can't get any simpler than that!

As you familiarize yourself with more advanced details of slow cooking, you will be making the most of your appliance and cooking techniques. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Pick the right slow cooker: Assess your cooking needs and choose your cooker accordingly. Slow cookers range in size from 2 to 6 quarts. You may decide that you need to get two: a smaller one (say, 4-quart) for sauces, appetizers, desserts, etc. and a larger one (5-6 quarts) for recipes with large yields.

Read the instructions: Once you buy your new cooker, review the operating instructions carefully. Slow cookers may operate on the same basic principles, but they do vary in size and shape and, as a result, in cooking times.

Adjust recipes: You need to develop a new mindset, so to speak, regarding slow cooking. You can't just take recipes for stove top and/or oven dishes and apply them to the slow cooker. You need to make adjustments.

Avoid excess fat: Use lean, low-fat meats. Trim all visible fat and remove poultry skin before placing meats in the cooker. Extra fat will cause your meat to overcook. If you choose to brown meats in a skillet first (highly recommended), remember to drain excess fat.

Cut and soften vegetables: Some vegetables (eg carrots, onions, potatoes) take longer to cook than meat. If the recipe combines any of these vegetables with meat, place the vegetables at the bottom of the cooker and then add the meat. Remember to thinly cut the vegetables according to the exact specifications of the recipe. It is recommended that you soften (brown, saute) vegetables (eg onions and carrots) before cooking: you will notice a whole lot of difference in both appearance and taste!

Add spices appropriately: If you are using whole spices (recommended), add them at the beginning of cooking. If, on the other hand, you are using ground spices, it is best to include them during the last hour of cooking to help preserve their flavor.

Avoid excess liquids: Use small quantities of liquids. In slow cooking, liquids do not evaporate as in stove-top cooking, so pay close attention to the recipe to avoid watery meals.

Do not lift the lid to peek and/or stir, unless indicated in the recipe.

Avoid reheating meals in the slow cooker. Instead, reheat foods in the microwave.

Once you have experienced the many rewards of slow cooking, you'll never go back!