How many times have you been planning meals and came up disappointed when you discovered you didn’t have time to make the meal you wanted? Most people will not even think of putting a recipe in the crockpot unless it is written expressly for the crockpot. Did you know that many standard recipes could be converted to crockpot recipes? In general, the low setting on a crockpot is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The high setting is usually around 300 degrees Fahrenheit. One hour of cooking on high is about equal to 2 or 2.5 hours of cooking on low. Most recipes you find for crockpots recommend cooking your food for 8 to 10 hours on low.
Advice for Converting Recipes
If you are thinking of trying your favorite recipe in your crockpot for the first time, there is a little advice you may want to follow for the best results. When changing any recipe for the crockpot, you will want to reduce your liquid. The crockpot does not let liquid evaporate like the oven, so you will want to reduce the amount you initially put in by about half. You will be surprised how much liquid is there when your dish is done. The spices you use may need to be adjusted. Ground spices may lose some flavor over many hours of cooking, so do not add them until the last hour of cooking. Whole spices will have their flavors intensified by long cooking times, so you may want to reduce them by half.
If you plan to make chicken soup or other liquid-based meals, only add enough liquid to cover the other ingredients. You can add more liquid towards the end of cooking time if needed. If you are making a cream soup, do not add the dairy products until close to the end to prevent curdling and separating.
Dried beans work well in the crockpot. Instead of spending time soaking them, cook them on low overnight. Put your beans in the crockpot and cover with water. Be sure to add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. In the morning, drain the water before adding your softened beans to the other ingredients. Chili, bean soup, and other delicious meals can then continue cooking in the crockpot.
Some foods are too delicate for cooking over long periods of time. Seafood, rice, pasta, some vegetables, and dairy products are just a few. Do not add any of these ingredients until a couple of hours before serving if you are cooking on low or one hour before serving if you are cooking on high. If you really must use milk earlier in the cooking period, consider using evaporated milk.
If you wish, you may brown your meat before adding it to the crockpot. Browning gives your meat an attractive appearance and it helps reduce the fat content of the meat. Taste-wise, browning is optional. Roasts turn out deliciously in the crockpot whether you brown them first or not.
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