First Posted: 3/25/2014
Kitchens today have many electrical gadgets. Coffee machines, blenders, Panini presses are just a few. Slow cookers have reduced in price and many kitchens are equipped with them, also. Slow cookers make meal planning easier any time of year. A slow cooker can make life a little more convenient because by planning ahead, you save time later. They not only save time, they also cost less. These counter-top appliances use less electricity than an oven.
Some folks may worry that they are not safe to use. If you use them correctly, slow cookers are safe to use. Most bacteria are killed at 165 degrees if maintained at that temperature for two hours or more. Slow cookers have been tested and found that foods cook at 185 to 200 degree is well above the safety limit. Cooking in ovens, however, at the same low temperature would be unsafe. Slow cookers cook safely at this low temperature because of the moisture. Water is a better conductor of heat than air.
Here are some suggestions for using your slow cooker safely:
- Begin with a clean cooker, clean utensils and a clean work area. Wash your hands before and during food preparation.
- Keep perishable foods refrigerated until preparation time. If you cut up meat and vegetables in advance, store them separately in the refrigerator. The slow cooker may take several hours to reach a safe, bacteria-killing temperature. Constant refrigeration assures that bacteria, which multiply quickly at room temperature, won’t get a head start during the first few hours of cooking. It is not recommended to put a slow cooker on an electric timer. Once the food is taken out of the refrigerator, place it in a slow cooker and begin cooking.
- Always defrost meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Cut food into chunks or small pieces to ensure thorough cooking.
- Do not use the slow cooker for large pieces, such as a roast or whole chicken; because the food will cook so slowly that it could remain in the bacterial “danger zone” — between 40 and 140 degrees F — for too long. Cook roasts less than 3 pounds or less.
- Use the right amount of food. Fill the cooker no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full. Put vegetables in first, at the bottom and around the sides of the crock. Then add meat and cover the food with liquid, such as broth, water or barbecue sauce.
- Keep the lid in place, removing it only to stir the food or check for doneness. Remember, crock pots are safe to use because food reaches 165 degrees by cooking at a lower temperature with more time. They do this because they cook with moisture. Leaving the lid off removes the protective moisture.
What should you do if the power goes out? If you’re not at home during the entire slow-cooking process and the power goes out, discard the food even if it looks done.
Here is a recipe for a fruit dessert in the crock pot. Place it in the crock-pot in the morning and enjoy for snack either before or after dinner.
Nutty Apple Streusel
6 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup biscuit baking mix
In a large bow, toss apples with spices. Place in greased slow cooker. In mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and 1/2 cup baking mix. Spoon over apples.
Topping:
1 cup biscuit baking mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Ice cream or whipped cream
Combine biscuit baking mix and brown sugar in bowl. Cut in butter till crumbly. Add almonds, sprinkle over apples. Cover and cook 6 to 7 hours on Low, till apples are cooked. Serve with vanilla yogurt.
Source: Utah State Extension.
