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Successful Slow Cooking

Fast paced lifestyles call for slow-cooking meals – meals that cook while “the cook” is away. For the best and safest results from your slow cooker, follow these tips. Helpful Hints:

• Remove food from the slow cooker within one hour after it is finished cooking. Refrigerate leftover promptly.
   
• Do not reheat foods in the slow cooked because it takes too much time for the food to reach a safe internal temperature.
   
• Cool the slow cooker before adding water for cleaning; otherwise the crockery or stoneware liner could crack.
   
• Follow recipe directions. Published recipes have been triple-tested to ensure success.
   
• Make sure all ingredients fill the slow cooker at least half full so that foods cook properly and the liquid does not cook away.
   
• Check to see that the slow cooker lid fits completely without tilting or being askew.
   
• Do not remove the slow cooker lid during cooking unless the recipe directs you to add ingredients or stir. The heat loss caused by removing the lid unnecessarily can result in extra cooking.