Hints For Slow Cooking; Converting Standard Recipes To Slow Cooking - Bella DOTS Collection Instruction Manual & Recipe Manual

HINTS FOR SLOW COOKING

• Meats will not brown during the cooking process. If you desire browning, heat a small
amount of oil in a skillet and brown meats prior to placing into the stoneware liner.
• Whole herbs and spices flavor better in slow cooking than crushed or ground.
• When cooking in a Slow Cooker, remember that liquids do not boil away like they do
in conventional cooking. Reduce the amount of liquid in any recipe that is not designed
for a Slow Cooker. The exceptions to this rule would be rice and soups.
Remember, liquids can always be added at a later time if necessary. If a recipe results
in too much liquid at the end of the cooking time, remove the glass lid and turn the
control dial to HIGH. After about 30-45 minutes the amount of liquid will be reduced.
• Most recipes that call for uncooked meat and vegetables require about 6-8 hours
on LOW temperature.
• High fat meats can result in dishes with less flavor. Pre-cooking or browning will help
reduce the amount of fat and help to preserve the color. The higher the fat content,
the less liquid needed. If cooking meat with a high fat content, use thick onion slices
under it so that the meat will not sit and cook in the fat. If necessary, use a slice of bread,
a spoon, or a straining spoon to skim off excess fat from top of foods before serving.
• Foods cut into uniform pieces will cook faster and more evenly than foods left whole
such as roast or poultry.
• Use the WARM setting to keep cooked food at the perfect serving temperature. DO NOT
cook foods on the WARM setting. NOTE: Do not keep foods on the WARM setting for
more than 4 hours

CONVERTING STANDARD RECIPES TO SLOW COOKING

• Vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, turnips and beets require longer cooking time
than many meats. Be sure to place them on the bottom of the Slow Cooker
and cover them with liquid.
• If adding fresh milk or yogurt, this should be done during the last 2 hours.
Evaporated milk may be added at the start of cooking.
• Rice, noodles and pasta are not recommended for long cooking periods.
Cook them separately and then add to the Slow Cooker during the last 30 minutes.
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