Hints For Slow Cooking; User Maintenance Instructions - Bella 5 QT Instruction Manual

hINTS FOr SLOW COOKINg

• Less tender, cheaper cuts of meat are better candidates for slow cooking than more
expensive varieties.
• Meats will not brown during the cooking process. Browning fatty meats will reduce
the amount of fat and help to preserve color while adding richer flavor. Heat a small
amount of oil in a skillet and brown meats prior to putting 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 cover
and re-program the Slow Cooker to continue to cook HIGH for 45 minutes.
Check every 15 minutes. 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.
• Foods cut into uniform pieces will cook faster and more evenly than foods left whole
such as roast or poultry.
• 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.
• Add fresh dairy products (milk, sour cream or yogurt) prior to serving.
Evaporated milk or condensed creamed soups 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.

uSEr MAINTENANCE INSTruCTIONS

This appliance requires little maintenance. It contains no user serviceable parts.
Do not try to repair it yourself. Any servicing requiring disassembly other than cleaning,
must be performed by a qualified appliance repair technician.
1. Avoid sudden, extreme temperature changes. For example, do not place a hot glass lid
or stoneware liner into cold water or onto a wet surface.
2. Do not use the stoneware liner to store food in the refrigerator, and then reheat
in the base unit. The sudden temperature change may crack the liner.
3. Avoid hitting the stoneware liner and glass lid against the faucet or other hard surfaces.
4. Do not use stoneware liner or glass lid if chipped, cracked, or severely scratched.
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