Tips For Slow Cooking; Food Safety Tips - Hamilton Beach Stay or go Manuel D'utilisation

Tips for Slow Cooking

• The crock should be at least half-filled for best results. If only halffilled,
check for doneness 1 to 2 hours earlier than recipe time.
• Stirring is not necessary when slow cooking. Removing glass
lid results in major heat loss and the cooking time may need to
be extended. However, if cooking on High, you may want to stir
occasionally.
• If cooking soups or stews, leave a 2-inch (5-cm) space between
the top of the crock and the food so that the recipe can come to a
simmer.
• Many recipes call for cooking all day. If your morning schedule
doesn't allow time to prepare a recipe, do it the night before. Place
all ingredients in crock, cover with lid, and refrigerate overnight. In
the morning, simply place crock in Slow Cooker.

Food Safety Tips

• Do not use frozen, uncooked meat in the slow cooker. Thaw any meat
or poultry before slow cooking.
• To store leftovers after cooking, do NOT place the crock in the
refrigerator since contents will take too long to cool. Instead, divide
leftovers into smaller containers and place into refrigerator.
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• Some foods are not suited for extended cooking in a Slow Cooker.
Pasta, seafood, milk, cream, or sour cream should be added 2 hours
before serving. Evaporated milk or condensed soups are perfect for
slow cooking.
• The higher the fat content of meat, the less liquid is needed. If
cooking meat with a high fat content, place thick onion slices
underneath so meat will not sit on (and cook in) fat.
• Slow cooker allow for very little evaporation. If making your favorite
soup, stew, or sauce, reduce liquid called for in original recipe. If too
thick, liquid can be added later.
• If cooking a vegetable-type casserole, there will need to be liquid in
the recipe to prevent scorching on the sides of the crock.
• If cooking a recipe with root vegetables, place root vegetables in the
bottom of the crock.
• Never allow undercooked or raw meat to sit at room temperature
in the slow cooker. Once meat is placed into the crock, it should be
cooked immediately (unless prepping slow cooker the night before,
where crock should be placed into the refrigerator).
Troubleshooting
PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE/SOLUTION
Food is undercooked.
• Was power interrupted?
• Did you select the Low heat setting, but used a cooking time based on the High heat setting?
• Did you have the lid placed correctly on the Slow Cooker?
The food isn't done after • This can be due to voltage variations (which are commonplace everywhere) or altitude. The slight fluctuations
cooking the amount of
in power do not have a noticeable effect on most appliances. However, they can alter cooking times in the
time recommended in my
slow cooker. Lower than rated voltage will require longer cooking times and higher than rated voltage will
recipe. require shorter cooking times. You will learn through experience if a shorter or longer time is needed.
My meal was overcooked. • Was the crock at least half full? The slow cooker has been designed to thoroughly cook food in filled crock. If
the crock is only half-filled, check for doneness 1 to 2 hours earlier than recipe time.
Why?
• Did you select correct number of hours based on cooking temperature [ (LOW)or
• Foods will continue to increase in temperature after desired temperature has been reached.
• This can be caused by sudden temperature change, like running cold water over a warm lid. Allow lid to sit at
Lid gasket collapsed.
room temperature. It will return to its original shape within 24 hours.
• To help maintain shape of gasket, do not cook with clips latched and do not store empty unit with clips latched.
(HIGH) ]?
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