Use and Care Manual

TIPS FOR SLOW COOKING (cont.)
 Meat 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 pot.
 Whole herbs and spices flavor better in slow cooker 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.
 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.
Suitable Foods for Slow Cooking & Preparation
Most foods are suited to slow cooking methods; however there are a few guidelines that
need to be followed.
 Cut root vegetables into small, even pieces, as they take longer to cook than meat.
They should be gently sautéed for 2-3 minutes before slow cooking. Ensure that
root vegetables are always placed at the bottom of the pot and all ingredients are
immersed in the cooking liquid.
 Trim all excess fat from meat before cooking, since the slow cooking method does
not allow fat to evaporate.
 If adapting an existing recipe from conventional cooking, you may need to cut down
on the amount of liquid used. Liquid will not evaporate from the slow cooker to the
same extent as with conventional cooking.
 Never leave uncooked food at room temperature in the slow cooker.
 Do not use the slow cooker to reheat food.
 Insert a meat thermometer into joints of roasts, hams, or whole chickens to ensure
they are cooked to the desired temperature.
 Authentic stoneware is fired at high temperatures therefore the ceramic pot may
have minor surface blemishes, the glass lid may rock slightly due to these
imperfection. Low heat cooking does not produce steam so there will be little heat
loss. Due to normal wear and tear through the products life, the outer surface may
start appearing “crazed”.
 Do not put the ceramic pot or glass lid in an oven, freezer, and microwave or on a
gas/electrical hob.
 Do not subject the ceramic pot to sudden changes in temperature. Adding cold
water to a very hot opt could cause it to crack.
 Do not allow the pot to stand in water for a long time (You can leave water in the
pot to soak).
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