| Slow cooker recipes are wonderful because you | | | | Keep cold ingredients refrigerated until it is time to |
| can make the most delicious and easy meals in a | | | | add them to the slow cooker and handle them |
| crockpot. However, you might wondering about | | | | correctly. A lot of food safety involves using |
| food safety. If you have been unlucky enough to | | | | common sense and you will already know about |
| experience food poisoning from undercooked | | | | how to handle foods like chicken and fish, and |
| meat or fish, you might be doubtful about the | | | | how to avoid cross contamination by using |
| relatively low cooking temperatures a crockpot | | | | different cutting boards and utensils for fish, meat |
| uses. | | | | and vegetables. |
| It is a good idea to invest in a food thermometer. | | | | You should thaw chicken or meat before adding it |
| Food should be hotter than 165 degrees F in | | | | to the slow cooker. Do this overnight in the |
| order for it to be safe to eat. If you have been | | | | refrigerator for the best results. Choose high |
| out all day and you left the crockpot on, you do | | | | moisture content slow cooker recipes, like sauces, |
| not know whether there was a power cut which | | | | soup or chili in order to distribute the heat in the |
| would have affected your crockpot dinner. | | | | crockpot best. Turn the slow cooker up to the |
| How a Slow Cooker Works | | | | highest setting for the first hour, and then turn it |
| The cooker must cook food at a high enough | | | | down to finish cooking your dish. |
| temperature to make it safe to eat while keeping | | | | When making slow cooker recipes you might |
| the temperature low enough so you can leave | | | | want to cut food into small pieces, one inch |
| the machine unattended all day. The low setting | | | | chunks for example, to encourage thorough |
| on a crockpot is around 200 degrees F and the | | | | cooking. This is especially important with meat and |
| high setting is around 300 degrees F. This means | | | | a crockpot is not suitable for cooking a whole |
| the food will be between 170 and 280 degrees F | | | | chicken, for example, since the inside might not |
| as it cooks. Cooking food on such a low heat | | | | reach a high enough temperature to stop bacteria |
| means that the flavors blend gently while cheap, | | | | from reproducing and this can lead to food |
| tough cuts of meat soften and become really | | | | poisoning. |
| tender. | | | | You can use a crockpot to keep soups and dip |
| The steam released by the act of slow cooking, | | | | recipes warm but if you switch off the heat and |
| the long cooking process itself and the direct heat | | | | use it to keep meat, poultry or fish warm, you |
| released in the crockpot all work together to | | | | are taking a risk because a lukewarm |
| make slow cooking a safe food cooking method, | | | | temperature encourages bacteria to multiple. |
| destroying bacteria and heating your food up | | | | If you are not going to eat your cooked food |
| sufficiently. It is also important to keep your work | | | | right away, transfer it to another container and |
| area and utensils clean, as well as the slow cooker | | | | refrigerate or freeze it. Do not use a crockpot to |
| itself. | | | | reheat food. Use the microwave, oven or stove |
| Tips for Safe Slow Cooker Recipes | | | | for this job. |