Crockpot Cooking Tips

• One hour on high equals about two to two and a half hours on low. You can avoid over cooking by cooking a recipe on low instead of high if you are going to put it on early and not be home until past the cooking time limit.



• You may need to revise herb and spice ingredients. If it is a whole herb or spice the flavoring will increase with slow cooking but ground spices tend to become bland and lost flavor. Add the ground herbs and spices during the last hour of cooking.



• The best cooker size for a family of four to five people is a 5-6 quart size.



• Use the right size. Cookers are at peak when they are at least half full but not more than two thirds full.



• Add the "milk products" cream, milk, and sour cream during the last ten minutes of high cooking time or the last twenty to thirty minutes of low.



• If the dish still has too much liquid, remove the lid, set on high, and let the liquid evaporate at the end of the cooking time.



• If you are cooking both vegtables and meat put the vegs on the bottom where they get the most moisture.



• Do NOT add too much liquid. This increase the tendency for "mushy".



• In recipes that call for rice do not use minute or quick cooking rice or it will be mushy.



• Cooking on low is the best bet because cooking beyond the required time is less likely to spoil the meal.



• Cooked pasta and rice should only be added during the last one to one and a half hours of cooking.



• Try to cut meat and vegtables to about the same size.



• Mushrooms or green peppers are best added during the last hour of cooking.



• If you are short of time use the high setting. It will take half the time of a recipe that calls for low.