A Slow Cooker Helps You Finish Work Faster

Never Keep the Lid of a Slow Cooker Open

If you wish to cook up a meal with minimum involvement from your side but with great taste, a slow cooker serves this purpose to the dot. You can add all the required ingredients, turn it on and head out to work. When you come back in the evening and look into your cooker, you can expect a delicious meal for dinner that is ready to be served. This is the perfect equipment for multitaskers as it can even help you do an overnight oatmeal or a winter stew apart from your regular meal. But, this helpful equipment can become a nightmare if you don’t stick to the food safety rules. 

1. Start your kitchen work with a clean workspace by ensuring that your cooker, utensils and the area you work on are neat and tidy. The most important thing is to wash your hands before starting to cook.
2. You might prepare the foods to be added to your slow cooker the previous night to save more time. But, ensure that you store perishables in the refrigerator and take them out only when it is time to add them to your slow cooker.
3. While storing, ensure that meat and vegetables are stored separately to avoid any cross-contamination.
4. Meat and poultry, if they are to be added to your pot, must be defrosted in the refrigerator (never at room temperature) to help you cook all your foods to the safe internal temperature.
5. You must ensure that your pot cooks to a safe temperature. For this, it is recommended that you start your slow cooker with a high temperature set during the first hour and then set it to a low temperature thereon. It is still more better to cook the food at a low temperature for the entire time period (when you are out for work) and make certain that it has reached a proper internal temperature (Refer Point 9).
6. Never load your slow cooker up to the lid. Fill it only half-full or two-thirds full to help the food cook thoroughly and nicely.
7. If you are using meat, cut them into small cubes before adding to the pot as larger chunks might take a longer time to cook thoroughly.
8. Maintaining heat while cooking a meal in the pot is critical for getting the meal done. So, open the lid only to stir it occasionally or to check whether the food is cooked.
9. The best way to make certain that the food is cooked is to use a food thermometer for checking the internal temperature. The website www.firsteatright.com can help you with tips on using a food thermometer.
10. Any leftover food from your meals must be stored safely to reuse it. Use a shallow container to store the food and refrigerate it within two hours of removing it from the pot to confirm that the food is safe for reuse.