by Tim Whorley

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Crock Pot Cooking Problems: Are your meals too dry or too moist?  

by Natalie Schloesser

Remember how dry and chewy those crock pot roasts used to be when you were a kid? You had to beg for glass after glass of milk just to wash down the meat, carrots, and potatoes. For some, those memories stick so strongly in their heads that although they receive a crock pot as a housewarming or wedding shower gift, it sits in the back of their cupboard collecting dust.

Or better yet, those meals that turn out so mushy you could swear it was created (and then pureed) for a one year old. Most of the time, these common problems can be fixed with a few simple adjustments.

Think of your crock pot as any other appliance in your kitchen. Remember the first time you moved to a different home or apartment and used the oven and stove top? It was most likely completely different from your last and probably took you a few weeks to get used to. Likewise, each brand and model of crock pot is different, so take time to get used to your crock pot. Note that most new crock pots cook at a higher temperature and therefore may require an adjustment; always use the cooking times given on recipes as a guide.

If your meal is dry:
More than likely, too much steam has escaped in the process of cooking or the meal itself was overcooked. Experiment with the following:
- Don’t lift the lid! Every time you lift the lid steam escapes, therefore affecting the consistency of the meal and cooking time.
- Cover the top of the stoneware insert with aluminum foil prior to covering with the glass lid. This will help prevent steam from escaping keeping your food moist.
- Add a little water. If it still seems dry, add a little more water next time.
- Reduce the amount of liquid absorbing ingredients. Rice is the big culprit here; if your recipe calls for rice to be cooked in the crock pot, often the rice will absorb the majority of the liquid causing the rice to be mushy and the rest of the meal to be dry.
- Try reducing the cooking time by 30-60 minutes.

If your meal is mushy:
Once again, it’s likely that the meal was overcooked (strangely enough). It’s also possible that there’s too much liquid and too much steam cooking the food.
- Reduce the amount of liquid. This is especially true when cooking meals that contain rice or stuffing that is cooked directly in the crock pot. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had super mushy rice and stuffing to serve as a family meal. At least my toddler liked it!
- If your glass lid is rattling from steam, leave the lid off for 10-15 minutes, stir the contents (if necessary), and reduce the heat setting; your meal is probably done or quite close.
- Again, try reducing the cooking time by 30-60 minutes.

Make sure you’re using the right size crock pot; it should not be less than half or more than two-thirds full.

Lastly, for many the cooking time of each recipe is sometimes an issue. I’m fortunate enough to be a work at home mom who is only minutes away from her kitchen and can prepare the crock pot meal at any time during the morning. However, there are many that can’t; and these are the people that should be truly enjoying the benefits of a crock pot!

For those who work 8-10 hour days (or more) the question is always, “How do I prepare a crock pot meal that only cooks for 5-6 hours?” A few solutions are available, one being the new programmable crock pots that switch the heat setting to keep warm once cooking time is done. If buying a new crock pot is not an option, there is also a module that can be plugged into older crock pots that does the same thing and is quite inexpensive.

If you have a lunch hour, prepare the meal in the morning or the night before and keep the stoneware insert in your fridge. Then (if possible) you or someone else in the household could place the insert into the cooking module and flip the switch.

My last suggestion would be this; if you have an 8 quart crock pot, consider making a double batch of the recipe. This lengthens the cooking time by about 50-75% (see example below*) and also creates leftovers to freeze and enjoy later.

I’ve learned that cooking is truly an experiment. Many are afraid to experiment with their crock pot. Don’t be! It’s just like any other appliance in your kitchen, take the time to get used to it and you’ll eventually not want to trade it for anything.

*example of double batch cooking time: a single batch of stew taking 5-6 hours on low, the double batch would take 7-9 hours on low.

About the Author

Natalie is a work at home mom and the author of www.natalies-recipes.com, a crock pot recipe based site that also offers a variety of other recipes, cooking tips, and an informative newsletter.

Crock pot; so easy, so tasty!   by Michael K. Sasaki

Do you remember coming home from school and smelling a delicious dinner stewing in the crock pot? I do. Little did I know that delicious meal only took, at the most, 15 minutes to prepare. My mom was busy with school and work, so she did not have a lot of time to prepare meals. Lucky for me, we had a crock pot. She would do all of the grocery shopping on the weekend and we would use the crock pot two or three times a week.

The main ingredients were chicken and some type of bean. Some of my favorite meals included baby back ribs, ham hocks and beans and roast beef. Before you begin, there are a few guidelines that you should follow when using a crock pot. Whether you are cooking for a big group or a nice dinner, these tips will enhance your slow cooking experience.

Crock Pot Hints and Tips Beans Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar and/or acid foods (NOTE: Sugar and acid have a hardening effect on beans and will prevent softening). Dried beans, especially red kidney beans, should be boiled before adding to a recipe. Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of unsalted water and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Soaking in water, if desired, should be completed before boiling. Discard water after soaking or boiling.

Meats * Due to the nature of a crock pot, meat does not brown as it would if it were cooked in a skillet or oven. It is not necessary to brown meat before slow cooking, however, if you prefer the flavor and look of browned meat, brown your meat in a skillet with a little oil, then place the meat in the stoneware and follow the recipe as usual.

* Trim fats and wipe meats well to remove residue. (If meats contain fats, brown in a separate skillet or broiler and drain well before adding to cooker). Season with salt and pepper. Place meat in stoneware on top of vegetables.

* For roasts and stews, pour liquid over meat. Use no more liquid than specified in the recipe. More juices in meats and vegetables are retained in slow cooking than in conventional cooking.

Liquids * A specific liquid called for in a recipe may be varied if an equal quantity is substituted (such as substituting a 10 1/2 ounce can of soup plus 4 ounces of water for a 14 1/2 ounce can of tomatoes OR 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth for 1/2 cup of wine, etc).

* Roasts can be cooked without water when set on LOW. We recommend a small amount, however, because the gravies are especially tasty. The more fat or “marbling” the meat has, the less liquid you need. The liquid is needed to properly soften and cook vegetables.

Vegetables Most vegetables should be thinly sliced or placed near the sides or bottom of the stoneware. Meats generally cook faster than most vegetables in a crock pot. Cooking with Frozen Foods You can cook frozen meats in your crock pot, however it is best to use the following guidelines:

* Add at least 1 cup of warm liquid to the stoneware before placing meat in the stoneware.

* Do not preheat the crock pot.

* Cook recipes containing frozen meats for an additional 4 to 6 hours on Low, or an additional 2 hours on High.

About the Author

Michael K. Sasaki is the founder of RecipeMatcher , where you can find delicious crock pot recipes , salsa recipes and barbecue recipes.

The Best Thing About The Crock Pot   by A Crock Cook

The best thing about the Crock Pot is? …… the taste? the ease? the long cooking? the …..

The Aroma.

The best thing about a Crock Pot is the aroma. That tantalising smell that meets you at the kitchen door.

Having come home from a hard day at work, it is like heaven, to walk in on that smell.

Thousands of years ago, physicians of Traditional Chinese, India, Persia and Egypt Medicine all recognized the therapeutic effects of aromas.

And recent research has confirmed these ideas on aroma. Now known as aromatherapy, it is being used as a natural method of enhancing the balance and performance of the mind and body.

Research has shown that the right aroma can have a remarkable effect on your mental function and emotions.

And for me the “right aroma” is dinner in the crock pot.

Did you know it takes about 220 pounds of rose petals to make about 2 ounces of essential rose oil. Phew that is a lot of roses. Such a lot of effort for so little result.

Why go through the complicated process of extracting the oils from roots, bark, stalks, leaves and flowers?

When you can slow cook your dinner in a crock pot and achieve the same calming effect.

It does not seem to matter what is cooking in the slow cooker, it always smells delicious. Whether you are cooking a simple beef stew, a lavish roast or a sumptuous desert, it is bound to delight the senses.

The whole effect of not having to think about what is for dinner, or having to slave over the stove and that delightful scent puts even the worst of days behind you.

It provides that reviving, invigorating lift one needs everyday.

Plus there is not a lot that needs cleaning up afterwards – which is always a bonus.

So dig out your crock pot from the back of the cupboard. And discover it’s calming effect. (And have a great meal at the same time.)

Until our next Crock Pot Encounter Enjoy Cooking! Lisa “The Crock Cook”

About the Author

Find Lisa’s Crock Pot Recipes and Slow Cooker Recipes at www.a-crock-cook.com.

Can a Chicken Crock Pot Recipe be gourmet? by Lisa Paterson

Find some quick tips to take your crock pot chicken recipe from everyday to gourmet. Can a chicken crockpot recipe really be more than chicken, vegetables and a can of soup?

We often get in the routine of using our crock pot for a couple of regular meals and that is it. But it can be used for heaps of different recipes.

Generally crock pot cooking conjures up images of crock pot chicken soup and slow cooker stew. There is no doubt that these meals are yummy but you can do more.

Neil and I often receive emails asking for a gourmet chicken crockpot recipe. A crock pot recipe that is new and interesting, a recipe that they have not seen before.

And we have heaps of them. Do you know why? It’s not because we are great chefs, because we are not, we are just home cooks like you. But we experiment and regularly adapt conventional recipes.

Yep. We tap into the best chef brains and then just adapt that recipe to suit the slow cooker. And you can do this too. Just remember the basic crock pot principles. Vegetable on the bottom, meat on top and liquid poured over top. It’s that easy.

So keeping in mine these basic rules you can now adapt your favorite oven casserole recipe and conveniently cook it in your crock pot. Now don’t be scared by this idea. It really is that easy and if we can do it, so can you.

First, go and find an oven chicken recipe you would like to try.

Step one is to put the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot and then the chicken on top. This will ensure that all the ingredients cook in time.

Now to the rest of the recipe.

All you need do is take a look at the ’sauce’ part of the recipe. Generally you will need to reduce the amount of liquid. The recipe will probably have one or a combination of stock, wine or water. Just reduce it so that the veggies are just covered.

Remember to put the lid on, and leave it on.

The good thing is that, if there is too much liquid, it’s not a huge problem.

About half an hour before you want to serve your chicken meal, just mix up a little corn starch with some water and stir it in. Then turn your crock pot on high. By the time you are ready to eat, the casserole will have thickened.

The last step. Due to the long, slow cooking process herbs and spices tend to loose their flavor. So about an hour before serving, take a taste and just add more if required. Congratulations. You have just prepared your first original chicken crock pot recipe. Be sure to send it to Neil and I, so we can put it on our website (www.A-Crock-Cook.com).

Enjoy Cooking!
Lisa “The Crock Cook”

About the Author

Take a look at Lisa’s own delicious crock pot chicken recipes, at http://www.a-crock-cook.com.

An Easy Crock Pot Recipe – Beef Burgundy and Country-Style Ribs andSauerkraut by Diane Watkins

Crockpot meals are convenient on those busy work nights. Its nice to come home to the tantalizing smell of a well cooked meal waiting for you. The challenge is to find those recipes that are not only quick and convenient, but tasty as well. Here I offer two recipes that are tasty and easy – Beef Burgundy and Country-Style Ribs with Sauerkraut.

This is my version of Crockpot Beef Burgundy. It is quick to prepare in the morning, especially if you opt to skip the browning process (I usually do.) You can also cook this, well covered, for 2 hours in a 350 degree oven. The cooking time on the Beef Burgundy is 3-6 hours, but the longer you cook it on low, the more tender it will be. I don’t usually worry about the time, I put it in before I leave for work and eat whenever the wonderful smells are too much for my willpower.

Beef Burgundy in the Crockpot

2 pounds Beef Cubes (round steak, sirloin tip, or roast) 1 can golden mushroom soup 1 package dry onion soup mix 1 cup burgundy wine

1. OPTIONAL, but does add good flavor: Brown the beef cubes in a little oil. 2. Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover with lid. 3. Cook in crockpot for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. 4. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Country-Style Ribs and Sauerkraut

1 bag sauerkraut ; rinsed, drained 1 onion 1 red-skinned apple 2 – 3 pounds country style pork ribs 1 cup beer

1. Put sauerkraut in bottom of crockpot. Add diced onion and chopped apple. Do not need to peel apple. Stir and even the top. 2. Layer country ribs on top of kraut mixture. Pour beer over all. Cover and cook on LOW from 8 to 10 hours.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Do you need more easy crock pot recipe ideas? Sign up for our newsletter at Easy Crock Pot Recipes and get quick and healthy crock pot recipes delivered to your email regularly. Find more quick and easy recipe ideas at Quick and Easy Recipes.

About the Author

Diane has just finished a free cookbook of her favorite southern recipes. Download Easy Southern Favorites today. These recipes are guaranteed to have them begging for more.

Diane Watkins is a traditional southern style cook. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and writing at http://easysoutherncooking.com