How to use a slow cooker (merged threads)

foreverskint

You will get the juices from the chicken & veg coming out when you cook, so theres no need to add too much liquid. You don't get evaporation either, when you slow cook.


you can always remove the liqid and boil it to reduce, or remove the lid from the slow cooker and leave it on high to reduce the liquid.

I'm sure some more far more experienced slow cooker maniacs will be here soon so hang on there

bonvonnie

nope the meat doesnt have to be covered, when i make casserole, i put the root vegetables at the bottom then other veg on top, topped off with the meat. usually my sauce only covers half the pot of food, but it does water a bit, and the meat is thoroughly cooked.

arkonite_babe

Have a look at THIS for tips on adapting recipes, measuring liquids for your slowcooker.

HTH!

Salad_2

Nice one guys. I'll try not covering it next time.

arkonite_babe

Hi all, I'm going to add this to the "slow cookers-how to thread" so that others can follow on from the advice given here.

a_b

Queenie

Salad wrote:

Hello there.

I've been doing things in the slow cooker lately, and found that if I cover the meat with liquid there's too much and the broth is a bit watery at the end. Like today I did some chicken legs and veg and it was packed together quite tightly. I put liquid in until it just came up to the top, but now there's a lot more juice and it's a bit watery.

What do you do about this..is it okay to not cover all the meat?

Vegetables do need covering but meat is ok if it is not covered. (as suggested above, vegetables on the bottom of the pot and meat on the top).

Earlier in the year I cooked a huge (reduced priced) piece of topside in the slowcooker - no added liquid at all, just placed it on top of some scrunched up foil - I was amazed at how much liquid came out from the joint!

As for your chicken legs and veg ... if you have too much liquid and don't want to reduce it down (as suggested by foreverskint) you can ladle some of it off and freeze it ... it would make a nice base for a HM soup another day or perhaps as a base for gravy :drool:
You could also have added some dumplings :drool: (which would absorb a little of the liquid but not heaps of it )

Good luck with your future makes and bakes in the slow cooker

JCL

Great thread. Thanks to all for the info. Much appreciated.

eml_3

I just wanted to add that I LOVE my slow cooker! I was inspired after reading the posts on here and bought one when ALDI had them for 19.99 a few weeks ago. We struggled a bit at first with adding too much liquid, but it is so nice to come home from work and have something nice for tea, rather than running around trying to make a proper meal in 10 mins!

Last night, we had a beef stew, with carrots, potatoes, leeks and butternut squash. The sauce was a bit of red wine, some stock and Henderson's Relish. Very tasty. There was quite a bit of sauce left over, so I browned some sausages, added a tin of tomatoes, a chopped pepper and some lentils and added the left over sauce. The sausage casserole we had tonight was gorgeous!

I know my tea is probably not that interesting to all of you, but I love that feeling when you use something up that could have gone to waste instead!

Glad

I love my SC too, I work nights and it's so good to get out of bed at 4pm and know that what I threw in the SC at 8 am will now be a warming meal for my family

ravenlooney

Hi, Just wondering if anybody has an instruction booklet for a Russel Hobbs tower slow cooker? I just got one for 50p at the local recycling place (bargain!!) and I kinda think I know how to use it, but its got 3 settings - high, low and auto. Anyone got any idea when to use the different settings, and what the 'auto' does? There not a timer to set on it or anything so im not too sure. Thanks everyone!!