In my slow cooker today.... part 2

crystaltips_68

lovetopaint wrote: »

Crystaltips, no doubt you have racked your brains, but is there an ingredient that you use in your slow cooker that you may not use in other cooking methods? It may be a made up ingredient eg. I kept getting a tummy ache once which turned out to be an onion gravy powder. If you have used the high setting, meat should be fine, unless you are worried the cooker is not getting hot enough? If anything else springs to mind I will post, hope you get to the bottom of it.

Hi Lovetopaint, no, i havent used anything different in my SC, i sometimes use a colmans sachet but have used them out of the SC too. I am slightly concerned about the temps, but it bubbles around the edges when on high, so virtually boiling!

Parva

fuzzgun19 wrote: »

Does anyone know if you can use frozen diced steak in a slow cooker?

I'm thinking of the packs you can get from Farm Foods.. can you use them from frozen?

I wouldn't have any problems using them. What I would do personally (and have done in the past) is chuck everything other than the stock in the pot the night before (vegetables, frozen meat and any seasoning etc). Before you head out to work or whatever next morning add your stock (in my case it's usually a couple of oxo's in 1 litre of boiling water), switch on and forget it. 8 hours later, yumm.

I must add that I am lucky enough to own a slow-cooker that only has two settings, on or off. My slow-cooker is also a hot-plate with a steel pot on top affair rather than the ceramic offerings so I can cheat a bit and heat the food on the gas ring before I transfer the pot to the hot plate to help speed the cooking along a little. Why Morphy Richards don't still sell this model I don't know, it's served me well for years and is utterly foolproof and has the added advantage that I can put the pot in the oven for the last 30 minutes to brown the dumplings!

jenster

fuzzgun19 wrote: »

Does anyone know if you can use frozen diced steak in a slow cooker?

I'm thinking of the packs you can get from Farm Foods.. can you use them from frozen?

ive used them and the frozen diced turkey / chicken - just bung them in all the veggies - i use a can of ministrone soup too put it on at about this time 7am - on low leave it and by 4pm - for the kids at gone 5pm for hubby its all done

lovetopaint

crystaltips_68 wrote: »

I am hoping someone on here can help me! I purchased a slow cooker a while ago, and have used it about a dozen times. The meals are always delicious, but leave the whole family with a gurgly, almost upset tummy! It really isnt pleasant. I have tried cooking on just the high temp, using the auto temp, etc and i always cook for at least 4 hours, usually its all day. It's a 6.5L Frigidaire slow cooker, bought from Argos about 6 months ago. I do the usual meals; joints, chillies, curries, pot roast, and last night was chicken chasseur.

Where am i going wrong??

Thanks!

Hello again, one of my slow cooker books says, pork joints and whole birds should always be cooked on high throughout (not auto as this turns down after a short period of high). Other joints, chicken and game portions and cut meat are all suitable for cooking on low or high. Chicken, whole 1.5kg/3lb on high for 3.5 to 4 hours. Pork, 1.25-1.5kg/2.5- 3lb on high for 3 to 5 hours. Larger pork joint 1.6-2.25 kg/3.5-5lb on high for 4-6 hours.
Plus I have always used meat from the fridge, not from frozen. If you tick all the above boxes, it may be worth contacting the manufacturer. If the slow cooker is 6 months old it may still be under guarantee (usually for a year) with proof of purchase. I have a Morphy Richards 6.5L, which I find on the 'hot side' compared to other slow cookers I have had in the past. Good luck sorting it out, hope you all feel better soon .

crystaltips_68

lovetopaint wrote: »

Hello again, one of my slow cooker books says, pork joints and whole birds should always be cooked on high throughout (not auto as this turns down after a short period of high). Other joints, chicken and game portions and cut meat are all suitable for cooking on low or high. Chicken, whole 1.5kg/3lb on high for 3.5 to 4 hours. Pork, 1.25-1.5kg/2.5- 3lb on high for 3 to 5 hours. Larger pork joint 1.6-2.25 kg/3.5-5lb on high for 4-6 hours.
Plus I have always used meat from the fridge, not from frozen. If you tick all the above boxes, it may be worth contacting the manufacturer. If the slow cooker is 6 months old it may still be under guarantee (usually for a year) with proof of purchase. I have a Morphy Richards 6.5L, which I find on the 'hot side' compared to other slow cookers I have had in the past. Good luck sorting it out, hope you all feel better soon .

Thanks, guess i need to just use HOT for a while then, and test it out!

MAny thanks LTP!

masha

I put some diced lamb breast, carrots, potatoes, onion and a stock cube in mine today. Cooked on high for about 4 hours and then thickened with cornflour. It was so tender. Would definitely cook this again.

atsoc15

where does the saving come in with using a slow cooker.

Is it being able to use cheap cuts of meat - or reduced cooking costs in being cheaper than a gas or electric hob.

Struggling to justify purchasing one without knowing what savings il be able to make

richj

cheaper cuts and for me time, it cooks while i'm at work so I don't have to cook when i get home

spendaholiceejit

Mine has beef stew in it at the moment. It's my first time, so here goes nothing!

newcook

atsoc15 wrote: »

where does the saving come in with using a slow cooker.

Is it being able to use cheap cuts of meat - or reduced cooking costs in being cheaper than a gas or electric hob.

Struggling to justify purchasing one without knowing what savings il be able to make

cheaper cuts of meat are a plus point as well as not having to cook when I get in from work!

apparently, slow cookers use less energy than if you were to leave a lightbulb on for the same amount of time!