First Slow Cooker Experience...Help!

jonny2510

Right, I've followed the recipe out of the slow cooker manual, almost to the letter (except that I added a leek as well)

So my 3.5 Litre slow cooker now has in it

600g Caserole Steak
2.5 Smallish potatoes (should be 2 medium)
2 Carrots
1 leek
2 small onions (should be 1 large)
300 ml beer
200 ml beeb stock

only the water doesn't cover the food. Infact there's 1 - 1.5" of veg above where I can see the liquid.

What I need to know is, does the liquid need to cover almost all the food?

Is it ok (a bit late now I realise) to prepare food the evening before and add it all to the slow cooker, to set cooking the following day?

Any advice would be appreciated

tiff

No, the liquid doesnt need to cover the food, once it gets going more liquid will appear and the veg will sink into it.

Yes, fine to prepare the night before but I would leave it in the fridge then put it in the slow cooker before you go out to work or wherever.

jonny2510

Have just put in the fridge now.

Another question is the recipe states 6 hours on low. (although most people I've spoken to about slow cookers state they put the on befoer leaving for work, and when they get back it's ready...

I leave the house at 7 am, and only get back at 6 pm (11 hours).

Will 11 hours on low be too long to leave it on?

If not I figured I'd use a timer to turn it on, and if so how long should I leave the slow cooker cooking for (considering it's coming out of the fridge cool)?


6, 61/2, 7 hours?

tiff

I would only leave mine on for 11 hours if it was full up to the top, but I've never left it on that long. If it was me I'd use a timer, but not sure how long, maybe someone else can advise the length of time.

skips_mum

does yours have an autocook facility? I can leave mine on all day on autocook, specially if I add some frozen veg. The water never covers all the food, but doesnt seem to matter.

donny-gal

I used to leave mine on all day when I was working, starting it off with boiling liquid which I thought you always had to, though most don't seem to. Used the Auto program which puts on high until temp reached then down to low. Never had it boil dry.
DG

beedeedee

You've probably left for work already - but the only thing I wouldn't cook for 10 hours or more is chicken. It gets tough, so just a few hours should be OK, although personally I grill/fry it separately and add it to the rest of the slow cooked ingredients just before serving,Other meat seems to get more tender the longer you leave it. I frequently leave for 10-12 hours or more. Never dries out and just gets better...

jonny2510

beedeedee wrote: »

You've probably left for work already - but the only thing I wouldn't cook for 10 hours or more is chicken. It gets tough, so just a few hours should be OK, although personally I grill/fry it separately and add it to the rest of the slow cooked ingredients just before serving,Other meat seems to get more tender the longer you leave it. I frequently leave for 10-12 hours or more. Never dries out and just gets better...

Thanks for the replies everyone.

With it just being overnight, and the pot seeming quite cool anyway, I left it out on the kitchen worktop rather than putting it in the fridge.

I figured with me adding cold stock instead of hot, it would prob take a bit longer anyway, so I've set it to come on at 11.30 this morning, and at latest turn itself off by 18.30 (so should be on for a maximum of 7 hours).

I didn't realise that you could get them with AutoHeat facilties, otherwise I'd have gone for one of those instead.

They should do them with built in timers to switch themselves on to get food ready for a pre-specified time.

Once I've got the hang of it, I'll experiment with leaving it on for longer.

Thank you so much all of you for your comments

trying-very-trying

beedeedee wrote: »

You've probably left for work already - but the only thing I wouldn't cook for 10 hours or more is chicken. It gets tough, so just a few hours should be OK, although personally I grill/fry it separately and add it to the rest of the slow cooked ingredients just before serving,Other meat seems to get more tender the longer you leave it. I frequently leave for 10-12 hours or more. Never dries out and just gets better...

I've left whole chicken in mine for 12 hours or more on low. I've never found it tough, in fact it literally falls to pieces.