GE 840085800, 106851 manual Tips for Slow Cooking, If You’ve Never Used a Slow Cooker

840085800 ENv03 7/27/01 9:12 AM Page 5

Tips for Slow Cooking

The cover of the slow cooker does not form a tight fit on the crock but should be centered on the crock for best results.

Do not remove the cover unnecessarily— this results in major heat loss. Do not cook without cover in place.

Stirring is not necessary when slow cooking. However, if cooking on High, you may want to stir occasionally.

Slow cooking retains most of the moisture in foods. If a recipe results in too much liquid at the end of the cooking time, remove the cover, turn the Control Knob to High, and reduce the liquid by simmering. This will take 30 to 45 minutes.

The slow cooker should be at least half-filledfor best results. If only half- filled, check for doneness 1 to 2 hours earlier than recipe time.

If cooking soups or stews, leave a

2-inch space between the top of the crock and the food so that the recipe can come to a simmer.

Many recipes call for cooking all day. If your morning schedule doesn’t allow time to prepare a recipe, do it the night before. Place all ingredients in the crock, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, simply place crock

in the slow cooker and select the temperature setting.

Meat and poultry require at least 7 to 8 hours on Low. Do not use frozen, uncooked meat in the slow cooker. Thaw any meat or poultry before slow cooking.

If You’ve NEVER Used a Slow Cooker

Cooking in a slow cooker is easy but different from conventional methods. Take a few minutes and read “How to Use” and “Tips for Slow Cooking.” Then try some of the recipes in the Slow Cooker Recipe Book included with your slow cooker.

You’ll soon be convinced that a slow cooker is a necessity. There are also many slow cooker recipe books available in the library or bookstore. If you have any questions, call our toll-free customer assistance number. We’ll be glad to help.

If You’ve Used a Slow Cooker Before

You are probably ready to develop

new recipes for use in your slow cooker. If the recipe was originally cooked in a saucepan on the stovetop, or slow roasted in the oven, adapting the recipe should be easy.

Our slow cooker heats from the sides. The base slowly raises the temperature of the crock. Whether cooked on Low or High, the final temperature of the food is the same, about 200°F. The only difference is the amount of time the cooking process takes. Read the section on “Adapting Recipes” for more information.

This slow cooker is designed to bring ingredients quickly up to cooking tem- perature. It may reach a full boil and may cook faster than other slow cookers you have used. Because the slow cooker reaches its cooking temperature rapidly, older recipes may need to be adjusted. For example, recipes that call for pre- cooked or canned food items may now take less cooking time.

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