Help! Slow cooker 'timing' type question from slow cooker virgin!

[TinyGang]

Hooray! My first attempt is now in the cooker and looking pretty good.

Right, don't all laugh at me, but when the recipes say 5-7 hours (or whatever) does that means it's actually cooked and ready to eat by the time 5 hours is up?

Or does it mean it might take up to 7 hours before it can be eaten instead of 5?

I'm not used to recipes giving me such a big timeframe. Sorry to be thick about this

[lucycat]

What have you put in? i@ve got a beef casserole in mine for tea.

I tend to test it after about 5 hours - I'm hopeless at leaving it to cook, stewing steak may need longer but it may just get thicker and tastier if you leave it for longer.

Well done on losing your virginity!

[shazronnie]

the longer the better for stew etc. Unless it is a big joint of meat it will be cooked through and safe to eat before 5 hours; but flavour improves with longer cooking.

[TinyGang]

It's called Caribbean chicken. One of the recipes in the morphy richards book that came with it.

I would like to have got it in earlier but I had to go and buy some things for it. God there's loads of it - I hope it's nice. There are about 10 chicken drumsticks in there. Says 5-7 hours and I was unsure what that meant.

[GeorginaA]

It's basically the window you've got for eating (if I'm going to be wanting it later, I'll then stick it on low just to keep it warm after the 7 hours) - it really isn't that crucial tbh, but as shazronnie says, the longer you leave it in the better, so flavour-wise nearer the 7 hours is best

(I tend to dump most stuff in at 9am ish and eat around 5/5.30 ish - all on medium and without much conscious deliberation about the timings - although for the chilli con carne recipe (a 4hr one) I do tend to leave it on all day on low except for the last hour I bump it up to medium when I add the kidney beans).

I haven't tried the caribbean chicken - do let us know if it's good

[lucycat]

If it has bones in then I'd leave it in for as long as possible - that's the beauty of a slow cooker, you can have a leisurely glass of wine and it won't spoil!

Sounds yummy btw

[LemonTart]

I love my slow cooker but one little tip: always go for the longer time.
Also, really worth frying/grilling pre-cooking harder veg first - and browning meat. I got fed up of eating hard onions and peppers and really worth the effort - tastes nicer too as it seals it all in rather than just boiling onions in the stock/sauce which removes all decent flavour. Rice pudding is amazing done in the slow cooker (lovely for winter eves.)

[TinyGang]

Thank you all! That makes it clearer. Yes browned/softened everything first. I'm so excited - how sad am I?

Lucycat - I too am a 'fiddler' with cooking. I'll have to use every bit of willpower not to keep looking under the lid. Instructions say every time you take the lid off you have to add on another ten minutes.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

[magnolia1]

I don't pre cook anything now, just pop it on high insted of medium. Have put beef casserole in at 10am this morning and it will be perfect at 5pm

[TinyGang]

Just to let you know - a huge success. The children loved it too. We had to get on and eat it after 5 1/2 hrs cooking (it was a 5-7 hr recipe), but it was perfect.

The meat is so much more tender than when I have made slow cooked casseroles in the oven.

I am hooked!

[GeorginaA]

Fantastic, I'm so pleased I might try that recipe myself now... lol.

[Lucycat]

yeh! another convert!


sooo what's next then?

[TinyGang]

Hi Lucy...hmmm don't know. We went to the local pub for lunch Sunday and they were serving big plates of the most lovely Irish Stew with crusty bread. I wouldn't mind having a go at that next. I've never made that before. Ooh yummy. It's almost worth the weather getting colder for this