SLOW COOKER - can you answer my query please?

[dietqueen]

Have just bought a 6.5l one (Cook Works Signature one) and have a question as the booklet isne tclear and I am new to all this:

Low setting - heating up cooked food
High Setting - cooking time is 7-8 hours

The recipes give the cooking instructions as:

LOW (pre-cook) 6-8 hours
or choose HIGH - 3-5 hours

I wanted this so I could put it on at say 8.30am when off to work for it to be ready for when I got home at 5ish - so that's 8 hours but the recipes say HIGH is 3-5 hours - so would another 3 hours ruin the food.

Can the LOW setting only be used for heating up cooked food? Im confused!!!!!

I have had things in the slow cooker longer than it says, iirc I have the AWT one, and it has been fine. I have cooked things in the oven and then kept them warm in the slow cooker on low, no problem.

i have a morphy richards 6.5l one

i use low for casseroles if they'll be going all day

medium or high for when I forget to set it up early everything else

:D

Mine is really quite hot on high and will easily do a casserole in 3 hours, so more or less same as putting the oven on

AND if it's a casserole then another couple of hours is really not going to make a huge amount of difference between low/med imo

okay so why did the strike out not work?

dammit

or dammit

Testing! :D Apologies!

I have the cookworks you've got and use the LOW setting for nearly everything apart from whole chickens when i blast it high for an hour and then turn to low.

umm ok so the low setting can be for all day not just for "pre-cooked" food as it states in the booklet?

I think I will do come experimenting this week - trial and error I think!

yes, definately.

Also, always put in less stock or water than you think you'll need, and cornflour is your friend.

I only ever use low for an all dayer. I've never poisoned anyone yet.

I have the Morphy Richards 6.5l one.

thanks will give it ago.

Right next queston - What are your fave recipes?

Ohhh... i have lots!!

My fave has to be an easy pork curry.

Get a couple of pork steaks or chops per person, chop up an onion, two tins of chopped tomatoes and a couple of tins of baked beans, along with a half a cup of water which has some curry powder mixed in. Stick it all in the slowcooker on low all day and serve over mashed spuds or with fresh crusty bread - yummity!

Also really like spag bol done in SC - brown mince first, put in SC then add chopped onion, garlic, bacon pieces, tin of chopped toms, some passata and some dried herbs - basicly anything you'd put in your hob cooked spag bol. Then just leave it to simmer on low all day.

I also do shepards pie that way too.

Then theres stews and puds ect too.

One thing i will say - if you're doing anything with sausages in the SC then brown them first - they aren't very appealing when they aren't browned first.

pork sounds nice will give this ago this week

stupid quest but you can freeze any leftovers cant you?

yes, you can freeze leftovers.

Oh yes. I freeze everything

I roast a whole chicken in mine, although TBH that's a 5-6 hour job rather than an 8 hour one, so better if you're not going to be out all day, just for a chunk of time. Just put the chicken in and switch it on (you can stick a lemon and some whole cloves of garlic in the middle of the chicken too if you want). Again it doesn't brown the chicken, so if that bothers you you can brown it in a pan first (I am too lazy).

I use low for all day (6 - 9 hour) cooking. Fine for casseroles/stews.

My favourite thing to cook in the slow cooker is Jamabalaya - yum. link

Deemented's curried pork is delicious and so simple - I have made it several times now and meant to report back to thank her, so thank you, Dee.

Did my first whole chicken today in the sc - yummy too.

Also did a joint of beef in it a couple of weeks ago, which was fab too, and have done lamb shoulder a couple of times too.

For some reason I prefer bolognaise cooked in the oven.

Beef dishes in the SC don't come out right for me - the beef goes too soft and stringy and nearly melts into the dish, anyone know what i'm doing wrong