5 tricks for a better slow-cooked meal

With these five tricks for better slow-cooking, creating fantastic meals will be easier than ever before.

Using the slow cooker is a favourite for many, as it offers a way to cook delicious meals without much hands-on work. Simply prepare the ingredients, drop them into the pot, and a few hours later you can enjoy a great meal.

• Use these tips to make your slow cooker meals an even greater success.

When using your slow cooker, you first need to ensure you have the right sized device.

• One of the major reasons for disappointing dishes is using incorrectly sized cooking instruments.
• These cookers are available in a variety of sizes, from one quart to 8 1/2 quarts.
• While people prefer different sizes, most recipes work best in cookers that are five-to-six quarts.

Another mistake made while slow cooking is opening the lid to peak at the meal. While it can be tempting to open the lid up, there's a reason why it's clear.

• Your slow cooker takes a while to build up the proper temperature inside.
• When you take the lid off you let all the heat escape. Avoid opening it up until 35-40 minutes before you've finished cooking.

While extra flavouring isn't universally important, you may be like a lot of people and like to maximize the flavour of your slow cooker dishes.

• To maximize any dish, fry it up in a skillet with your seasoning prior to adding it to the crock pot.
• It'll taste a lot better than absorbing flavour from the slow cooker alone.

The right temperature inside of your slow cooker not only helps your meals turnout better but also prevents sickness from under-cooking.

• According to experts, temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit are within the danger zone, as bacteria can thrive at this level.
• While food is going to be at the temperature for a short period of time, you want to limit the amount of time spent at that level.
• Resist adding frozen food. As a rule, only add ingredients at or above room temperature.

There are two tricks to timing your slow cooker meals perfectly: prepare the night before and add ingredients to the pot first thing in the morning.

• The night before you'll want to ensure all ingredients are thawed to room temperature.
• Cut them into the right portions before storing them in containers for the morning.
• Once morning arrives, simply add the ingredients to the slow cooker. This will ensure you're allowing the perfect amount of time for cooking.

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