General Chat

OK I have bought a M Richards slow cooker. I so far only have the recipe book that came with te cooker (a small one).

The cooker has three settings Medium high and low.

there is a table
medium low high
4-6 hours 6-8 hours 3-4 hours
6-8 hours 8-10 hours 5-6 hours
8-10 hours 10-12 hours 7-8 hours

If it says in the recipe cook approx 4-7 hours do I cook it for 4, 5, 6, or 7 hours and on what heat. I have very lean pork pieces to cook and some diced carrot and swede and onion and potatoes.


Sorry to be so dense!!!

Ann
Glos

mayby test food quickly at 4 hrs or 5 but you have to be quick as you let the heat out xxx

Yes, but if I do that and it is cooked and I want it at 7pm it will be ready before I want it. i don't want to reheat.
And I don't want to eat my meal at 4pm1
Ann
Glos

ahh see what ya mean guess ts just tral and error let us no how ya get on xx

Ann,
I think the idea is that even if it is ready at 4 pm,it won't spoil if you eat it at 7 pm.
I used to have a job,when living on my own that I couldn't say what time I was home,and cooked on Low I never had a spoiled meal.
Experiment,and good luck!
Brenda x

Pork upsets me so I don't eat it but I've found an online recipe for pork in a slow cooker

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/slowcooker/pinpor.htm

Ann I find I put everything on for 5hrs or slightly more and it's fine usually do mine on high but think after a couple of hrs it auto. goes to med heat so I suppose you could put yours on low when you think it's ready. Enjoy

Norah

Oh Just a question to everyone I have found the potatoes don't seem to get cooked so well so never do them on the sc. is it me ??

Norah

Cooking it for longer will only make the meat more tender - and as long as you dont keep taking off the lid, it wont dry out.

Only time I worry about cooking something too long is when it is something like liver or sausages - they just disintigrate into the liquid. lol

I dont know why the manufacturers complicate things by giving different settings. lol The ones I have had only had one setting - and the things I wanted to cook needed low and slow.

Nolls - I think most recipes say put the veg at the bottom of the pot, the meat on top. Because root veg take longer to cook, by being at the bottom, they get the most heat.

Ann ,
i have just found my slow cook book
it says ....
Low setting is for long , slow cooking and is useful when all day cooking is required.
High setting is for.. the most useful when you want the benifit of tenderisation that slow cooking brings without extremely long cooking times .
dont know if this will help or not .
Hazelx

A tip I had,when I first had my slow cooker,was put things like carrots,and potatoes,in the bottom of the cooker,and place meat on top,so I have always done it like that,and no problems!

Thanks Susan and Brenda will give it a go probably didn't read the book when I got it lol!

Norah

thank you. I re-read the instruction book and buried among other things it says the recipes in the book are for medium setting so I have put it on medium for 5 hours, chopped vef and sliced charlotte potatoes under diced lean pork. Should be OK, if not cooked by 7 it will go into another dish into microwave Lol!!

As you say trial and error.

claire thank you will check that site.

Ann
Glos

Might be a good Idea to unify the size of the potatoes as well.What I do when going out for the day is,make it up like a Casserole,switch it on low,and when we get back its done.**M**.

thanks again. looked at that site there are some good recipes which I have made a note of.

Ann
Glos

my daughter uses hers most of the time,,its a 6ltr one,so can cook and freeze,,,,,,

pot roasts,
casserols,
chilli ,
rice puddings,
rice,
mince&onions,
currys,
chicken portions,or other chicken dishes,
Hams,
soups,
,and lots more stuff,,,,,,,


stew and dumplings,,the dumplings come out great,!

I always stick my slo-cooker crock in the microwave for about fifteen minutes before transferring it to the slow cooker

Hi Ann,
I've had a slo cooker for over 20 years and mine is high, auto or low, I've cooked stuff on high for up to 10 hours and its been fine, however my sons just got a basic one with high or low(the low is just for keeping things warm) - his food dried out and welded to the bottom after about 6 hours!!. They all vary, but they're worth the effort

Mine emphasises that all food must be covered with the liquid.

Mine also says the crock pot is not suitable to use in the microwave, oven or freezer.

Ann
Glos