Dusting off the Old Crookery



Copyright Deborah  Taylor-Hough
Used with permission.  All rights reserved.
_http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com_ 


When I think of crockery cooking, I always see in my mind's eye my  mother's
old avocado-green crock sitting on her turquoise-and-white kitchen  counter. 
What a thing of beauty it was ... NOT!

But today's crockery cookers are sleek, modern appliances you don't have to 
hide away in the dark recesses of the pantry or garage anymore.

If you like the experience of walking in the door and smelling dinner 
cooking without you slaving away in the kitchen preparing the meal, you'll love  the
convenience of a crockery cooker.  Take a few minutes in the morning  before
work or school to throw some ingredients into the pot, set it, and forget  it.
 When you come home at dinnertime, you'll be greeted by the heavenly  aroma
of an easy dinner.  What could be better than that?

At the end of the day -- when I'm tired and ready to put my feet up -- the 
last thing I want to do is dive into a bunch of meal preparation work.  But  in
the morning I'm refreshed and able to put more energy into food prep.   But
even then, it's not much food prep.  Maybe a bit of chopping and  browning, but
no more than ten or fifteen minutes worth of work, at the  most.


BENEFITS OF THE CROCK

Some of the benefits you'll find from dusting off that lovely retro-crock  in
the back of Grandma's attic are:

* You can buy tougher (and less  expensive) cuts of meat, since the crock
acts as a tenderizer.
* Meat shrinks less when cooked in the crock, and doesn't dry out.
* A crockery cooker doesn't heat up the kitchen nearly as much as the 
stovetop or oven, so it's a perfect hot weather cooking appliance.
* Frees up space in oven and stove top, great to use for parties, large 
gatherings, or doing a large cooking session for the freezer.
* Flavors have time to develop while your meal slowly cooks all day.
* Tofu tastes better cooked this way because it has time to soak up the 
flavors from broth, spices and other ingredients.
* Can be used on a buffet table for serving hot foods (soup, stew, sauces, 
meatballs in barbeque sauce, etc.).


CROCKERY COOKER TIPS

You'll want to keep the following tips in mind  when choosing and using your
crockery cooker:

* Choose a crock with a  removable liner.  You'll have more flexiblility in
ways to use it, and it's  easier to clean.
* Buy a large one (6-quart capacity is good).
* Best if used for recipes with a high water content -- things you'd 
normally prepare on the stovetop such as spaghetti sauce, soup, chili,  stew.
* For best results, fill the crock at least half full with food and/or 
liquid.
* If you're cooking something like a stew or soup, leave at least an inch 
empty (preferably two inches) at the top beneath the lid to allow for the food 
to bubble when it reaches a simmer.
* Don't peek!  Lifting the lid adds time to the cooking process by  letting
heat out.  Add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time for each time you  lift the
lid to peek or stir.
* High altitudes need longer cooking times.  Check with your crock's 
Manufacturer's User's Guide for their recommendations.
* Brown meats ahead of time for additional color and flavor. Browning also 
removes some of the fat from the meat.  Fatty meat cooks more quickly in  the
crock than lean meat.
* Meat and poultry cooks best if cut into smaller pieces or chunks rather 
than cooking as a whole roast or a whole chicken.
* Fish and seafood should be added near the end of the cooking time in 
seafood soups, stews and chowders.
* Vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, should be added to the bottom of 
the crock beneath any meats, etc.  Hard vegetables need a longer cooking 
time, and the bottom is the first part of the cooker to heat up, so they'll  start
cooking sooner.
* Stir in cheese at the end of cooking, or use processed cheese.
* Milk curdles during long cooking times.  Add milk near end of  cooking time
(the last hour, or so).
* Add spices near the end of the cooking time.
* Stirring usually isn't required during slow cooking on Low heat. You  might
want to stir once or twice during the last hour, but remember that every 
time you lift the lid, you're adding to the cooking time.  Two stirring  sessions
equal a minimum of half an hour longer cooking.


SUGGESTIONS FOR A SAFE AND SANE CROCK

The crock itself should be safe to use providing you don't have an old one 
with frayed cords or some other defect.  The following tips on safe user  ideas
can help keep your family healthy and the cook from being burned:

* Use fresh or completely thawed meats.  Don't add frozen meats  directly to
the crock.
* Be sure the crock is clean before using.
* Keep perishable foods refrigerated until ready to use.
* Always include liquids in all crockery cooking recipes.
* Remove the cover by opening away from your face.  The steam is hot  enough
to burn badly.
* Don't leave the cooker turned off with food in it for any length of  time. 
Start cooking right away, and serve hot from the cooker. Don't let  food sit
at room temperature to cool.
* Keep the crock covered while cooking.  The lid on a crock doesn't  provide
a tight seal (it isn't suppose to), but it's important to keep the lid  in the
center of the crock for best results.
* Don't set the hot crock on a cold surface unless you put a hot pad,  trivet
or thick towel underneath.
* If the power goes out while you're away from home with the crock running, 
throw the food away even if it looks hot and done.  The power might have  been
off long enough for the food to cool, start growing bacteria, and then 
reheat by the time you arrived home.
* Don't reheat leftovers in a crock, but you can use the crock as a food 
warmer for foods that have been cooked and heated in the oven or on the  stovetop.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Deborah Taylor-Hough is the author of the bestselling Frozen Assets 
series, Frugal Living For
Dummies(R), Mix-and-Match Recipes, and A Simple  Choice: A Practical Guide
for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity. She's also the  editor of the Simple
Times and Bright-Kids e-zines.  For more  family-friendly articles, tips and
ideas, visit Debi online at: _http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/_
(http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/) 
      

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