GE 840085800 - Manual (Page 5)

5
Tips for Slow Cooking
The cover of the slow cooker does not
form a tight fit on the crock but should
be centered on the crock for best results.
Do not remove the cover unnecessarily—
this results in major heat loss. Do not
cook without cover in place.
Stirring is not necessary when slow cooking.
However, if cooking on High, you may
want to stir occasionally.
Slow cooking retains most of the
moisture in foods. If a recipe results in
too much liquid
at the end of the cooking
time, remove the cover, turn the Control
Knob to High, and reduce the liquid by
simmering. This will take 30 to 45 minutes.
The slow cooker should be at least
half-filled
for best results. If only half-
filled, check for doneness 1 to 2 hours
earlier than recipe time.
If cooking soups or stews, leave a
2-inch space
between the top of the
crock and the food so that the recipe
can come to a simmer.
Many recipes call for cooking all day.
If your morning schedule doesn’t allow
time to prepare a recipe, do it the night
before. Place all ingredients in the
crock, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, simply place crock
in the slow cooker and select the
temperature setting.
Meat and poultry
require at least 7 to 8
hours on Low. Do not use frozen,
uncooked meat in the slow cooker.
Thaw any meat or poultry before slow
cooking.
If You’ve NEVER Used a Slow Cooker
Cooking in a slow cooker is easy but
different from conventional methods.
Take a few minutes and read “How to
Use” and “Tips for Slow Cooking.”
Then try some of the recipes in the
Slow Cooker Recipe Book included with
your slow cooker. You’ll soon be convinced that a slow
cooker is a necessity. There are also
many slow cooker recipe books available
in the library or bookstore. If you have
any questions, call our toll-free customer
assistance number. We’ll be glad to help.
If You’ve Used a Slow Cooker Before
You are probably ready to develop
new recipes for use in your slow cooker.
If the recipe was originally cooked in a
saucepan on the stovetop, or slow roasted
in the oven, adapting the recipe should
be easy.
Our slow cooker heats from the sides.
The base slowly raises the temperature
of the crock. Whether cooked on Low
or High, the final temperature of the
food is the same, about 200°F. The
only difference is the amount of time
the cooking process takes. Read the
section on “Adapting Recipes” for
more information.
This slow cooker is designed to bring
ingredients quickly up to cooking tem-
perature. It may reach a full boil and
may cook faster than other slow cookers
you have used. Because the slow cooker
reaches its cooking temperature rapidly,
older recipes may need to be adjusted.
For example, recipes that call for pre-
cooked or canned food items may now
take less cooking time.
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