“Slow” Down When You Get Home – Dinner is Done!

Wouldn’t it be great to have dinner ready tonight when you walk in the door? Can you smell the aroma of the roast, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, and onion as you open the front door of your home? Slow cookers make having dinner on busy days or after work quick and easy.

There are various types of slow cookers. You can buy slow cookers with multiple crocks. The multiple crocks are great for game day parties to hold chili, cheeses, or dips! Some slow cookers have different heat settings like high, medium, and low and need to be turned off manually. Others have actual temperature settings or timers that shut off or switch to a warming setting automatically.

Some benefits of the slow cooker include:

1. Your kitchen does not get as hot as it does using the oven.

2. The low heat tenderizes less expensive, leaner cuts of meat and reduces shrinkage.

3. You can transport your food in the same crock, thus keeping the heat in the food. When you use the oven, you have to remove the food from the heat source, resulting in much heat loss en route to your destination.

Slow cookers do have some disadvantages as well. Some vitamins and minerals are lost from vegetables due to the long slow cooking process. When foods are cooked quickly at a high temperature, the enzymes are deactivated so there are minimal nutrients lost. So, if you plan on using your slow cooker for vegetables, give them a quick blanch to keep from losing too many nutrients.

Cleanup is easier with the slow cooker, especially if you use the bag inserts available from your local grocer. The slow cooker is easily stored out of the way and is a great way to “fix it and forget it” until it is time to eat. I wish I had something cooking in mine right now!

For more information on the slow cooker:

FCS80001/FY1288: Keeping Food Safe: Preparing and Cooking

FCS80001-Span/FY1292: Manteniendo los alimentos seguros