Nothing quite matches the convenience of a slow cooker when it comes to providing a rich, satisfying meal without spending tons of time and hassle on prep work. If you’re having trouble mastering the art of slow cooking, however, it could be because you’re making one of several common mistakes. To help ensure your slow cooker recipes turn out great, the experts at Martha Stewart advise avoiding the following five mistakes.
Adding fast-cooking vegetables too early. If your recipe calls for softer vegetables like zucchini or peas, don’t put them in too early, otherwise they’ll end up like mush. Instead, add them towards the end of the cooking time frame to keep their texture and taste intact. Fibrous veggies, like carrots and onions, can be added from the onset, but cut them in larger pieces so they retain their shape. Place these vegetables on the bottom or near the sides of the slow cooker since they’ll take longer to cook than the meat.
Overstuffing your slow cooker. It may seem counterintuitive not to pack your slow cooker to the brim, but in reality, overfilling it can prevent the food from heating evenly. This means that some parts of the meal may end up overcooked, while others aren’t cooked enough. Not to mention that a stuffed slow cooker can spill over and create a mess, thereby thwarting your goal of a quick and carefree meal. The rule of thumb is to only fill your slow cooker three quarters of the way so that there’s plenty of room for ingredients to expand.
Not reducing liquid for your soup and stew recipes. When using a slow cooker, don’t use the same amount of liquid as you would for a stovetop soup or stew dish. The tight seal on a slow cooker causes steam and juices to accumulate, and liquid doesn’t evaporate as it would on the stove. The result? An unappealing watery mess. According to the experts, reduce the liquids in a crock pot by 10 – 20% and, generally speaking, you won’t need more than ½ – 1 cup of liquid.
Not searing the meat first. While slow cooker recipes mostly involve tossing in the ingredients and flipping the “on” switch, one important caveat is searing meat first. Searing caramelizes the surface of the meat, enhancing its flavor and helping it to hold its shape and not fall apart in the crock pot.
Adding fresh herbs too early. Delicate fresh herbs won’t hold up well during hours of slow cooking, causing them to lose their flavor. Instead, add fresh herbs at the very end of the cook-time or as a garnish. Dried herbs, however, can withstand the heat and are, in fact, rehydrated by the moisture, so feel free to add them at the beginning of the process.
