Feature Articles
Slow Cooker Food Safety
Karma Metzgar, C.F.C.S. Former Northwest Regional Nutrition Specialist, Nodaway County Extension Center, University of Missouri Extension
You've heard the saying that "too many cooks spoil the broth," well too many cooks in the kitchen can be a hazard. At my parent's house for our holiday dinner we had soup. My brother brought a crock pot full of potato soup and told us to "turn the heat up so it would be done by noon." My sister was preparing her bag of vegetables to make broccoli-cheese chowder and heating some broth in a saucepan. I already had my crock pot of soup simmering. We were hurrying because the kids wanted to open their presents.
We were hurrying when I smelled some hot plastic and we
had some smoke and flames. My sister literally had
turned the heat on under my brother's crock pot of soup
instead of her saucepan! Now my sister-in-law is short a
slow cooker for now.
Too many cooks with an unfamiliar stove is a recipe for
disaster. It's just a good thing we were in the kitchen
and not off in another room when we had our little
disaster.
Slow cookers are wonderful because they do the cooking
and you don't even need to be home. However, there are
some steps you can take to insure that what you are
cooking will be safe to eat.
- First thaw and cut up ingredients. Choose to make foods which are high in moisture such as chili, soup, stew or sauces. Always defrost meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Cut the food (meat and vegetables) into chunks or small pieces to ensure thorough cooking. Do not use the slow cooker for large pieces like a roast or whole chicken because the food will cook so slowly it could remain in the bacterial danger zone (between 40 degrees F. and 140 degrees F.) too long.
- Secondly, cook enough food in your slow cooker. Fill the cooker no less than half-full and no more than two-thirds full. The reason being that the heat comes from the bottom and sides of the cooker and the food must be in direct contact with the container to heat. When filling your cooker, put vegetables on the bottom and sides since they cook slower than meat and poultry. Cover with liquid such as broth, water or barbecue sauce. It's recommended to use the high temperature setting for the first hour or two of cooking, and then turn to medium or low to finish cooking. I generally heat my mixture in the microwave until hot then put into the slow cooker to insure the food safety.
- Thirdly, don't peek. Once you have put the food into the slow cooker, let it do its job. Each time you remove the lid, the temperature drops by 10 to 15 degrees. Since the cooker may only heat to 185 degrees at it's peak, the lid must be kept on to keep the food cooking to a proper serving temperature.
When your food is ready to serve, serve it and then promptly store the leftovers in shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within two hours of serving. DO NOT put the crock liner in the refrigerator-it will not allow the food to cool quickly enough through the danger zone to keep the food safe. And DO NOT unplug and leave on the counter to reheat for the next meal unless you're looking for a reason to stay home and feel miserable!
When it comes to reheating foods, a slow cooker is NOT
recommended. However, you can heat foods to steaming on
the stovetop or in a microwave oven and then put into a
preheated slow cooker to keep hot for serving.
To review safety using your slow cooker--thaw and cut up
ingredients, fill the slow cooker and heat quickly,
don't peek, and store promptly.
Last Updated 10/25/2007
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|
