Cooking Tips for the Slow Cooker

Any of your usual soup, stew or casserole recipes can be cooked in your slow cooker. However, liquid doesn't evaporate as much as it does when cooking conventionally, so cut down the liquid content by 30-50 per cent (not necessary for soups) or increase the flour or cornflour (cornstarch) thickener by a third. You can always add a little extra liquid at the end.
Use a crock pot suitable for the quantity of food you want to cook. It should be at least ½ full for the best results (but for foods like ribs or chicken wings, a single layer is fine if you have a large pot). Don't use a small pot and pack the food in tightly to the top or the heat won't be able to penetrate the food - just as when cooking conventionally. But, conversely, don't have too little either. For instance, one chop in the pot will overcook unless the pot is filled up to at least a third with liquid. So, if cooking for one, you may need to double the amount of liquid to be on the safe side.
When cooking meat and root vegetables together, put the vegetables towards the bottom of the pot as they will take longer to cook than the meat.
Do not cook too large a joint or bird in the crock pot. It should fit in the pot with at least a 2.5 cm/1 in headspace. If unsure, cut the joint or bird in half before cooking. (It will then cook quicker, as when cooking conventionally.)
When cooking soups, make sure there is a 5 cm/2 in headspace in the pot to allow for bubbling during cooking.
Most foods can be cooked on High or Low (or Medium or Auto-cook if you have it). Fish, rice and egg-based dishes, however, are best cooked on Low.
If you are planning to be out all day, opt for cooking on Low, then there is little or no chance of the meal ruining even if you are late (particularly if you don't have a programmable slow cooker).
Do not open the lid unnecessarily during cooking as heat will be lost. If you remove it to add extra ingredients or to stir more than once or twice, you may need to add an extra 10 minutes at the end (but in most cases there is sufficient cooking time allowed in the recipes for this).
Should there be too much liquid at the end of cooking, strain it into a saucepan and boil rapidly for several minutes until reduced to the quantity and consistency you require, or thicken it with a little flour or cornflour (cornstarch) blended to a smooth paste with a little water and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
When food is cooked, the cooker can be switched off and left for up to 30 minutes. The food will be still piping hot. If you need to keep food hot for longer, switch to Low. (This isn't suitable for egg-based or rice dishes.)
If you are unsure whether a joint of meat or a bird is cooked through, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the joint at the end of cooking. The temperature should reach a minimum of 63°C/145°F for rare beef to a maximum of 71°C/165°F for chicken.
You can use the crock pot to keep hot drinks (such as mulled wine) warm, or for hot dips or fondues. Keep the pot on the Low setting.
Frozen vegetables and fish can be cooked from frozen.