crock pot cooks -- I have a question!

In article <[email hidden]>,

(sara hurt) said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd
like to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork
chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours.
However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to
11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if
you cook it longer? Thanks!

Personally, I'd not do chops for that length of time...

A roast maybe, and make darned sure there is plenty of
liquid and it's set on low!!

K.

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(sara hurt) said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd
like to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork
chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours.
However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to
11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if
you cook it longer? Thanks!

You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the
electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.

Dennis

Dennis G. said:

(sara hurt) said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd
like to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork
chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours.
However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to
11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if
you cook it longer? Thanks!

You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the
electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.

Dennis

Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want
pork chops sitting around at room temp all that time? I
wouldn't. I guess maybe if the liquid was replaced by ice
cubes, but ... really.

nancy

You'll get the best results by cooking dishes in the crock
pot that you would have simmered a long time in a Dutch oven
on the stove or in the oven - stews and braised dishes.

There's no reason why you can't braise pork chops, but meat
that tender to start with is usually grilled or sautéed -
you can use cheaper, tougher cuts in the crock pot.

You can load the crockpot with all the raw ingredients and
let it go, and you'll get a nice stew. You can make it even
better by browning the meat/chicken in a pan first and then
putting it in the crockpot with the veggies and a small
amount of liquid. Maybe sauté the onions, too.

--
------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8'
42.8"

"sara hurt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd
like to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork
chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours.
However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to
11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if
you cook it longer? Thanks!

Quoted message said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like
to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork chops) and
it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours. However, with my
hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it
overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it takes to
be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?

The trick to crock pots is to make sure you have enough
liquid in there. It is nearly impossible to overcook
anything in there, since the food in the crock pot
essentially simmers at a low temperature. and you can simmer
food indefinitely.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"The likelihood of one individual being correct increases
in a direct proportion to the intensity with which others
try to prove him wrong" James Mason from the movie "Heaven
Can Wait".

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dennis G. said:

(sara hurt) said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The
instruction manual claims that "it's virtually
impossible to overcook anything" in the crock pot. I'm a
little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at work
tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on
low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more
like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8
hours the minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and
it's fine if you cook it longer? Thanks!

You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the
electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.

Dennis

Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want
pork chops sitting around at room temp all that time? I
wouldn't. I guess maybe if the liquid was replaced by ice
cubes, but ... really.

nancy

Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about 3
hours. What I do is fully prepare the contents of the crock
the night before, then refrigerate covered until just a
moment before I leave for work. The residual cold from the
thick crockery and food keeps it cool enough prior to the
cooking cycle. I never include "high risk" ingredients like
eggs, mayo, etc.

Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when
put into the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If
including potatoes, they should be coated or covered in
liquid to prevent darkening.

Wayne

"sara hurt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd
like to try a recipe while at work tomorrow (for pork
chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8 hours.
However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to
11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if
you cook it longer? Thanks!

Couple of suggestions: I have a crockpot that will cook up
to 12 hours and then 'keep warm' for another 2 hours. You
can also plug in a timer to the outlet and set it to 'turn
on' at a certain time, say 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and
then let the corckpot cook at its normal rate. In either
case, I would use more liquid than it calls for-just a bit-
not 2-3 cups.

"Kswck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"sara hurt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The
instruction manual claims that "it's virtually
impossible to overcook anything" in the crock pot. I'm a
little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at work
tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on
low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more
like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8
hours the minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and
it's fine if you cook it longer? Thanks!

Couple of suggestions: I have a crockpot that will cook up
to 12 hours and then 'keep warm' for another 2 hours. You
can also plug in a timer to the outlet and set it to 'turn
on' at a certain time, say 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and
then let the corckpot cook

at

Quoted message said:

its normal rate. In either case, I would use more liquid
than it calls for-just a bit-not

2-3

Quoted message said:

cups.

Just additional input. I have never over cooked anything in
my crock pots. I often cook things for 12 hours in it. I
never add more liquid though. Crock pots do not evaporate
liquid as other cookers do. I generally use less liquid than
specified.

Charlie

What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and carrots?
Are they in any danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?

N.

"Charles Gifford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just additional input. I have never over cooked anything
in my crock pots.

I

Quoted message said:

often cook things for 12 hours in it. I never add more
liquid though.

Crock

Quoted message said:

pots do not evaporate liquid as other cookers do. I
generally use less liquid than specified.

Charlie

sara hurt said:

I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction
manual claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook
anything" in the crock pot. I'm a little dubious.

The primary reason most people object to overcooking is most
methods yield tough results. Crockpots yield food that is
quite soft, so that alone overcomes the major objection to
overcooking. If the roast is cooked enough to fall off the
bone, doing that in an oven will make it like leather. If
the roast is cooked enough to fall off the bone, doing that
in a crockpot pushes it in the direction of stew.

Don't waste a standing rib roast in it. Get a chuck or round
or similar. Something that the toughness is coaxed slowly
out and the flavor is as well.

"N." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and
carrots? Are they in

any

Quoted message said:

danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?

N.

<snip>

Given enough time everything put into a crock pot is in
danger of being overcooked. The advantages to a "slow
cooker" or Crock Pot is that the food is cooked under
relatively low heat in an almost sealed environment. The low
heat has the effect of lowering the evaporation rate. Foods
cook in their own juices which is the main reason why very
little liquid is generally added to a crock pot recipe as
opposed to a stove top or oven recipe.

Dimitri

"Doug Freyburger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sara hurt wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Don't waste a standing rib roast in it. Get a chuck or
round or similar.

I don't quite agree.

Several months ago I had an el cheapo standing Rib Roast
(USDA Select) that we browned and shoved into the crock pot.

It ended up being one of the better braised roasts
I've ever had.

Dimitri

Wayne Boatwright said:

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dennis G. said:

[email hidden] (sara hurt) wrote:

> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The
> instruction manual claims that "it's virtually
> impossible to overcook anything" in the crock pot. I'm
> a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking
> on low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone
> more like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is
> the 6-8 hours the minimum time it takes to be fully
> cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer? Thanks!

You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the
electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.

Dennis

Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really
want pork chops sitting around at room temp all that
time? I wouldn't. I guess maybe if the liquid was
replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.

nancy

Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about
3 hours. What I do is fully prepare the contents of the
crock the night before, then refrigerate covered until
just a moment before I leave for work. The residual cold
from the thick crockery and food keeps it cool enough
prior to the cooking cycle. I never include "high risk"
ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.

Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when
put into the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If
including potatoes, they should be coated or covered in
liquid to prevent darkening.

Wayne

Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't mention
the crock pot having more than one temperature setting. The
ones I have do; HIGH is for 10-12 hours, LOW for 6-8.

Jill

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"Dennis G." wrote:
>
> [email hidden] (sara hurt) wrote:
>
>> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The
>> instruction manual claims that "it's virtually
>> impossible to overcook anything" in the crock pot. I'm
>> a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
>> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for
>> cooking on low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll
>> be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it
>> overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
>> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it
>> longer? Thanks!
>
> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and
> the electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3
> hours.
>
> Dennis

Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really
want pork chops sitting around at room temp all that
time? I wouldn't. I guess maybe if the liquid was
replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.

nancy

Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about
3 hours. What I do is fully prepare the contents of the
crock the night before, then refrigerate covered until
just a moment before I leave for work. The residual cold
from the thick crockery and food keeps it cool enough
prior to the cooking cycle. I never include "high risk"
ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.

Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen
when put into the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless.
If including potatoes, they should be coated or covered
in liquid to prevent darkening.

Wayne

Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't
mention the crock pot having more than one temperature
setting. The ones I have do; HIGH is for 10-12 hours, LOW
for 6-8.

Jill

I think you wrote that backwards....low for 10-12 hrs and
high for 6-8 is what I think you meant

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on
nothing but food and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

hahabogus said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Nancy Young <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

> "Dennis G." wrote:
>>
>> [email hidden] (sara hurt) wrote:
>>
>>> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The
>>> instruction manual claims that "it's virtually
>>> impossible to overcook anything" in the crock pot.
>>> I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while
>>> at work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for
>>> cooking on low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours,
>>> I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it
>>> overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
>>> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it
>>> longer? Thanks!
>>
>> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and
>> the electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3
>> hours.
>>
>> Dennis
>
> Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really
> want pork chops sitting around at room temp all that
> time? I wouldn't. I guess maybe if the liquid was
> replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.
>
> nancy
>

Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of
about 3 hours. What I do is fully prepare the contents
of the crock the night before, then refrigerate covered
until just a moment before I leave for work. The
residual cold from the thick crockery and food keeps it
cool enough prior to the cooking cycle. I never include
"high risk" ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.

Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen
when put into the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless.
If including potatoes, they should be coated or covered
in liquid to prevent darkening.

Wayne

Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't
mention the crock pot having more than one temperature
setting. The ones I have do; HIGH is for 10-12 hours, LOW
for 6-8.

Jill

I think you wrote that backwards....low for 10-12 hrs and
high for 6-8 is what I think you meant

And what's really funny is I corrected it from being right
the first time around. I'm still all screwed up from my
vacation, Alan! Thanks 🙂

Jill

"N." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and
carrots? Are they in

any

Quoted message said:

danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?

N.

If you dice your vegetables small, you might have a problem.
In my stews, I prefer larger chunks and, in my experience,
they have never been overcooked. I tend not to like tomatoes
in the crock pot as they increase in intensity to me. Really
tender vegetables, I often add later in the cooking time
when I can. Sauerkraut can take a long time in the crock
pot, but I prefer to cook fresh cabbage separately from
anything in the crock pot. I am in danger of wandering from
the point so I will quit now. ;-)

Charlie