Is Your Slow Cooker Really Safe?
Apr 26
2008
Crock pots, or slow cookers as they are now called, first appeared on store shelves in 1971. The small appliance was a hit, and then its popularity waned. Now slow cookers are popular again. You may use your slow cooker several times a week. How does it work?
The US Department of Agriculture explains this cooking method in a Web site article, “Slow Cookers and Food Safety.” Slow cookers depend on two things — heat and steam. “The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam created within the tightly-covered container make the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods,” the article says.
You must also follow these guidelines for slow cooking to be safe.
1. Read the manufacturer’s directions. When you have finished reading them, read them again to see if you have missed anything. Follow all of the directions.
2. Check the temperature. This recommendation comes from the University of Minnesota Extension Service Web site and it tells how to do it. Fill the cooker half-way with water. Turn it to low (200 degrees) and heat for eight hours. Measure the water temperature quickly. If the temperature is less than 185 degrees your slow cooker does not heat fast enough and is unsafe.
3. Start out right. Your hands should be clean, your slow cooker should be clean, and your utensils should be clean. Food should be refrigerated until you use it. “Eating Well” magazine gives more tips in a Web site article, “Slow Cooker Food-Safety Tips.” Meat should be thawed completely before you put it in the slow cooker. Food should be cut in small pieces. “Do not attempt to cook a whole chicken or a large roast in a slow cooker,” the article warns.
4. Cook food on high for one hour. This recommendation comes from the US Department of Agriculture, but it may not always be practical. Turning up the heat may interfere with the recipe, so the “Eating Well” site tells cooks to “bring liquids to a simmer before adding them to the slow cooker.” Do not lift the crock lid while food is cooking.
5. Measure the internal temperature of meat. The University of Minnesota Extension Service has posted these temperatures on its Web site. Poultry should be 165 degrees. The temperature for ground meat should be 160 degrees. The temperature for pork roast should be 160-170 degrees. And the temperature for stuffing and soup should be 165 degrees.
6. Throw out food if the power fails. According to the Clemson University Extension Service, you should throw out the food even it it looks done. It is better to be safe than sorry. However, “if the food was completely cooked before the power went out, the food should remain safe for up to two hours.”
You should refrigerate leftovers immediately or within two hours. Do not refrigerate leftovers in the crock. Leftovers shoud never be re-heated in a slow cooker. Your slow cooker may be the handiest appliance you have. Use it wisely.
Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 29 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. You will find a review of the book on the American Hospice Foundation Web site and the Health Ministries Association Web site.
Please visit Harriet’s Web site and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
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