When purchasing a crockpot, look for one with a removable liner. They
are much easier to clean. If you have a nonremovable liner, however, all is
not lost! Line your crockpot with a cooking bag and you'll have no cleanup
at all. Spray the inside of the liner with cooking spray before you fill it
to make cleanup easier.
140F/60C is the temperature the food needs to reach as quickly as
possible. If you are at home during the cooking times, test the food
temperature after four hours of cooking on LOW - the temp should be at least
140F/60C.
For food safety reasons, it's a good idea to cook on HIGH for the first
hour to quickly bring the temperature up to 140F/60C. Then turn the dial to
LOW and finish cooking.
Experts recommend you do not put frozen foods in the crockpot. All foods
should be defrosted before cooking so the food temperature can reach
140F/60C as soon as possible. However, since none of my family members are
in a high-risk group, I often cook frozen foods in the crockpot. The
informed choice is up to you.
Remove cooked food from the crockpot or liner before you refrigerate the
cooked food. Because the liner is made of such thick material, the food
won't cool down quickly enough to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
