Slow cooker recipes are amazing and everyone would want to come home to the aroma of food that has been prepared in a slow cooker. The heat wraps around the house. It is like the dinner has been preparing for you to come and sit down and eat it. I still remember the first time that I had the privilege of using a slow cooker. I had just graduated school, lived in a small apartment, and was ready to prove to the world that I was independent. My mom gave me her old Crock-Pot which had been used to prepare food for our family for so many years. It became my most used appliance. Add all the ingredients and set it on low heat. In eight hours you will have your next meal.
But one time, I was craving for some hot and heavy meal and so I thought of preparing a beef stew. It required a handful of fresh herbs which I had chopped and threw into the pot. Besides, some crumbled bacon was added to give it a good flavor. I put the food into the slow cooker and continued with my activities. I looked forward to the tasty stew that I would eat later that evening.
When I got home, it was not what I had in my mind to expect. Instead of a delicious and aromatic soup that I had in mind, I got something else. I was given a kind of gray, rather tasteless, and even slightly bitter meal. It was not what I wanted to have.
What I learned is that slow cookers are really useful in saving time but not all foods can be prepared in slow cookers. I discovered that there are some things you should never cook in a slow cooker.
Dairy
There are certain foods that are not suitable to be prepared in slow cookers. Dairy products are one of them. Some dairy products such as milk, cream, and cheese are known to curdle when cooked in a crockpot. This happens because of the long cooking time. Once I had the misfortune to put the cream into the soup at the beginning of cooking. Finally, I was left with watery and curdled liquid that had the cream at the bottom.
Seafood
Seafood is very delicate and can become overcooked in a slow cooker. This makes shrimp, fish, or scallops become rubbery and not enjoyable to eat. Once, I tried to make seafood stew in my slow cooker thinking it would simplify the process. Instead, I received shrimp that were overcooked and chewy. They did not have that appealing texture to them. When cooking a particular dish, you may need to include seafood. This should be done in the final one hour of cooking.
Fresh Herbs
Cooks often use herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro when preparing meals. These herbs taste best fresh, as they develop a bitter flavor when cooked on low heat for a long time. It is better to introduce them at the last steps of the cooking process. This way, they will not lose their taste. To bring out the real taste of herbs in your dish, use the dried ones. They last long in the cooking process.
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