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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (CONT.)
Q
“How do I thicken the juices or make gravy?”
A
Add some quick-cooking tapioca to any recipe when you want to
make a thick gravy. Add the tapioca at the beginning and it will
thicken as it cooks! Or, you may remove the solid foods, leaving
the juices. Prepare a smooth paste of approximately
1
⁄2 cup flour or
cornstarch to
1
⁄2 cup water or 4 tablespoons melted butter. Pour
mixture into liquid in stoneware and stir well. Turn to HIGH and
when it comes to a boil (about 15 minutes) it’s ready.
Q
“Can I cook a roast without adding water?”
A
Yes – if cooked on LOW. We recommend a small amount of water
because the gravies are especially tasty. The more fat or
“marbling” the meat has, the less liquid you need. The liquid is
needed to properly soften and cook vegetables.
GUIDE TO ADAPTING YOUR OWN RECIPES WHEN SLOW COOKING
This guide is designed to help you adapt recipes to the VersaWare
TM
slow
cooker — your own favorites and prized recipes collected from friends,
food companies, newspapers and magazines. Our aim is to save
preparation time with fewer steps and dishes…and to keep cooking
simple. In most cases, all ingredients can go into your slow cooker in the
beginning and can cook all day. Many preparatory steps are unnecessary
when using the VersaWare
TM
slow cooker. A few hints:
• Allow sufficient cooking time.
• Cook with lid on when using the stoneware in the slow cooker
Heating Base Unit.
• Do not add as much water as some recipes indicate.
• Remember — liquids don’t “boil away” as in conventional cooking.
Usually you’ll have more liquid at the end of cooking instead of less.
• When cooking with your slow cooker Heating Base Unit, many times,
it's "one-step" cooking. Steps in recipes may be deleted. Add
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q
“What if the food isn’t done after 8 hours…when the recipe
says 8 to 10 hours?”
A
This is due to voltage variations which are commonplace
everywhere; due to altitude or even extreme humidity. The slight
fluctuations in power do not have a noticeable effect on most
appliances; however, it can slightly alter the cooking times. Allow
plenty of time, and remember, it is practically impossible to
overcook. You will learn through experience whether to decrease
or increase cooking times.
Q
“Must the VersaWare
TM
slow cooker be covered? Is it
necessary to stir?”
A
Cook with the lid on when using stoneware in the slow cooker
Heating Base Unit. Significant amounts of heat escape whenever
the lid is removed; therefore the cooking time must be extended.
It is not necessary to stir while cooking on LOW heat. While using
HIGH heat for short periods, occasional stirring improves the
distribution of flavors. Never remove lid during the first 2 hours
when baking breads or cakes.
• Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar
and/or acid foods (NOTE: Sugar and acid have a hardening effect on
beans and will prevent softening). Dried beans, especially red kidney
beans, should be boiled before adding to a recipe. Cover the beans
with 3 times their volume of unsalted water and bring to a boil. Boil
10 minutes, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer 1
1
⁄2 hours or
until beans are tender. Soaking in water, if desired, should be
completed before boiling. Discard water after soaking or boiling.
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SLOW COOKING HINTS (CONT.)
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