Save Time and Money By Crock Pot Cooking

30 May 2009 4 Comments

Most of us are tired when we come home from a long day at work. We don’t always feel like cooking and often order in. This can totally blow our weekly household budget out the window.

There is a way to have a home cooked meal ready and waiting for you when you walk through the door at the end of the day — crockpot cooking. Just think — you open the door and the sweet aroma of supper is filling the house and all you have to do is put out the dishes and serve it.

Some helpful tips for crock pot cooking are:

1. Make sure when buying a crock pot that you get one that is the right size for your cooking needs. Obviously if you are only cooking for one person then you would need a smaller crock pot and if you are cooking for more than one person than you would need to purchase a medium to large size model.

2. The models with the removable liners or crocks make clean up easier.

3. If possible, cook the food on high for an hour to bring the temperature up over 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. The low temperature of a crock pot is usually 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Do a test on your model (if it is an older one) to make sure that the temperature after several hours is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is not, then your model may be malfunctioning and it may be time to replace it.

5. Layer vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, onions on the bottom of the crock. They tend to cook a little slower than the meat.

6. Don’t overfill the crock. Filling it to 1/2 to 2/3 is sufficient to allow food to cook and not overflow the unit.

7. Programmable crockpots are available. These are convenient because they can be set to cook at a certain temperature for a period of time and then reduce its temperature. They can even be programmed to shut off or turn to warm if necessary.

8. When purchasing new crockpots, several styles are available. They can even coordinate with your kitchen’s decor.

These are just a few tips on purchasing and using a crock pot. Do you cook with a crockpot? If so, we’d love to hear some of your tips for using one. Leave us a comment!!!

Till next time,

JT Locke
The Frugal Housewife

Technorati Tags: cooking, cooking tips, crockpot slow cooker, frugal kitchen, kitchen tips, money saving tips, pantry, saving money, slow cookers, slow crockpot, Tips

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4 Comments »

laneerg said:

I have a programmable crockpot that I received as a gift a few years ago. It is fantastic! I don’t eat meat, but I have used it many times to cook up 2lbs of pinto beans to freeze in individual portions for meals, cooked a butternut squash to moist tenderness, and even cooked a sweet potato in it. I’ve tried making oatmeal in it a few times, but haven’t quite gotten that one to turn out just right yet.

# 30 May 2009 at 9:54 pm

Counting My Pennies » Carnival of Pecuniary Delights #10 - Summer Storm Edition said:

[...] JT Locke from The Frugal Housewife explains how you can Save Time and Money by Crockpot Cooking. [...]

# 4 June 2009 at 5:04 am

ajm said:

Many crockpot recipes call for cooking on high for an hour or so and then switching to low. You even recommended it. However, I have yet to find a “truly programmable” crockpot that you can do this with automatically. It’s easy if you are home during the day, but for those of us that work (whole reason for my crockpot’s easy time-saving use), it’s hard to do. If you know of one that can do what I ask (not just switching to “warm” which is different from low), PLEASE let me know.
Thanks so much

# 23 September 2009 at 3:25 pm