FOOD NEWS
Always Preheat Your Slow Cooker Before Adding Ingredients
By S. Ferrari
Rather than tossing all of your ingredients into a cool cooker to warm up together slowly, take a few minutes to preheat the apparatus while you prepare the ingredients.
Most slow cooker recipes call for active prepping, which involves browning garlic and onions, toasting spices, searing meat, and sauteeing vegetables.
However, placing these ingredients in a cold slow cooker will cool them down. If you preheat your slow cooker beforehand, your ingredients will maintain an optimal temperature.
To save time while prepping, turn on your cooker to the highest setting. When you're ready to cook, turn the temperature down to your desired level.
This step will also prevent some food-borne illnesses by minimizing the amount of time your food lingers in the temperature danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees F.