The slow cooker is a very valuable invention for those who do not like to cook or do not find much time for this. She is able to effortlessly prepare a hot tasty meal right to come home after a busy day, or reduce the time and effort spent on household chores several times. However, even when using it, there are a lot of tricks that allow you not only to quickly prepare food, but also to make it as tasty and perfect as possible. The Novate.ru editorial staff offers a selection of life hacks for correct and effective cooking with a multicooker.
1. Cooking frozen food
There are many recipes on the Internet that convince you that a wonderful slow cooker is perfect for preparing frozen foods. This is true, but this does not mean that the dishes will turn out to be tasty and safe for health. Defrosting will take too long until the multicooker starts cooking at the correct temperature. This means that the products will languish for too long in unfavorable conditions and there is a high risk that they can then be poisoned. It's best to completely defrost the food first, and only then start cooking it.
2. Too much liquid
This mistake is often made by those who are used to cooking on the stove and are just starting to master the art of cooking with a slow cooker. On the stove, you can quickly and easily heat huge pots of liquid and bring the contents to the consistency of a thick sauce. However, the multicooker operates at a lower temperature and slower, so it cooks food with less liquid. No evaporation occurs when using a multicooker and therefore excess liquid will result in less concentrated aromas and tastes. If necessary, you can reduce the amount of liquid by setting the multicooker to a higher temperature and cooking for one to two hours with the lid closed.
3. Incorrect ingredient placement
Many people believe that with a tightly closed lid, all foods inside a multicooker are cooked the same way. However, it is not. The heating element is at the bottom, so food located there is heated first and cooked much faster. This means that foods that require a longer cooking time should be placed on the bottom of the multicooker. Root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots should be laid out first, as should the tougher pieces of meat. On top, you can place canned or fried vegetables, as well as cereals.
4. Too much curiosity
Whatever is cooked in the multicooker, the house is filled with excellent aroma. Therefore, there is always a temptation to look inside and check how things are going with the preparation of the dish. However, you should not indulge your weaknesses, because the multicooker takes a long time to return the temperature to the set point after opening the lid, even for a short time. In fact, every time someone opens the multicooker, it automatically adds 30 minutes to the time it takes to cook.
5. Neglect to fry
Even if the recipe says that you should fry the meat before sending it to the slow cooker, many neglect this recommendation. Yes, nothing bad will happen from this and the dish will cook, but the taste will not be perfect. Frying meat before slow cooking in a slow cooker caramelizes the outside of each piece of meat, which gives the dish a certain texture and unique taste and smell. This action is well worth the time.
6. Late addition of seasonings
Fresh herbs are great for fast cooking on the stove top. They can also be added to foods in the multicooker, but don't do it too early. The dish in a multicooker languishes for a long time and fresh herbs will only lose their appearance and taste with such heat treatment. To avoid this mistake, throw in fresh herbs towards the end of the cooking time so that they remain whole and flavorful when the meal starts. If you want to add seasonings right away, it is better to give preference to dry additives.
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7. Choosing the wrong size of the multicooker
Not every multicooker is suitable for every multicooker recipe. The cooking time for each recipe depends on the size of the technique and how full its bowl is. To ensure optimal cooking, the multicooker should be half to three-quarters full of its maximum capacity. If it is not full enough, the food is likely to be digested. If the bowl is too full, the dish may not cook completely or escape from under the lid.
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8. Adding dairy products too early
Dairy products quickly lose their properties when heated strongly and quickly, and a multicooker is no exception in this matter. If you need to add ingredients such as milk, cheese, cream, sour cream or processed cheese to the dish, then it's better to take your time. Doing this at the beginning of cooking can ruin the taste irrevocably. It is best to add milk ingredients within the last half hour - this is enough to bring them to readiness, to make them melt and dissolve in the dish.
Useful advice: If there is no urgency in cooking, then between slow and fast cooking in a multicooker, it is better to choose a slower one.
And these 13 myths about kitchen appliances have nothing to do with reality.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/070420/54064/