By VCKIE CLARK
Question: I’m planning to use my slow cooker more this winter, but do I have to thaw meats before using them in the slow cooker?
Answer: Yes, despite what you might hear or see on the internet, meat and poultry should be thawed before adding them to a slow cooker. It takes longer to get frozen meat above the safe temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit compared to thawed meat.
Bacteria need the right temperature and enough time to grow and cause illness. Most bacteria grow best in temperatures between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. During that time, they can multiply every 20 minutes, depending on the kind of bacteria. Frozen meat in a slow cooker will stay in this danger zone (temperatures between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F) for too long.
Cooking in a slow cooker is a safe process because of the direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created within the tightly-covered container. These things effectively destroy bacteria making slow cooking safe. When using a slow cooker, it is important to follow a few basic steps to keep food safe
• BEGIN WITH CLEANLINESS — Be sure the cooker, utensils, work space and your hands are clean. Clean vegetables thoroughly in clean water to remove as much soil and bacteria as possible. There is no need to wash meat because this can spread bacteria.
• KEEP FOODS COLD — Keep all perishable foods, such as meat and cut up fruit and vegetables, cold before adding to the cooker.
• MAKE SURE YOUR FOODS FIT — Fill your slow cooker half to two-thirds full to ensure the food cooks thoroughly.
• ADD INGREDIENTS IN ORDER — Place vegetables on the bottom, they take longer to cook. Add the meat and liquid. Dishes with liquid such as chili, soup and stew are good choices for slow cooking because the liquid creates steam.
• PAY ATTENTION TO TEMPERATURE — Preheat you cooker before adding food or cook on the highest setting so that your food reaches 140 degrees F or above more quickly. Use the high or low settings to cook food. Warm settings are not designed for cooking. Keep the lid on the cooker unless it is necessary to check for doneness. In general, Low setting on a slow cooker = 190 degrees F and High setting = 300 degrees F. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on LOW.
• HANDLE LEFTOVERS SAFELY — Do not turn the cooker off and leave food to cool down. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers. Reheat leftovers on the stove, microwave or conventional oven until the temperature of the food reaches 165 degrees F.
Vickie Clark is the Director of the Carter County UT Extension Office and also serves as the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent. If you have questions or need any information related to Family and Consumer Science contact her at the UT Extension Carter County, 824 East Elk Ave., Elizabethton, call 542-1818 or email at vclark@utk.edu.