I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
Thanks!

, Once upon a time in a land far away sara hurt was alleged to have said:
> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> Thanks!

Make sure you have plenty of liquid covering it, and it should be fine.
Overcooked roasts in a crock pot tend to fall apart into strings, but
they still taste good.

--
RUDE BABIES & LITTLE PUSSY SPORTSWEAR

Funny shirts for babies & their moms
http://www.cafeshops.com/rudebabies

In article >,
(sara hurt) wrote:

> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> Thanks!

Personally, I'd not do chops for that length of time...

A roast maybe, and make darned sure there is plenty of liquid and it's
set on low!!

K.

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http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

(sara hurt) wrote:

>I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
>crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
>work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
>hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
>hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
>takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
>Thanks!

You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the electrical outlet to
start the cooking later by 3 hours.

Dennis

"Dennis G." wrote:
>
> (sara hurt) wrote:
>
> >I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> >claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> >crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> >work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> >hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> >hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> >takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> >Thanks!
>
> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the electrical outlet to
> start the cooking later by 3 hours.
>
> Dennis

Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want pork chops
sitting around at room temp all that time? I wouldn't. I guess maybe
if the liquid was replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.

nancy

You'll get the best results by cooking dishes in the crock pot that you
would have simmered a long time in a Dutch oven on the stove or in the
oven - stews and braised dishes.

There's no reason why you can't braise pork chops, but meat that tender to
start with is usually grilled or sautéed - you can use cheaper, tougher cuts
in the crock pot.

You can load the crockpot with all the raw ingredients and let it go, and
you'll get a nice stew. You can make it even better by browning the
meat/chicken in a pan first and then putting it in the crockpot with the
veggies and a small amount of liquid. Maybe sauté the onions, too.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"sara hurt" > wrote in message
om...
> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> Thanks!

>I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
>crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
>work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
>hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
>hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
>takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?

The trick to crock pots is to make sure you have enough liquid in there. It is
nearly impossible to overcook anything in there, since the food in the crock
pot essentially simmers at a low temperature. and you can simmer food
indefinitely.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"The likelihood of one individual being correct increases in a direct
proportion to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong"
James Mason from the movie "Heaven Can Wait".

Nancy Young > wrote in
:

> "Dennis G." wrote:
>>
>> (sara hurt) wrote:
>>
>> >I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>> >claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
>> >crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
>> >work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
>> >hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
>> >hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
>> >takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
>> >Thanks!
>>
>> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the electrical
>> outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.
>>
>> Dennis
>
> Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want pork chops
> sitting around at room temp all that time? I wouldn't. I guess maybe
> if the liquid was replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.
>
> nancy
>

Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about 3 hours. What
I do is fully prepare the contents of the crock the night before, then
refrigerate covered until just a moment before I leave for work. The
residual cold from the thick crockery and food keeps it cool enough prior
to the cooking cycle. I never include "high risk" ingredients like eggs,
mayo, etc.

Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when put into the
crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If including potatoes, they
should be coated or covered in liquid to prevent darkening.

Wayne

"sara hurt" > wrote in message
om...
> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> Thanks!


Couple of suggestions: I have a crockpot that will cook up to 12 hours and
then 'keep warm' for another 2 hours.
You can also plug in a timer to the outlet and set it to 'turn on' at a
certain time, say 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and then let the corckpot cook at
its normal rate.
In either case, I would use more liquid than it calls for-just a bit-not 2-3
cups.

"Kswck" > wrote in message
et...
>
> "sara hurt" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> > claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> > crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while at
> > work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low 6-8
> > hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2 to 11
> > hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum time it
> > takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it longer?
> > Thanks!
>
>
> Couple of suggestions: I have a crockpot that will cook up to 12 hours and
> then 'keep warm' for another 2 hours.
> You can also plug in a timer to the outlet and set it to 'turn on' at a
> certain time, say 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and then let the corckpot cook
at
> its normal rate.
> In either case, I would use more liquid than it calls for-just a bit-not
2-3
> cups.

Just additional input. I have never over cooked anything in my crock pots. I
often cook things for 12 hours in it. I never add more liquid though. Crock
pots do not evaporate liquid as other cookers do. I generally use less
liquid than specified.

Charlie

What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and carrots? Are they in any
danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?

N.

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> Just additional input. I have never over cooked anything in my crock pots.
I
> often cook things for 12 hours in it. I never add more liquid though.
Crock
> pots do not evaporate liquid as other cookers do. I generally use less
> liquid than specified.
>
> Charlie
>
>

"N." > wrote in message
...
> What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and carrots? Are they in
any
> danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?
>
> N.

<snip>

Given enough time everything put into a crock pot is in danger of being
overcooked. The advantages to a "slow cooker" or Crock Pot is that the food
is cooked under relatively low heat in an almost sealed environment. The
low heat has the effect of lowering the evaporation rate. Foods cook in
their own juices which is the main reason why very little liquid is
generally added to a crock pot recipe as opposed to a stove top or oven
recipe.

Dimitri

sara hurt wrote:
>
> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
> crock pot. I'm a little dubious.

The primary reason most people object to overcooking is most methods
yield tough results. Crockpots yield food that is quite soft, so
that alone overcomes the major objection to overcooking. If the
roast is cooked enough to fall off the bone, doing that in an oven
will make it like leather. If the roast is cooked enough to fall
off the bone, doing that in a crockpot pushes it in the direction
of stew.

Don't waste a standing rib roast in it. Get a chuck or round or
similar. Something that the toughness is coaxed slowly out and the
flavor is as well.

"Doug Freyburger" > wrote in message
om...
> sara hurt wrote:

<snip>

> Don't waste a standing rib roast in it. Get a chuck or round or
> similar.

I don't quite agree.

Several months ago I had an el cheapo standing Rib Roast (USDA Select) that
we browned and shoved into the crock pot.

It ended up being one of the better braised roasts I've ever had.

Dimitri

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> Nancy Young > wrote in
> :
>
>> "Dennis G." wrote:
>>>
>>> (sara hurt) wrote:
>>>
>>>> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>>>> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in the
>>>> crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe while
>>>> at work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking on low
>>>> 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like 10 1/2
>>>> to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the minimum
>>>> time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook it
>>>> longer? Thanks!
>>>
>>> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the electrical
>>> outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>
>> Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want pork chops
>> sitting around at room temp all that time? I wouldn't. I guess
>> maybe if the liquid was replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.
>>
>> nancy
>>
>
> Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about 3 hours.
> What I do is fully prepare the contents of the crock the night
> before, then refrigerate covered until just a moment before I leave
> for work. The residual cold from the thick crockery and food keeps
> it cool enough prior to the cooking cycle. I never include "high
> risk" ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.
>
> Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when put into
> the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If including potatoes,
> they should be coated or covered in liquid to prevent darkening.
>
> Wayne

Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't mention the crock pot
having more than one temperature setting. The ones I have do; HIGH is for
10-12 hours, LOW for 6-8.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in
:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> Nancy Young > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> "Dennis G." wrote:
>>>>
>>>> (sara hurt) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>>>>> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in
>>>>> the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe
>>>>> while at work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking
>>>>> on low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like
>>>>> 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
>>>>> minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you cook
>>>>> it longer? Thanks!
>>>>
>>>> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the electrical
>>>> outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.
>>>>
>>>> Dennis
>>>
>>> Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want pork
>>> chops sitting around at room temp all that time? I wouldn't. I
>>> guess maybe if the liquid was replaced by ice cubes, but ... really.
>>>
>>> nancy
>>>
>>
>> Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about 3 hours.
>> What I do is fully prepare the contents of the crock the night
>> before, then refrigerate covered until just a moment before I leave
>> for work. The residual cold from the thick crockery and food keeps
>> it cool enough prior to the cooking cycle. I never include "high
>> risk" ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.
>>
>> Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when put into
>> the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If including potatoes,
>> they should be coated or covered in liquid to prevent darkening.
>>
>> Wayne
>
> Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't mention the crock
> pot having more than one temperature setting. The ones I have do;
> HIGH is for 10-12 hours, LOW for 6-8.
>
> Jill
>
>
>

I think you wrote that backwards....low for 10-12 hrs and high for 6-8 is
what I think you meant

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

hahabogus wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in
> :
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> Nancy Young > wrote in
>>> :
>>>
>>>> "Dennis G." wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> (sara hurt) wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I bought my first crock pot this weekend. The instruction manual
>>>>>> claims that "it's virtually impossible to overcook anything" in
>>>>>> the crock pot. I'm a little dubious. I'd like to try a recipe
>>>>>> while at work tomorrow (for pork chops) and it calls for cooking
>>>>>> on low 6-8 hours. However, with my hours, I'll be gone more like
>>>>>> 10 1/2 to 11 hours. Will it overcook, or is the 6-8 hours the
>>>>>> minimum time it takes to be fully cooked and it's fine if you
>>>>>> cook it longer? Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>> You could put a timer between the crock pot cord and the
>>>>> electrical outlet to start the cooking later by 3 hours.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>> Not to be a little safety freak, but would you really want pork
>>>> chops sitting around at room temp all that time? I wouldn't. I
>>>> guess maybe if the liquid was replaced by ice cubes, but ...
>>>> really.
>>>>
>>>> nancy
>>>>
>>>
>>> Atually, I use a timer all the time with a delay of about 3 hours.
>>> What I do is fully prepare the contents of the crock the night
>>> before, then refrigerate covered until just a moment before I leave
>>> for work. The residual cold from the thick crockery and food keeps
>>> it cool enough prior to the cooking cycle. I never include "high
>>> risk" ingredients like eggs, mayo, etc.
>>>
>>> Another alternative might be to leave the meat frozen when put into
>>> the crock. Veggies won't spoil regardless. If including potatoes,
>>> they should be coated or covered in liquid to prevent darkening.
>>>
>>> Wayne
>>
>> Agreed... but I also have to wonder... the OP didn't mention the
>> crock pot having more than one temperature setting. The ones I have
>> do; HIGH is for 10-12 hours, LOW for 6-8.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>>
>>
>
> I think you wrote that backwards....low for 10-12 hrs and high for
> 6-8 is what I think you meant

And what's really funny is I corrected it from being right the first time
around. I'm still all screwed up from my vacation, Alan! Thanks

Jill

>> I think you wrote that backwards....low for 10-12 hrs and high for
>> 6-8 is what I think you meant
>
>And what's really funny is I corrected it from being right the first time
>around. I'm still all screwed up from my vacation, Alan! Thanks
>
>Jill

All screwed up from your vacation... interesting choice of words... hehe


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"N." > wrote in message
...
> What about ingredients in stews - ex. potatoes and carrots? Are they in
any
> danger of being overcooked in a crock pot?
>
> N.

If you dice your vegetables small, you might have a problem. In my stews, I
prefer larger chunks and, in my experience, they have never been
overcooked. I tend not to like tomatoes in the crock pot as they increase in
intensity to me. Really tender vegetables, I often add later in the cooking
time when I can. Sauerkraut can take a long time in the crock pot, but I
prefer to cook fresh cabbage separately from anything in the crock pot. I am
in danger of wandering from the point so I will quit now. ;-)

Charlie