USING A SLOW COOKER SAFELY
While
slow cooking is a great way to prepare a home-cooked meal and
have it ready at the end of a busy working day for your family
to enjoy, don't take any food safety shortcuts in the process.
These recommendations are easy to follow and help reduce the
threat of foodborne illness from meals cooked at lower
temperatures for longer periods of time."
Is A Slow Cooker Safe?
Yes, it cooks foods slowly at a low temperature — generally
between 170° and 280° F. The low heat helps less expensive,
leaner cuts of meat become tender and shrink less.
The direct heat, lengthy cooking time and the steam created
within the tightly covered container combine to destroy bacteria
and make the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.
Safe Beginnings
Begin with a clean cooker, clean utensils and a clean work area
and wash hands before and during food preparation.
Keep perishable foods refrigerated until preparation time.
Separate and store cut meat and vegetables in the refrigerator.
The slow cooker might take several hours to reach a safe,
bacteria-killing temperature.
Thaw & Cut Ingredients
Always defrost meat and poultry before putting it into a slow
cooker. Choose to make foods with high moisture content, such as
chili, soup, stew or spaghetti sauce. Cut food into chunks or
small pieces to ensure thorough cooking. Do not use the slow
cooker for large pieces like a roast or a whole chicken because
the food will cook so slowly it could remain in the bacterial
"Danger Zone" — between 40 °F and 140 °F — too long.
Use the Right Amount of Food
Fill the slow cooker no less than half full and no more than
two-thirds full. Vegetables cook slower than meat and poultry in
a slow cooker so if using them, put vegetables in first, at the
bottom and around sides of the appliance. Then add meat and
cover the food with liquid such as broth, water or barbecue
sauce. Keep the lid in place.
Settings
Most cookers have two or more settings. Foods take different
times to cook depending upon the setting used. Certainly, foods
will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day
cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low
setting.
If possible, turn the cooker on the highest setting for the
first hour of cooking time and then to low or the setting called
for in your recipe. It is safe to cook foods on low the entire
time — if you're leaving for work, for example, and preparation
time is limited.
While food is cooking and once it's done, food will stay safe as
long as the cooker is operating.
Power Out
Slow cookers offer the convenience of allowing people to prepare
meals while they are away from home. If for some reason the
power goes out and you are not home, there is no way to tell if
the food got fully cooked so it is best to throw the food away.
If you're home when the power goes out, it is safe to finish
cooking the ingredients immediately by some other means: on a
gas stove, on the outdoor grill or at a house where the power is
on.
When you are at home, and if the food was completely cooked
before the power went out, the food should remain safe up to two
hours in the cooker with the power off.
Handling Leftovers
Store leftovers in shallow covered containers and refrigerate
within two hours after cooking is finished. Reheating leftovers
in a slow cooker is not recommended. However, cooked food can be
brought to steaming on the stovetop or in a microwave oven and
then put into a preheated slow cooker to keep hot for serving.
Consumers with food safety
questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
at 1-(888) 674-6854. The hotline is available in English and
Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are
available 24 hours a day.
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