Slow Cooking Safe Meals

— Written By Emily Troutman and last updated by
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

Who can resist coming home after a long day of work to dinner already cooked and only one pot to clean? Slow cookers are a fall and winter staple, and with proper use, they are a completely safe and energy efficient way to serve up your favorite meals. Follow these tips to ensure the food coming out of your slow cooker is delicious and safe:

  • Slow cooking is a great way to tenderize tougher, less expensive cuts of meat. Follow your slow cooker’s manufacturers guidelines and recipes to ensure food is reaching proper temperatures while cooking.
  • Start with clean hands, equipment, and utensils.
  • ALWAYS thaw any meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker. If frozen pieces are used, they may not reach a safe temperature quick enough and could possibly result in foodborne illness. There are only three safe ways of thawing food; in the refrigerator, under cold (70°F) running water, and in the microwave (if being cooked immediately).
  • Preheat your slow cooker and add hot liquids, if possible. Preheating or cooking on the highest setting for the first hour will ensure rapid heating of the food and may reduce time it spends in the Temperature Danger Zone (41°F – 135°F) where bacteria can grow at rapid rates.
  • Never use the warm setting to cook food. It is designed to keep food hot once it has finished cooking.
  • Avoid lifting the lid when cooking, if possible. Each time the lid is raised, internal temperature of the slow cooker drops 10-15 degrees and cook time is slowed by 30 minutes.
  • ALWAYS check the internal temperature of meat and poultry with a food thermometer before taking a bite. Minimum internal cooking temperatures – Roasts: 145°F; Poultry: 165°F, Soups, stews & sauces: 165°F.
  • Do not leave cooked food in the slow cooker to cool. Eat food immediately or separate into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
  • Do not reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. Reheat in a microwave or stovetop (to internal temperature of 165°F) and keep warm (at 135°F or above) in slow cooker, if needed.