Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) liquids

[WaHoo]

Need some help here... Anybody got a rule of thumb to use to reduce the liquids from a traditionallly cooked meal for crock pot use? Everything I tried so far in our newest kitchen gadget turned out fine, but those were recipes actually made for slow cooking...

I have several stew type dishes were I'd normally just cut up the solids, put them into the large stock pot, and fill up with water until it's just about covered. Works fine every time, but with evaporation nearly elimited in a crock pot, things would turn out too thin.

[Chairman_Kaga]

You're looking for like a gravy when you're done or to cook of the water?

For gravy, I thicken the liquids with corn starch.

[WaHoo]

Thin gravy... thick soup... something in between. I went through the pot's manual again and found the all important line "A cup of liquid uisually is enough unless you're cooking with rice or pasta" and I guess I'll take it from there and see what happens. After all it's easier to add water later in the process than trying to get it out later.

[Chairman_Kaga]

Yeah, corn starch or your other favorite. Problem is that you have to bring it to a low boil for a bit to get the corn starch to start to thicken. Whisk in cold water before adding to stew.

Also, other tricks depending on how much liquid you need to suck up and what you are making:
Dried onions suck up quite a bit. (fresh onions will add moisture)
Dried flake/leafy herbs such as oregano, thyme, basil, etc...
Like RTG said, cook a while with the lid off. This will steam off a little liquid too
Rice

Things to remember:
Onions will add moisture as will fresh tomatoes
It is a thousand times easier to add liquid than remove


As for cooking with water and the amount to use, I guess that would greatly depend on what you are cooking. I primarily use the crockpot for stew or shredded pork/chicken. In the stew, I thicken, with the others, I usually remove them from the cooking liquids before shredding. Then turn the remaining liquids into a BBQ sauce. Try a pork roast slow cooked in rootbeer some time.

[LilPuppy]

Hmm...problem is too much liquid ?? if so Rolands right...with the lid on the steam has no where to escape and forms back to a liquid. Not enough liquid ?? just add stock to it periodically, canned beef or chicken consomme is perfect. Too thicken it remove the food product from liquid (if you boil the liquid with the food it will become tough as leather) bring to a boil , add slurry ( corn strach and cold water mixed well so there is no lumps) it should stop boiling for a sec. when it starts to boil again reduce heat to a simmer for a minute or two.....till reduced and thickened to your desired consistencey...pour through a fine strainer to remove any particules and flavour (salt , pepper , wine etc.)

[BoogerBomb]

Cant you just dip a paper towel in it every once in a while?

I dont use my crockpot often if you cant tell lol.

I overuse my Fry Daddy. Its my lifeline.

[WaHoo]

I made pulled pork... Instead of root beer I used beer beer. A bottle of it, onions and garlic.... After a cooking time of 10 hours it was so delicious already that at least half a pound of the meat went straight into my stomach while I was shredding... This was a perfect opportunity to get rid of all the halfe empty sauce bottles. I'm somewhat sceptical about the use of root beer. I like root beer, but I am somewhat concerned about the sugar. Well, I guess there would always be the option of a second attempt with plain sassafras concentrate... We'll see...

I made a beef pot roast, and it turned out to be the best pot roast I've ever had, even though I was very close to having the fluids problem again. I think it was the massive amounts of onion since the meat was fairly lean and the only liquid added was Cream of Mushroom concentrate which should even thicken things up some.

I tried chicken wings in Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Teriaki marinade amongst some other things. Not that it was bad, but if I had done it with mommy's homemade marinade it would have been almost identical. Putting this experience away as interesting but unnecessarily expensive.

I still didn't solve the smoker's temperature problem, so I guess I'll try to utilize the crock pot one of these days to finish the meat. An hour or so in the smoke should remove most of the fat and add suficcient flavoring for the crock pot to take over and finish the cooking. I'm going to use cheap "country style ribs" for this "experiment"

Almost worth a new thread elsewhere, but... Harbor Freight Tools (not kindding) is currently having a 6 quart cast iron dutch oven for $10.99...

[PorkFat]

I made pulled pork... Instead of root beer I used beer beer. A bottle of it, onions and garlic.... After a cooking time of 10 hours it was so delicious already that at least half a pound of the meat went straight into my stomach while I was shredding... This was a perfect opportunity to get rid of all the halfe empty sauce bottles. I'm somewhat sceptical about the use of root beer. I like root beer, but I am somewhat concerned about the sugar. Well, I guess there would always be the option of a second attempt with plain sassafras concentrate... We'll see...

I made a beef pot roast, and it turned out to be the best pot roast I've ever had, even though I was very close to having the fluids problem again. I think it was the massive amounts of onion since the meat was fairly lean and the only liquid added was Cream of Mushroom concentrate which should even thicken things up some.

I tried chicken wings in Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Teriaki marinade amongst some other things. Not that it was bad, but if I had done it with mommy's homemade marinade it would have been almost identical. Putting this experience away as interesting but unnecessarily expensive.

I still didn't solve the smoker's temperature problem, so I guess I'll try to utilize the crock pot one of these days to finish the meat. An hour or so in the smoke should remove most of the fat and add suficcient flavoring for the crock pot to take over and finish the cooking. I'm going to use cheap "country style ribs" for this "experiment"

Almost worth a new thread elsewhere, but... Harbor Freight Tools (not kindding) is currently having a 6 quart cast iron dutch oven for $10.99...

Hey now no pulling pork... :lol: