How to Use a Slow Cooker Safely

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Thaw poultry and meat before placing it in the cooker.

   Always thaw your meat and poultry inside the refrigerator.
   
   Also, keep the meat in the fridge until you are ready to put it in the slow cooker for cooking.Your slow cooker will not be able to heat frozen meat to a consumable temperature quickly (140 degrees Fahrenheit/60 degrees Celsius), which can cause food borne illnesses.
2. 2

   Step 2: Do not cook food using the warm setting.

   The purpose of the warm setting is to keep your food warm after it is cooked.
   
   If you use the warm setting to cook your food, then it will not be cooked through and will be unsafe for consumption., Every time you lift the lid, the internal temperature falls 10 to 15 degrees, slowing the cooking process by 30 minutes.
   
   Therefore, only lift the lid to stir your ingredients or to check your food for doneness., Store them in tupperware and place the tupperware in the fridge after you have finished eating.
   
   Try not to let your food cool down in the cooker., Instead, manually reheat leftovers on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a conventional oven until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73.9 degrees Celsius).
   
   Then you can transfer the food to a pre-heated slow cooker to keep it hot for serving.Before serving, make sure the food’s internal temperature is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).
3. 3

   Step 3: Limit the amount of times you lift the lid.

4. 4

   Step 4: Store leftovers within two hours.

5. 5

   Step 5: Do not reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.

Detailed Guide

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