How much liquid do I need to have in my crock pot to prevent burning?!
Answers: I have never used a crock pot (slow cooker) before and just bought one yesterday. I have found a couple of recipes, but the amount of liquid called for in each recipe varies. I don't know what the minimum amount of liquid is that I must have in the crockpot in order to prevent burning or scorching of the crock pot. One recipe that I have found called for only using 1 cup of water with 4 pounds of meat. I would assume that I would need at least enough liquid in the crock pot to fully cover the meat. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank You
nothing can burn if the botton of the crock is covered. if you aren't a trained cook/chef i wouldn't reccomend messing with the recipe. Always follow it unless you are simply modifying spices/ salt. you dont necessarily need to cover the meat b/c \ steam will help cook the meat slowly to ensure tenderness and no burning. hope this helps
Follow the recipe.
As that meat cooks down, the fat will become liquid and any veggies present will also release water, increasing the amount of liquid in the pot.
Because the crockpot is covered, you do not loose moisture like you do on the stovetop.
keep at lest 1/2 of the pot full of water
use the recipe
as long as the bottom of the pot is covered in liquid, your fine. The lid keeps the water in plus as the heat increases it will cause more moisture, not to mention the liquid that will come out of whatever you are cooking. Good luck hope it tastes great!
I have used a crockpot for years. I use a splash of cooking sherry, and enough water to come up to 1/2 of the meat. then I put in peeled carrots, celery, peeled potatoes, and some sliced onions. Cook on low for all day. When you get home, the liquid level will be much higher. Use te the liquid for gravy. mix with a half a glass of water and 2 Tbsp of cornstarch.
Crock pots use the "braising" method of cooking. Using lots of liquid is fine. I ALWAYS cover the meat in liquid, about 3/4 when I braise OR use a crock pot (but, I never use recipes, either).
you don't need that much liquid, don't cover the meat with water. if your that worried about scorching, you can spray the inside of the crock pot with pam or grease lightly with crisco or whatever oil you have on hand.