Slow cooker food safety

We usually think of winter as the time of year to prepare foods in a slow cooker. There’s nothing like coming home to a pot full of hot yummy goodness on a cold day. But warm weather is also a perfect time. Using a slow cooker cannot only free up time in the kitchen so you can enjoy the beautiful weather, but you can avoid heating your house with the oven.

Slow cookers use a low, but safe, temperature to cook foods slowly — usually between 170 degrees and 280 degrees Fahrenheit. When combined with the steam the slow cooker creates and the long cooking time, harmful bacteria is destroyed. But there are some general guidelines you should follow to ensure your food is safe.

• Thaw: Always make sure meat has been fully thawed before putting it in the slow cooker. Harmful bacteria can multiply quickly between 40 and 140 degrees. If food remains in this danger time zone for more than two hours, food can become unsafe. Frozen meat, especially if left whole, may take too long to reach a safe temperature.

• Refrigerate: Keep perishable foods refrigerated until it’s time to put them into the slow cooker. This will avoid giving harmful bacteria a “head start” during the first few hours of cooking.

• Measure: Use the right amount of food according to the recipe. If cooking meat and vegetables together, place the vegetables on the bottom or around the sides so they will be closer to the heat. Vegetables take longer to cook than meat. Cut meat into smaller pieces, if possible, and add the suggested amount of liquid.

• Keep the lid in place: Every time the lid is removed, heat will escape; dropping the internal temperature of the slow cooker by 10 to 15 degrees. This can slow the cooking time by 30 minutes. Only lift the lid if the food needs to be stirred or to check for doneness.

• Temperature setting: Most slow cookers have more than one setting. For all-day cooking, use the low setting. However, use the highest setting for the first hour of cooking, if possible. Never use the “warm” setting to cook foods. This temperature is only designed to keep foods at a safe holding temperature after they have been thoroughly cooked.

• Leftovers: Leftovers should be stored in shallow containers and refrigerated within two hours.

• Reheating: Do not use a slow cooker to reheat food. Use the stove, microwave or oven to reheat food to a safe temperature of 165 degrees. Once food has been reheated, you can use the slow cooker to keep the food hot while serving if the slow cooker has been preheated to at least 140 degrees.

• Power outages: If you are at home and the power goes out, finish cooking the food immediately by another means, such as a gas stove or outdoor grill. If the food is completely cooked when the power goes out, the food should be safe to eat for up to two hours. If you are not at home during the entire cooking process and the power has gone out, throw all of the food away – even if it looks done.

For more information on Slow Cooker Food Safety, call the Garland County Extension Office at

623-6841, email Jessica at jvincent@uaex.edu, visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu or visit the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service at https://www. fsis.usda.gov.

EHC Interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information, call 623-6841 or email jvincent@uaex.edu.

Master Gardeners

If interested in becoming a Master Gardener and would like information, the public is welcome to attend their monthly meeting at 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge; or call the Extension office; or email abates@uaex.edu.

4-H

There are 4-H clubs for Garland County youths who are 5 to 19 years old. For information, call the Extension Office or email Linda Bates at lbates@uaex.edu.