do you cook with a crock pot?is it safe?food poisoning from slow cooking meat?

Question

I bought a crock pot and cooked a whole chicken on low for 10 hours,i dont have one of those meat thermomemtor thingies but it seems done to me,im just worried??

Answer 1

Slice in the middle of the breast. If the juice runs clear and not pinkish, it should be done. 10 hrs should have cooked it. Crock pots are safe. I use mine all the time. Probably be a good idea to invest in a meat thermometer though.

Answer 2

This is probably the safest way to cook in a crock pot. You should go to your local library and check out a couple of books that has to deal with cooking with crock pots and how long you should cook each meal in the crock pot. Also, there are many kinds of foods you can cook in the crock pot itself.
You only can get food poisoning if the food you use is really old or if you cook the food the wrong way, but other than that, you won't get poisoned.

Answer 3

I saw your other question too. Trust me you are going to love this versatile cooking tool. I use mine probably 3 times a week. I used to brown the edges of my meat first but now that I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old. I just don't have the time. I actually stick my meat in the cooker frozen. I know it sounds crazy but it works perfectly every time. (of course you can't put in a whole frozen chicken but you can put in pieces). I recently put frozen sirloin tips in the cooker with some fresh garlic. When the meat was done I added some frozen stir fry veggies for only a few minutes. I then strained it popped it in the wok with some Hoisin sauce, hot pepper flakes and served it over rice. Yummmm! There are some great recipes on Kraftfoods.com, and campbellskitchen.com, Paula Deen on the food network also has some yummy ones. One very important tip though: Cold Food into a Cold Crock Pot, Hot Food into a Hot Crock Pot. This is the one rule that you cannot break, you can crack your pot.
Good luck and don't worry. My family is still happy and healthy.

Oh I also once put in a frozen pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, mexican seasoning (packet), a can of tomatoes (hot, diced), and a can of tomato soup. I let it cook all day. Once the chicken was falling apart. I placed it on a cutting board, shreaded it and returned it to the crock-pot for the flavors to mix together. We had chicken Taco's! Yummm!

Answer 4

We'd starve without my Crock Pot. I get so wound up and stressed by the time dinner rolls around, and the Crock Pot saves the day. Sometimes I don't get around to putting it on until as late as 2 in the afternoon. I use a couple tricks. Browning the meat on the stove gives it extra flavor and jump-starts the cooking. Also, I frequently prepare everything and pop the ceramic crock into the microwave just enough to warm everything up. It probably saves the initial hour of cooking when things are just coming to room temperature. Also, don't forget to use the Crock Pot Liners. Be careful not to puncture them when you are serving, but then you will be able to just lift out the whole liner and your crock will be clean. It's when I discovered the liners that my use of the crock pot increased so much!

Answer 5

Cooking in the pot is great. Slow cooking softens the meat and it falls right off the bone. Its all good to cook chicken or read meat. Just follow the directions and experiment.

Answer 6

A crock pot essentially boils your meat in it's own juices. Anything that is boiling is going to be safe to eat, because boiling kills germs.

Yes, it is perfectly safe as long as it is eaten while it is still hot, or you have refrigerated all leftovers right after your meal.

If it had cooked through, and then sat on the counter for 5 hours without boiling THEN there would be a problem, because of growth of bacteria.

Answer 7

I understand your apprehension but today's crockpots are safe. The early ones did cook at too low a temperature for chicken that wasn't slightly precooked. You could slightly cook your meat before putting it in the crockpot, if it will make you feel safer! Not everyone is extra sensitive to undercooked meat but I am. I get sick off of meat that no one else does. I still don't cook chicken in a crockpot but that is just me. I've never hesitated in using it for any other meat, it is wonderful!

Answer 8

Sometimes crockpots are not hot enough - I cooked my chicken in a new crockpot and the broth around the chicken was never too hot for my finger when I'd dip it in to test the heat, and after 12 hours I am wondering myself if it's safe to eat the chicken. My previous crockpot used to become too hot to touch, so I think this one may have something wrong with it. But temperature is something one must inquire about when answering a question about safety. Never assume all crockpots are working fine or that heat is high enough on every crockpot..

Answer 9

They are fantastic pieces of kit and all meat cooked in them comes out tender and well cooked.
The only problem is that they don't brown meat so it will come out the same colour it went in more or less also it won't crisp anything up. Make sure you at least brown chicken or pork prior to putting it in the slow cooker.
Steak and kidney puddings are fab cooked all day and stews, currys and hotpots are fantastic. Experiment with things you may just be surprised.

Answer 10

People have been and continue to use these things. If used properly, they are safe. The temperature is above the "safe" level.

However, it's best not to let it sit for too long after the cooking is complete. And don't let it sit too long prior to the start of cooking.