Crock Pot Cooking

I am thinking about getting a different crockpot again. The one I have works great, but it has that heavy stoneware insert that is hard to take out and clean. Usually, I use one of those plastic liners, so that cleaning is much simpler, but I am thinking that the plastic is probably not a good thing to be cooking in. We hear so much about the dangers of using plastic for cooking and even in the microwave to reheat something.

I really miss my old Ninja Cooking System, but you just can’t find them anymore, and even on ebay, the used ones are almost $100, and who knows how long they would work.
The new Ninja Multi-cooker is larger, does something like 20 different things, most of which I would not be doing with it, and costs about $150, give or take, depending on the sale.
And it looks huge, for just two old people like us.

What I want is something that functions as a slow cooker, but does not have that heavy insert. My Ninja had a lightweight one that was easy to remove and clean, and I do not want to spend even close to $100 for something to cook with.
I found one called Greenlife with a ceramic insert that is lightweight, and can even be used on the stovetop or oven to sear something before cooking if I wanted to do that.
The reviews are excellent, and I found one on sale, so I ordered it and will have it next week.
Old crockpot going to the thrift store !

 

I've never heard of Greenlife. I just took a peek on their website. That's a pretty neat design. You can sear your meats in the ceramic insert, and the put it in the base and start slow cooking. That would be perfect for the stew recipes. And the model I looked at is 30% off. link I'm eager to hear how you like it, Yvonne.

 

That is the same as the one I ordered, @John Brunner !
I found one marked down (dented box type) for $37 and ordered it . Since I have started making the bone broth soups, and will be cooking that a lot this winter, I think this is going to be perfect for me. It looks large enough that I can make a roast or even a whole chicken in it, and I won’t have to deal with that heavy stoneware insert anymore.

I have been looking at the slow cooker and multi-cooker videos , trying to see one that is the right size and price for me, and this one seems like it will work.
I do not need one of those cookers that does 20 different things that I will never use it for, and makes it harder to find the correct setting to cook with, and this seems like a simple piece of cookware.
It looks like it works almost like my Ninja Cooking System that I had a few years ago, and wished ever since that I had not given it away. It did go to a good home though, so that part is good.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0997KJ2YM?

 

You were better off not getting one of the other brand's 7 qt slow cooker (I think it's Hamilton Beach.) Liquid literally boils on High. I made mulled cider for a church event in mine and it scalded someone, it was so hot. Even Low is not really "Low." I've only kept it because it can heat up cooked foods really fast for buffets.

 

My Green Life slow cooker arrived this morning, and I think I am going to really like it. The insert is not lightweight, but definitely not heavy like the stoneware insert on regular crockpots. It has a ceramic coating, and not just the non-stick coating, which is a good thing. I haven’t used it yet, but I plugged it in to make sure everything works fine, and it does.
The Mode button has L/M/H, plus a delay timer and a keep warm button. The dial is to set it for a certain amount of time if I want to do that, and then it would go to keep warm after the set cooking time.
It is simple to use, and will be large enough for me to roast a whole chicken in it when we want to do that. The insert can be used in an over for baking, but we probably won’t be using it that way.
All in all, I am pleased.

 

That reminds me...I have a great minestrone soup recipe I need to make.

 

@Jacob Petersheim

Somebody also suggested (yeah, it sounds weird) whole-grain bread toasted until VERY very dark but not burnt and scraped with a knife into fine crumbs along with the crusts trimmed off thinly. Caramelization?
I have never heard of this (which means nothing), and can find nothing about it on the web (which also means nothing.) Maybe someone else can chime in on this.

I often have "baby carrots" that get damp and yucky before I use them up. I heard the idea of washing them and freezing them, then taking some out for broth... or more of them to make a final soup.
I know you can use "soft" carrots in soups. Dunno how far gone they can be and still be safe to eat.

I also heard "add a little cider vinegar to draw nutrients out from the bones." Any sense in that?
Supposedly debunked by this website, which send their broths out for lab testing:

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However, other sites say it helps to extract the collagen/protein. The above site says it does not help with collagen extract. That site has some great tips. In the short amount of time I've seen canning, I can't tell you how much bad advice I've seen repeated on canning and on how to prep jars, lids and seals. Everyone likes to Copy/Pasta.

I even heard "use potato peels" and "a diced parsnip" but I don't buy parsnips.
There are some stews that a really better with root veggies (potatoes, turnips and parsnips.) Parsnips tend to be bitter, so use them sparingly.

Does it make sense to strain through brown unbleached coffee filters?
Use cheesecloth. I've tried straining stuff through coffee filters. It takes longer than forever. I have no idea how coffee makes it through so fast.

Does anyone add more water and get a second batch out of a glob of "parts?"
I've found that you need less water than most recipes call for to get a non-weak broth. I would not waste my time getting a second batch out of broth.

How about coarse oat flour? I often run "old fashioned oats" through a coffee grinder finely to go into foot baths or even breading mixes for chicken and in meatloaf.
If you mean for thickening, I use dehydrated (instant) potatoes, flour, cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot, in that order, although Martha Stewart uses rolled oats to thicken some soups...but she purees the soup before serving. The benefit to dehydrated potatoes and oats is that they add nutrients and flavor...flour and cornstarch can dilute flavor. In any event, you thicken stuff at the end, not when making broth.

Herbs: Sage? Bay leaf? Caraway seed? Ginger?
Yup. Don't forget thyme. You can also use star anise, ginger root, fennel seed, and of course, always add whole peppercorns (black, white, red.) I recently ran across a website that said to not use sage in your chicken broth if you're gonna can it. It gets "weird" over time. Dunno how sage would be if your froze your leftovers.

 

I learned a little by researching your questions. I'm still curious about the whole wheat bread thing. And I never heard of using oatmeal as a thickener.

Regarding cheesecloth...it's cheaper if you buy it in a hobby store or the hobby aisle. My Walmart has it in the cooking section for $2/yd². I walk around the corner to the hobby/sewing aisle and it's 99¢/yd². Both are food-safe. I keep several paks on hand...it sells out around Halloween.