People have been slow cooking food in closed ceramic vessels since ancient times. The Crock Pot of the 1970’s was a hit for working women as a home cooked meal was prepared while they were at work. Solar ovens, another slow cooking method using only the sun, come in handy on hot days when kids can slow cook dinner on the patio and keep the house cool.
The longer cooking time allows the flavor of the ingredients to develop a delicious complexity and the nutrients to concentrate in the food. The slow cooker is an ideal way to cook beans from scratch, as well as grains, soups, and stews. At the end of a hard day, instead of eating at a fast food place or putting packaged processed food in the microwave, families can have a healthy, well balanced, economical meal with the slow cooker. Slow cookers come in many sizes, colors, and shapes with programmable timers and temperature settings. Slow cooked dishes are also great for potlucks, where the cooking unit can be plugged it and sit on the serving table, keeping the dish warm. Slow cookers are a convenient way to prepare healthy home cooked meals by filling it with ingredients in the morning and having a delicious meal ready at the end of the day.
