I love using crock pots! They’re easy to use and hands-off, plus oh-so-portable, which makes a big difference if you want avoiding heating up (or possibly smelling up) the house.
But we’re going beyond regular uses of the crockpot today. I’m sharing 5 surprising ways to use a crock pot.
Do you have a surprising use for a crock pot? Be sure to leave a comment and share — and feel free to leave a link!
Oh, and if you haven’t already, check out my friend Stacy’s eBook Crock On! — which is full of great, mostly whole food recipes.
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Tip of the Week: Free Garden Planning Calculator
It’s time to plan those gardens! Get your free Garden Planning Calculator by clicking here.
The Garden Planning Calculator allows you to input your Last Average Spring Frost Date and provides you the following for 39 types of crops:
- Germination timelines for all crop types
- Germination temperatures for optimal results
- The Indoor Start Date for plants that need to be started as seedlings then transplanted into the garden
- For plants that are direct seeded, the earliest date to plant them outdoors
- For seedlings, the earliest transplant date relative to the last frost
- Based on the current date, it tells you how many days you have left to planting
- Plus, it provides additional dates for when you’re using frost protection measures like a greenhouse, cold frames, or row covers
- AND, it provides you with forecast earliest harvest dates based on the days to maturity for each crop
The free Garden Planning Calculator is from our friend Jason Matyas at Seeds for Generations, who you met in podcast #62.
Listener Question
Today’s question comes from Michelle M.:
I have a Family Grain Mill that I use attached to my Bosch Universal Mixer. It doesn’t grind super finely, so I feel that my bread is usually much more dense as a result. I recently purchased the sifter attachment that attaches to the bowl of my mixer. It sifts soooo very well that I end up with white flour! So, would you say the end result of white flour is a healthy option since most of the phytic acid is the bran. I do mostly make sourdough or soak my flour, so I don’t usually worry about the phytic acid. If it is a healthy option and I’m not losing too many nutrients, what should I do with all the leftover bran, which is A LOT! If I sift 2 cups of flour, I usually end up with 1 cup white flour and 1 cup bran. –Michelle M.
My answer is in today’s podcast.
5 Surprising Ways To Use A Crock Pot
And now, to the topic of today’s podcast. 5 surprising ways to use your crockpot. Please add your surprising uses in the comments!
1.Perpetual Broth
Broth always on hand and so easy!
2. Crockpot Soap
Here’s the recipe and method I’ve been using for years. Make soap today and use it tomorrow!
3. Cheesecake In Jars
Lovely, individual sized servings of cheesecake — easily made in the crockpot!
Cheesecake In Jars
Ingredients
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 2 organic or pastured eggs
- 1-3/8 teaspoons Sweet Leaf powdered stevia or to taste*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
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Put 1 inch of water in the crockpot.
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Cover and turn to high to preheat for 30 minutes.
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Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
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Taste and adjust sweetener.
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When you’re happy with the taste, transfer the mixture to 4 or 5 half pint jars. (If you wish to add a crust first, see recipe below.)
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Fill the jars halfway or three-quarters full, allowing room for expansion and topping (optional).
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Put jars in crockpot, 5 or 6 at a time, or as many as crockpot fits.
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Add more water, if necessary. so they’re immersed halfway up.
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Cover crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours.
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Cheesecakes are done when puffed up, cracked tops, and are pulling away from the sides of the jar (at the top).
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To prevent burning yourself, transfer the jars to a tray using a canning jar lifter or a towel.
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Refrigerate cheesecakes, uncovered, for 4 to 6 hours, until completely chilled.
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Serve with desired topping (see below for crushed berry topping).
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Put lids on any jars that do not get eaten the first day (to prevent absorbing refrigerator odors.)
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*OR 1/2 cup dry sweetener of choice, whizzed fine in blender (sucanat, rapadura, coconut sugar)
Crushed Berry Cheesecake Topping
This is very simple and oh-so-delicious! Makes 1 to 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups berries fresh or thawed
- 1 to 2 dropperfuls Sweet Leaf liquid stevia extract or honey or other sweetener to taste
Instructions
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Mash berries and stevia together.
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Use to top cheesecake or ice cream.
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Refrigerate leftovers in a glass jar with lid.
Coconut-Nut Crust for Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup nuts finely chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- pinch Sweet Leaf powdered stevia or 1 tablespoon dry sweetener of choice
- 1/4 cup grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl.
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Press 1/4” to 3/8” thick into the bottom of half pint jars before adding cheesecake batter.
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Bake according to cheesecake directions.
4. Render Tallow Or Lard
You can move the smell outside when you use your crockpot to render tallow or lard, and it’s the easiest way to make it, too.
5. Make Yogurt
My friend Shannon at Nourishing Days walks you through the whole, easy method for making yogurt in your crockpot. Be sure to listen to the podcast to hear my modifications to end up with thick raw milk yogurt — using the crockpot.
iTunes
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Anything to Add?
I would love to hear from you! Do you have questions for me, or comments about anything shared in this episode? What surprising ways to use a crock pot would you add?
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I use my slowcooker to bake whole grain bread when I don’t want a big batch, or I don’t have time to baby sit making bread. Here’s the recipe and instructions:
http://realfoodliving.com/recipes/slowcooker-whole-grain-bread
Love it, Vickilynn! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, the recipe for crockpot cheesecake says (for both crust & crushed berry topping) “see below for recipe” but I think the recipe is on another page, can you add a link please? Thanks!
Lisa – I’m sorry I left those out. They’re in there now. Thanks for the heads up. 🙂
I replaced my crockpot with an “Instant Pot”. This is a multi-function device. Not only does it work as a slow cooker/crock pot (with it’s easy to clean stainless steel removeable pot), but it’s an electric pressure cooker, steamer, rice maker, and you can sauté right in the pot. The newer version of the model I have has settings to make yogurt (both the heating and the incubation stages), and you can even sous vide in a limited way. The device has a delay function, a timer, a keep warm function, adjustable temperature settings. There newest model is infinitely programmable with a smart phone or computer–it’s out of my price range, but oh, so cool! So anything you can do in a crock pot can be done in the IP, plus much more.
The pressure cooked broth is the best–it does a great job extracting the collagen for lots of gelatinous broth and it tastes just like my mom’s (my mother and her mother before her always used a stove top pressure cooker). The best part–load the ingredients for broth, put the lid on, press ONE button, and you have perfect broth in 1 HOUR. Most of our grassfed meat comes frozen and I can prepare frozen meat in the IP in less time than it takes to prepare fresh meat on the stove top–pre-thawing is not necessary.
Jan – Goodness, I think I need one of those! That may very well be my next gadget. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
What brand do you have and use? There are several on the market and I’d like to get the one that really works. Thank you!
I have an Instant Pot as well. I’m still learning how to use it, there are sooo many things it can do. If you are making broth, just don’t make it in the evening and then the IP off to de pressurize, then forget it’s in there and wake up to rotten broth in the morning. It’s so sad and I’ve done it twice in the past month. From now on I’m limiting myself to making broth in the morning!
I make applebutter every fall in my large crock pot. After making the applesauce, I put it into the crockpot, add cinnamon, cloves, a little Apple cider vinegar, sugar or Stevia or agave nectar to taste. Next step … Long wooden chopsticks across the widest (side to side) top of the pot to keep lid slightly ajar. Let it cook and thicken on low until as dark and thick as you prefer, stirring every few hours. I begin the applebutter in evening and let it cook on low overnight. When finished cooking down, freeze or water bath can per your Canning book instructions. I think it’s 20 minutes in boiling water bath. It goes from crock pot directly to hot jar to canner. Yummy!
Here are other uses of my crock pot:
**Cook salsa for canning
**Stew tomatoes for canning
**Bake potatoes after rubbing with oil
**Set small casserole or pan of cake batter on top of crumpled foil and “bake” on low with lid slightly ajar
**Combine small pieces of soap, melt and pour into small containers for new bars of soap
**Cook overnight breakfast casserole while you sleep
**Mix regular oats, diced apples, raisins, sweetening of your choice (optional), substitute Apple juice for water in recipe; cook on low overnight. Can add sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, ground flax seeds, etc as desired.
Oops, I also add a bit of butter to the overnight oatmeal.
Jan
Jan – Great tips! I love your oat casserole – I’m going to try it. 🙂
I think you’ve used this as the tip of the week before, but I use mine on the Low setting to gently heat crystallized honey. I wrap the jar in a towel and set it in there, stirring every once in a while to liquify it again.
Lindsey – Great tip! Thanks!
Hi Wardee
You’ve really motivated me to try the perpetual bone broth and I just made my first batch. My question is after I cook it on low for a day, do I keep it on low for the next three or four days until consumed or switch it to warm?
Thanks for all you share with us!
Helen
Helen – Never keep it on low for more than a couple hours. It’s not hot enough to keep it cooking and from spoiling. Glad you’re trying out the broth!
Sorry Wardee
I’m still not clear on the process. So keep it on high prerpetually?
Thanks for your clarification????
My midwife used mine to keep the wash clothes hot and ready.
large chunks of raw unpeeled pumpkin in the fall
wheat berries
thin chicken tenders cook really fast