How to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question ‘ How to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker’. We will also look at some basic principles of using a slow-cooker. Moreover, thickening agents are also handy when it comes to thickening and reducing liquid.

How to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker?

It’s easy to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker. Simply prop the lid open with a wooden spoon to leave some room to let the steam out while your food is cooking. This method will give your food a thicker texture.

A drawback of using a slow-cooker is ending up with more fluid than we would like to have. There are ways to prevent it from happening and also to deal with it.

The slow cooker is a popular cooking appliance. The slow cooker has made it easier to prepare meals. However, you can learn to make the best of a slow cooker efficiently and safely. Here we will learn how to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker. 

To avoid trouble after you start cooking, use the appropriate temperature setting and the right sized ingredients. Also, avoid adding too much water to the cooker. Foods such as vegetables and meat release water, that deems additional water as unnecessary. A rule of thumb is to add 50% less water than you would add while cooking on a stovetop.

Having a lid on can prevent liquid from evaporating away. 

If you want to reduce water from a slow cooker, then cook with its lid off. Use the maximum heat setting on the slow cooker and cook for 1-2 hours.

You can also choose to thicken the liquid in the slow cooker; by adding a thickening agent such as corn starch or flour. Otherwise, you can reduce the liquid to concentrate the sauce. As water evaporates from the cooker, the flavors left behind dominate the liquid. As water escapes, the liquid consistency thickens.

After your dish has cooked at the average cooking temperature, turn up the heat to get rid of the liquid quickly. However, you must keep your eyes on the slow cooker to avoid losing too much liquid. The time it takes to reduce the liquid depends on the volume of water that we started with and also on your slow cooker.

If you feel it to be a challenge to reduce on a slow cooker then you can transfer the liquid from the slow cooker to a pan. Let the pan sit on the stovetop at high heat.  Stir continuously to prevent the solids from sticking to the pot and burning.

 For future reference, when you cook in a slow-cooker remember to add less water. The amount of water required to cook in a slow cooker is half of that in a stovetop. The lid of a slow cooker efficiently seals the cooker head and prevents the moisture from escaping.

It is not easy to concentrate your curry in a slow cooker as it is on a stovetop. This guide would help you to thicken your gravy, sauces, soup, sauces, and stew. 

You can open the lid using a toothpick to allow steam to escape. An open slow cooker lid increases the cooking time but allows the water to escape from the pot. 

We suggest using a thickening agent as a last resort. You have various options; flour, cornstarch, and even vegetables.

To reduce liquid by using flour, first scoop out a little fluid from the pot into a cup. Now stir in some flour into the cup to make a thick slurry and pour it back into the pot. You need two tablespoons of flour per cup of liquid. Dissolving it in liquid before you mix it in the pot prevents lump formation and maintains uniformity. Let it simmer for a while to let it thicken, and the flour loses its raw taste. 

If you need a gluten-free solution to reduce your liquid, you can use corn starch instead of flour. Also, cornflour makes liquid retain its clarity, unlike flour. 

Prepare a cornflour slurry by adding one tablespoon of cornstarch to a cup of water. Mix it thoroughly into your pot to avoid lump formation.

There are other unconventional methods to reduce water from pot;

• leftover vegetables
• Arrowroot powder
• potato shavings

Overcooked and inedible veggies can be blended and mixed into the pot.

Arrowroot is also functional if you are thickening a dairy-free liquid. Arrowroot is also gluten-free and works by making a slurry and mixing it into the pot.

Potatoes can also thicken your gravy. Either add grated raw potato or use potato flakes. If you choose raw potatoes, then you need to give them some time to cook. 

In this brief guide, we answered the question ‘ How to reduce the liquid in a slow cooker?’. We also looked at aspects of handling a slow-cooker. We also discussed options that can help to thicken our liquid if we are unable to concentrate it.

Other FAQs about Slow Cooker which you may be interested in.

8 hours on low in slow cooker equals how many hours on high?

https://smartslowcooker.com/blog/thicken-slow-cooker-sauce

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-thicken-sauces-with-rice-flour/