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Prepare, cook, hold, cool, and reheat food using current USDA guidance and a reliable thermometer.
Begin with clean equipment, hands, tools, and work surfaces. Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated until preparation and store pre-cut meat and vegetables separately.
USDA advises thawing meat and poultry before slow cooking unless a commercially frozen meal gives manufacturer slow-cooker directions.
USDA notes that vegetables cook more slowly than meat in a slow cooker and can go in first when the recipe calls for them. Add the specified liquid, cover, plug in, and turn the appliance on.
Use the manual for approved cut sizes and the recipe for fill depth and setting.
Use a food thermometer: USDA lists 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry, 160 degrees for ground meats, and 145 degrees plus a three-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb.
Check the thickest safe location and more than one spot when shape or loading is uneven.
Move leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. USDA does not recommend reheating cold leftovers in a slow cooker.
Reheat leftovers by stove, microwave, or oven to 165 degrees, then transfer to a preheated slow cooker for hot holding at 140 degrees or warmer.
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