Use the Right Amount of Food Fill cooker no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full. Vegetables cook slower than meat and poultry in a slow cooker so if using them, put vegetables in first, at the bottom and around sides of the utensil. Then add meat and cover the food with liquid such as broth, water or barbecue sauce. Keep the lid in place, removing only to stir the food or check for doneness. Settings Most cookers have two or more settings.
Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used.
Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. If possible, turn the cooker on the highest setting for the first hour of cooking time and then to low or the setting called for in your recipe. While food is cooking and once it's done, food will stay safe as long as the cooker is operating. If you are not at home during the entire slow-cooking process and the power goes out, throw away the food even if it looks done. When you are at home, and if the food was completely cooked before the power went out, the food should remain safe up to two hours in the cooker with the power off.