Advice needed from slow cooker experts

Spid

Full Member
I have bought a slow cooker recently and have used it a couple of times now. I love it and the food has come out yummy.

I'm having a problem with thickening stew in it, I tried cornflour today and it didn't go well. The pot was pretty full and I put water in it to just cover the food. The cornflour just added syns it didn't thicken the sauce at all. I left it to cook for a good half hour after adding the cornflour too.

Is there anything else low-ish in syns I could use to thicken a stew? Am I just putting too much liquid in? Is there a certain way of using cornflour to get a nice thick sauce?
 
Could be too much liquid - if adapting a standard recipe only use half the amount given

Taking off the lid for the last part of cooking will also help and as said a little powdered mash is a good thickener and syn free on green and EE unlike cornflour
 
I think that circes is probably right, too much water. It doesn't evaporate in the same way so you need much less. ;) Trial and error with slowcookers but they are fantastic once you've found your way with them.

BTW the cornflour works great when you have lesser liquid. Mix mine with a little cold water and stir in and immediately thickens it. The mash idea is an excellent one, too. :)
 
depending what's in the stew you can take out some potatoes/ carrots / onions or even meat and puree it with a hand blender, then add it back to your sauce to thicken it too - syn free
 
Hey, i use mine occaionally and only use about half (if that) of recommended water for sachets of flavourings eg chicken casserole. Works wonders. Good luck! Xx
 
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