Food - Drink
The Possible Downside Of Using A Slow Cooker To Make Baked Beans
By LAUREN ROTHMAN
Although baking baked beans in a pot in a moderate oven is the traditional and most effective cooking method, it can take quite some time—roughly four hours. There are numerous recipes for set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker baked beans that can help with this, but be careful—they frequently come out thin and watery. Here's why.
The issue with slow cooker baked beans is that they frequently come out too thin since the moist heat of the device doesn't allow for enough evaporation. You might get some tender beans, but the sauce will probably be too watery, and you most definitely won't get the rich, brown crust that is a hallmark of a great pot of oven-baked beans.
Any baked beans you prepare at home should ideally be roasted in the oven. However, Lacademie advises to use a cornstarch, arrowroot, or flour-and-butter slurry to thicken the beans right up if you have chosen slow cooker baked beans—or even a can of baked beans that is too liquidy.