Slow-cooker burns mash potatoes instead of keeping them warm

Slow-cooker burns mash potatoes instead of keeping them warm - Red and Orange Solar Flare

Another question regarding mashed potatoes. I have prepared my (vegan-friendly) mashed potatoes, and now I want to keep them warm. I decided to place them in a slow cooker on the 'LOW' setting, thinking that would keep the mash warm and not over-cook them. However, after 1-2 hours, I saw burnt red-brown marks on the pot and around the mash.

I have never seen potatoes by themselves burn and turn red, so I assume this must be due to either the salt, or the Earth Balance margarine that I was using in the mash. However, I am clueless as to why margarine would burn at such a relatively low temperature, considering that the smoke point of the vegetable oils used in margarine are very high.

These are pictures of the burn in my pot:

enter image description here Burn crispy thing

This is the model of my pot. A Booney 3SC65R slow cooker model.

enter image description here

slow-cooking


Best Answer

That just looks like mildly burned mashed potatoes to me, possibly with a little oil/margarine included.

I think the issue here is just that potatoes are thick, and there was no stirring. Slow cookers are best suited for liquids, so that convection can transfer heat throughout the contents. With potatoes, nothing can move around, so whatever's around the edges can get a lot hotter. I've definitely managed to burn things a bit in my slow cooker too, for example apple butter that was too thick for good convection.

I'm not sure there's really much you can do about this given your slow cooker. If it had an even lower "warm" setting, you could try it. If you were willing to make really wet mashed potatoes, there might be enough water to avoid burning. But otherwise, you might have to look to another solution for keeping warm, like the oven, or or maybe an insulated carrier/box if it doesn't need to hold too long.



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Can you put mashed potatoes in a crockpot to keep them warm?

However, you can also do this: Hold Potatoes on "Warm": Mashed potatoes can be held on the "warm" setting of your slow cooker for up to two hours or so without noticeable loss of flavor or texture.

How do you keep mashed potatoes warm for hours?

You can't hold mashed potatoes directly over a burner, because they'll dry and scorch. The secret to keeping them hot is to hold them in a covered double boiler or in a metal bowl covered with a lid or foil, set over a pan of barely simmering water. This way, the mash stays soft and moist.

How do restaurants keep mashed potatoes warm?

Place mashed potatoes in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of water to reheat and keep warm on the stove. Reheat the potatoes in a method you choose and keep hot on an electric warming tray or a heating pad covered with a pretty towel.


How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes | Use a Crock Pot and Other Ways to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm



More answers regarding slow-cooker burns mash potatoes instead of keeping them warm

Answer 2

Low is cook not warm. Low is on heat not temperature control. A small amount of potatoes is going to burn.

Try like a queso warmer.

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