The Reason You Shouldn't Cook Green Vegetables In A Slow Cooker

When it comes to cooking with the help of a slow cooker, many home chefs don't hesitate to use the device to come up with several delicious meals such as chicken, pork, black beans, a hearty meal of stew, and more. Reddit users vouch for slow cookers and the benefits associated with using them during meal prep. 

A fan of slow cookers explained why they're such a good option for them, writing that they've tried a plethora of recipes with their slow cooker such as chili, roast, and stew. They called it a "great cooking tool" and said that it's super easy to throw all the ingredients you need in a ziplock bag and freeze. They recommend thawing the ingredients the night before and popping them into the slow cooker before heading out for the day. The result? You'll come to a warm, hearty, and wholesome meal.

With that in mind, some options are easier to make with the slow cooker than others. For example, when it comes to working with green vegetables, a slow cooker may do more harm than good. This is why.

While it can be a smart idea to toss certain vegetables in the slow cooker to ensure they're soft and the perfect addition to a dish, this may not work very well for green vegetables, especially if you use too many varieties at once. You see, the vegetables may end up losing their fresh color if you end up tossing them into a slow cooker for many hours. Instead, what you could do is add your ingredients one by one, according to New York Private Chef Clare Langan. If you're using peas and green beans in your dish, for example, try tossing them in the last few minutes instead of attempting to cook them from the start.

Moreover, Insider recommends being careful while cooking with delicate vegetables. According to the article, delicate ingredients such as peas, spinach, and asparagus can overlook easily if you prepare them using a slow cooker. Per HowStuffWorks, slow cookers can cook at temperatures between 180 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Other options such as potatoes and carrots are good candidates for a slow cooker because they're sturdy in comparison. Perhaps it's best to simply save your green vegetables for last and keep a close eye on the timer to ensure that you don't cook them for too long.