Posted on 09/22/2021 7:23:01 AM PDT by mylife
No Midwestern cookout is complete without a delicious chili or dip simmering in a Crock-Pot. But when the device was first unveiled by a Kansas City company in 1971, it promised something more: freedom.
Before the Crock-Pot was a household name, it was called the Naxon Beanery — and offered a more specific, bean-centric purpose.
Patented by prolific inventor Irving Naxon, the Beanery was originally intended for a Jewish stew of meat and beans called cholent, which is slowly cooked on Fridays in preparation for the Sabbath.
090121_crockpot_patent_MM.png U.S. Patent 2,187,888 The bean cooker that eventually became the Crock-Pot was first patented by prolific inventor Irving Naxon in 1940. A nifty creation, for sure, but the "bean pot" never caught on with the masses — so in 1970, Naxon sold his device to Rival Manufacturing. The Kansas City company was already famous for kitchen gadgets like the Juice-O-Mat juicer and the Knife-O-Mat sharpener.
Purchasing the slow cooker was actually an afterthought for Rival.
"No one paid any attention to it," Rival president Isidore Miller told the Kansas City Times in 1981. "We almost forgot about it."
As the story goes, Miller handed the Beanery over to Rival's test kitchen, where an employee named Marilyn Neill had an immediate an epiphany: This can cook way more than just beans.
“From that point on, I believe they gave those home economists in the test kitchen a lot more attention than they ever did before,” says Roxanne Wyss, a former Rival home economist.
The newly-renamed Crock-Pot made its official debut in 1971 at the National Housewares Show in Chicago, sharply dressed up in colors like avocado and harvest gold. Print ads and television commercials flaunted the Crock-Pot as a miraculous, time-saving device, assuring women in no uncertain terms: You can have it all.
(Excerpt) Read more at kcur.org ...
My mom had one and she used it for beef stew which would feed us for days.
In fact, the term leftovers may have started with the crock pot.
It did for me anyways.
A few years ago a friend of mine had a kid and was learning the world of domestication. She realized it was time to “learn” the crockpot and put a call out on social media for ideas from friends. I gave her the “generic” crockpot recipe:
slab of meat around 3 pounds
whatever veg you got laying around
can of soup
She asked “is it really that easy” I said yes, there are certainly a wide range of more complicated recipes out there. But this will always work.
Harvest gold and avocado green two so-so colors that really don’t go together.
We have that exact same one — same color, same non-removable crock. Or at least we used to have it. My wife might have gotten rid of it and I know she bought a modern one.
I never use any liquid doing a roast in a crock pot.....not needed. The roast makes it’s own liquid......and a very rich gravy!
Beef stew! Yummmmmm . I am get’n fat reading this thread.
Ingredients
2 cups dried split peas, (≈1 pound), sorted and rinsedSteps
6½ cups liquid (water or chicken broth)
¾ cup chopped large onion, about 1 large onion
¾ cup finely chopped celery, about 2 medium stalks
1 tsp salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1¼ cups carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices, or julienned, about 3 medium carrots
1 ham bone or 2 lbs shanks or 2 lbs smoked pork hocks
1. Clean and soak peas overnight in plain water, drain and rinse.Expert Tips
2. Add 6½ cups liquid (water or chicken broth).
3. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 3 hours.
4. Use an immersion blender to coarsely break up the peas.
5. Add all ingredients except ham in slow cooker. Add meat on top.
6. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 5 to 7 hours.
7. Remove meat from cooker; place on cutting board. Pull meat from bones, using 2 forks; discard bones and skin. Stir shredded meat into soup. Stir well before serving.
• Preparing split peas for cooking is easy! Just pick over the dried split peas and discard any grit or discolored peas. Place the split peas in a bowl, and cover them with water. After a minute or two, remove any skins or split peas that float to the top. Finally, rinse the split peas in a colander. For peas that have been stored for years, soak overnight, drain and rinse before use.I just finished a bowl of leftover soup. Even better than last night!
• If desired, spice with 2 cloves minced garlic, ⅓ tsp dried thyme, ⅓ tsp crushed dried rosemary before cooking.
• Serve a grainy cornbread (don’t forget the honey butter or drizzle of maple syrup) and a spinach salad with fresh grapefruit or mandarin segments with the soup. The tart freshness of the citrus contrasts nicely with the rich, thick soup.
• We like ours with a lot of black pepper on the top and a splash or two of Tabasco!
My son fixed ribs and kraut and potatoes in a Instant Pot Pressure cooker.....best I’ve ever had!
I have a vintage Mar Crest bean pot
https://www.ebay.com/itm/403179898594?hash=item5ddf6506e2:g:uGwAAOSwRvxhSgKd
Never used. Screwed up big time, found the base at and sale and didn’t recognize it. Seller had the bean pot too, on another table, didn’t realize whatthe base was. A lady asked the seller what it was and I suddenly realized. Instead of keeping my STUPID mouth shut I picked it up and showed her...should have shut up, let her walk away then grabbed it for 3 bucks...just the bean pot without it goes for as much as 60 bucks, see the ebay link...I’ve seen them locally for $25.
Used a crockpot for 20 years that I got at a yard sale for about a buck, lost track of it and got one at a resale shop 3 or 4 years ago for 2 bucks, this one has the removeable crock inner pot for cleaning.
Crock pot pizza/spaghetti/pasta sauce -
1 large can tomato sauce (big 5 inch diameter can)
2 cans tomato paste
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped about bb size
2-3 TBSP brown sugar
italian seasoning to taste
heat on high temp as you mix everything until hot, about a half hour, stir well and mix in tomato paste until no more lumps.
Add a small amount of italian seasoning at first, taste test after a half hour and add another pinch, etc until it tastes right. Check about every 15 minutes or so, add a pinch.
After abut 30 to 45 minutes, lower to low heat, simmer on low for about 2 more hours, stir now and then.
Cool. Ladle into ziplock bags, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup each, makes one large pizza. Freeze. 3 or 4 bags make spaghetti sauce for 2. Great dipping sqauce for calzone. One bag per person for pasta sauce.
Boil pasta and drain, add this sauce, some parmesan or italian cheese blend, works great. Ravioli and tortellini too. Works as a single or double batch for large spaghetti meal. Just double everything, it will fit in a standard crock pot.
I keep some in the freezer, just made a fresh batch 2 weeks ago. Hmmm...been wondering what to do for dinner tonight, think I have some tortellini in there too...
OK done deal... :-)
I use $29.99 crockpots in laboratory experiments for temperature control instead of $3000 lab equipment. Does the same thing.
Me too. I still have that blue and white one pictured in the article....and still use it. lol
All single fellas should have small one. They won’t miss women as much.
Filed under Ad Slogans since rejected.
“What A Croc!”
Love my crock pot!
Put a chuck roast in the crock pot, a jar of Giardiniera (mild or hot) and 1/2 sliced onion.
If you don’t like giardiniera, add a jar of mild pepperoncini peppers instead.
When you come home from work, you have the best Italian Beef ever. Serve on some Gonnella Bread (or other Italian Rolls) and enjoy.
That looks just like mine! I had it until 2014. Loved that thing
Sounds good, but will my head start spinning around 360 after eating?
They tend to soak all flavor out of meats so spices and stock/bullion cubes are in order.
I had to name it something, and you will remember the name!
My son makes the most awesome lasagna in a crockpot (the trick is to use no-boil pasta), and received one last weekend as a housewarming gift.
When I got my crock pot in the early ‘70’s, I got Mabel Hoffman’s cookbook, “crockery cookery”. After that, I bought every cookbook she ever wrote. I still get asked for recipes that I have made, from her cookbooks.
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