Slow Cooker Peach Cowgirl Candy Cocktail Sausages Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before starting, ensure your slow cooker insert is clean and dry. Gather all your ingredients and measure the peach preserves and brown sugar accurately to achieve the right consistency for the glaze.

Have a large serving spoon ready for stirring, and make sure you have enough space on your counter or buffet table to set up the slow cooker for easy access once the cooking is complete.

Instructions

Preparation and assembly

1. 1Combine ingredients
   Place the cocktail sausages into the base of the slow cooker. Add the peach preserves, pickled jalapeno rings, and brown sugar over the top of the sausages. Ensure the ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the stoneware insert.
   Look for The sausages should be mostly covered by the preserves and sugar mixture.
   Tip Use a sturdy silicone spatula to scrape every bit of the preserves from the bowl.

The sausages should be arranged in the slow cooker, topped evenly with the preserves, jalapenos, and sugar. Everything should be ready for the long, slow cooking process to begin immediately after closing the lid.

Slow cooking process

2. 2Slow cook the sausages
   Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to cook on low for 3 hours. The slow, steady heat allows the peach preserves and brown sugar to melt into a thick, syrupy glaze that coats the sausages perfectly while the jalapenos soften.
   Look for The sauce will be bubbly and aromatic when the lid is lifted.
   Tip Avoid lifting the lid during the cooking process to maintain a constant temperature.

The kitchen should begin to smell sweet and savory. The preserves and sugar will have melted into a liquid, and the sausages will be slowly absorbing the flavors of the glaze.

Final glaze and serving

3. 3Final cooking and serving
   Continue cooking until the sausages are heated through and reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C). Stir the sausages once more before serving to ensure every piece is thoroughly coated in the thickened, glossy peach and jalapeno glaze.
   Look for The glaze should be thick and glossy, clinging to the sausages.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Serve directly from the slow cooker set to the warm setting.

The sauce will have thickened significantly, turning into a glossy, sticky coating. The sausages will be perfectly cooked, tender, and ready to be served hot directly from the slow cooker.

Common mistakes

A common mistake is using too much liquid or failing to let the glaze reduce sufficiently, which results in a watery sauce that runs off the sausages.

Another error is overcooking the sausages to the point where they lose their texture; while the slow cooker is forgiving, check the temperature at the three-hour mark to avoid excessive shriveling.

Finally, ensure the brown sugar is fully incorporated to prevent burnt, crystallized patches at the bottom of the insert.

How to tell it’s done

The sausages are done when they are plump, heated thoroughly, and the sauce has reduced into a thick, glossy glaze that coats each piece uniformly.

Using a digital meat thermometer, ensure the internal temperature of the sausages reaches at least 160°F (71°C). The jalapenos should be soft, and the sauce should appear deep golden-orange with a syrupy texture that clings to the back of a spoon.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part