# Need help thickening sauce ASAP!!!!!!!



## kirdy79 (Mar 27, 2005)

Hey everyone..i'm making some meatballs for todays festivities and i've never made them before. i actually bought the meatballs frozen and am adding a glaze to them which i made with a chicken dish a few weeks ago. When i made the chicken i cooked the sauce and it got thicker. Now, i didn't cook it first thinking it would thicken in the crockpot but now i'm second guessing myself. the sauce itself is very watery..the ingredients are pineapple juice, whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper. i also added two tablespoons of flour to try to thicken it but it barely made a difference.  i poured it over the meatballs in the crockpot and turned it on high. we're eating in about four hours. i'm afraid it's not going to get thicker. does anyone have any thoughts? or, if it doesn't work, what can i do last minute to make the sauce thicker? i don't have any cornstarch!!!!  Please help!!!!!!!!!!


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## kitchenelf (Mar 27, 2005)

Hi kirdy79,

If you leave the meatballs on high the sauce will probably thicken.  As you know it takes awhile for a crockpot to reach a high temp.  With about an hour to go I would be tempted (if the sauce hasn't thickened by them) to remove the meatballs and turn the crockpot to high, cover with a lid, and let boil.  If you still don't like the looks of it pour into a pot, bring to a simmer/low boil, and mix about 2 TBS flour with 2 TBS COLD water - mix well with a fork, add it to your glaze on the stove and whisk.  See if that thickens it.  Return to the crockpot along with the meatballs.  If not, the flavor will still be a part of the meatballs - when people pull out a meatball they probably won't be taking any sauce with it anyway.  

But I understand you want some of it stick as I would.  I'd try the method I mentioned above.

Let us know if it worked!!!!!


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## amber (Mar 27, 2005)

I was going to suggest cornstarch but you dont have that on hand.  I know you've already added flour, but I would use a couple more tablespoons and mix it with a bit of water to make a thinish paste and slowing add it to the crockpot.  I would also add some kitchen bouquet or gravy master to keep a nice brown look to your stock.


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## jpmcgrew (Mar 27, 2005)

In a pinch Ive been known to use some instant mashed potatoes for soups and such.


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## lyndalou (Mar 28, 2005)

As was already mentioned, it takes a long time to cook anything in a crockpot. I think that if you keep checking whatever it is, you may be losing a lot of the heat by removing the cover often, and that will prevent your food from cooking in a timely manner. 

One thing you may have done, was to make the dish in a pot on the stove, and then put it into the crock pot to keep warm.


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