Tips For Better Pressure Cooking

Whenever you get a new piece of equipment, a bit of trial and error are required to see how it works.  Here are some tips that will help make the most of your pressure cooking:

• Since no liquid is lost when using a pressure cooker, it's a good idea to reduce the amount of liquid a conventional recipe calls for by about 20%.  In no time, you will be able to convert many of your recipes to pressure cooked recipes.
• The cooking time for most foods in a pressure cooker is one-quarter to one-third of the time it would take by conventional methods. When trying a new food or recipe, consult the manual for a recommended cooking time for the longest cooking item in your dish, or compare your recipe to a similar one.
• Choose recipes that combine most of the ingredients at the start of cooking or else at the end. Although you can bring the pressure down, add more foods, and bring up to pressure again, when first using a pressure cooker, try things that all cook together.
• In a pressure cooker, liquid doesn't evaporate as food cooks, and that trapped steam can dilute flavor. To correct this, release the pressure a bit early and let the dish simmer uncovered over low heat. This will also thicken up your food. You can also stir in fresh herbs, cheeses, or other seasonings at this point to boost flavor.
• Depending on the type and amount of food, it can take from 30 seconds up to 20 minutes to reach full pressure. To speed things up, heat liquids before adding them to the pot. The amount of food in the pot has no bearing on the cooking time; ten potatoes cook as quickly as one. However, a full cooker takes longer to come up to pressure.
• High pressure is fine for most foods, but use low pressure for tender food, such as chicken breasts or tender vegetables, so they're less likely to overcook. Start timing the cooking from the moment pressure is reached. Automatic pressure cookers do the work for you.
• Once the pot reaches full pressure, reduce the heat to maintain a constant pressure. For electric stoves, it's helpful to set one burner to high and a second one to a lower heat. Bring the cooker up to pressure on the high-heat burner and then move it to the second burner for the rest of cooking. For gas stoves, turn the flame down to medium-low.
• For foods that overcook easily, like rice, use the quick-release feature or move the cooker to a sink, tilt the pot slightly, and let cold water wash down one side, away from the vents or regulator.
• When cooking beans, potatoes, or other foods with skins you want to keep intact, use the natural-release method (take the pot off the heat so the pressure drops gradually). Use it also for beef, which toughens when pressure is released too quickly, and for cheesecakes- Yes, you can cook cheesecake!

Pressure Cookers: Why Use Them?

Thinking of cooking week after week without the use of a pressure cooker makes me sad!  I am sure those who use a pressure cooker remember the exact time when they realized the potential of these gems.  For years I have used a Fagor Duo 8 qt stovetop pressure cooker (which I have LOVED).  Recently I purchased an electric pressure cooker (Cuisinart) from Costco.  It is a 6 qt beauty!!  After reading many reviews, I took the plunge.  OK, all I can say, is EVERYONE NEEDS ONE!!!  I love it!!! 

The pressure cooker lid, which is fitted with a rubber gasket, forms an airtight seal once it's locked into position. As the contents inside the pot heat up, steam gets trapped and pressure builds. At 15 pounds of pressure (the typical "high pressure" setting on a cooker), water boils at 250°F, almost 40°F higher than in conventional pots. The high pressure and temperature break down food fibers more quickly, shortening cooking time dramatically- in fact, up to 70%!

Many people are scared of using pressure cookers, because they have heard horror stories of their grandmother's lid exploding and food ending up all over the ceiling.  Today's pressure cookers are a far cry from their predecessors.  Today's pressure cookers have many safety mechanisms that work together to provide a very fast, safe, easy, quiet way to cook.

In the years of using my pressure cooker, I've never had a lid fly off or felt unsafe in any way. I have however given one away (a Mirro brand) that scortched everything because it was made of thin metal.

Pressure cookers are best for things that generally take a long time to cook.  Things that cook quickly (like zuchinni, fish, and some pastas) are better cooked with other methods.  However, using a pressure cooker for many things, saves a ton of time!  My favorites for pressure cooking:

• Grains, such as whole grain wheat and brown rice, which cook in just 20 minutes compared to the usual 45.  White rice cooks in less than 10 minutes.
• Unsoaked dried beans, which get plump and tender in less than 30 minutes. There is no need to presoak them.  However, if they are presoaked, they cook even faster (about 18 minutes).
• Soups, stews, chili's, and long-cooking sauces like marinara, which develop deep flavor in 20 minutes or less.
• Broths: The pressure cooker is very good at extracting the flavor from bones.  No need to throw the bones away.  Pressure cook them for a wonderful, flavorful broth.   
• Tough, flavorful cuts of meats, such as short ribs, pork shoulder, beef pot roast, which require long cooking to get tender. A pressure cooker can have fall apart meat in about 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of the roast.
• Sturdy vegetables, such as potatoes, winter squash and beets. In 13-15 minutes, you will have perfect "baked" potatoes.  Simply put 1 cup of water in the bottom, use a trivet, and fill the cooker with whole potatoes.  Yum!

If you are wanting to save time in the kitchen, have flavorful healthy food, or just want to try something new, then a pressure cooker is the way to go.