Durgan

Pressure Cooking

22 February 2008 Pressure Cooker Here is pictures of my pressure cooker and colander insert.

Any cooking that minimizes the time, temperature, and water will help to preserve nutrients. Pressure cooking under steam is one of the methods best because it minimizes time and requires little water. Kuhn Rikon Switzerland - Duromatic FAQ: Benefits & Advantages There are far more benefits from Pressure cooking than deficits. It far surpasses all other methods of cooking. Practice makes perfect. Benefits of Using a Pressure Cooker A gormet meal can be prepared within an hour, once one gets proficient.

Pressure cooker rings should last the life of the cooker. The lid should be run under water to wet the ring before putting in place. This lubricates slightly and prevents tearing.

The other action that ruins rings quickly is leaving the lid on the cooker loose with the heat on. The ring gets hot due to lack of conduction and dries out quickly. If it is desired to heat the material in the cooker, then use another lid.

How do I know, because I ruined a ring once, and determined the cause.

I have never had the small safety grommet damaged, but have lost it if the rocking pressure valve hole gets jammed, due to material plugging so a spare may be in order. Since then I have change my procedure as depicted following.

I have a colander exactly the same size as the pressure chamber and place the material to be cooked in this device, My material doesnt touch the water due to the base on the bottom of the colander. This means peas, rice, grains, oats, can be cooked without the bits of material jamming the rocking exhaust, thus preventing the safety valve from blowing.

The colander was a typical type and I knocked off the two handles with a sharp blow from a a hammer. This is easy since they are only spot welded in place.

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Durgan Zone 5B
http://durgan.org/2011/ Garden Journal

Durgan

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post Durgan's Garden Journal 2008: Pressure Cooking

Hi

I followed and enjoyed your garden blog through the summer of 2007. Found your 2008 blog today. I am from India, where a kitchen is incomplete without a pressure cooker. We cook every thing in it. From rice and lentils to meats. You can use the pressure cooker to steam foods, if you take off the 'rocking exhaust' as you call it. We just call it the whistle. Because that's what it does. Also, if you want to heat something, put the lid on with the ring, but don't put the exhaust on. This method will work for both steaming things in your colander as well as heating.

I am surprised that vessels weren't included in your purchase. In India, when you buy a pressure cooker, it comes with three interlocking cylindrical steel vessels that fit into the cooker. As well as a perforated base, which is put on the bottom of the cooker to prevent the clogging you mentioned. Maybe I will post pictures of the assembled cooker on my blog and send you a link. I am sure you will be able to find similar pots around the house.

Also, I am sure you do this, but make sure to take off the exhaust before each time you cook and make sure the path for the steam is clear through.

To increase the life of the ring, you may want to remove it from the cooker, wet it and stretch it lightly before you operate the cooker.

Happy pressure cooking !

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Durgan Zone 5B
http://durgan.org/2011/ Garden Journal

sososleepy

Hi Pressure Cookers. I have a great big pressure cooker that I've never cooked in. Can you start me out with a SIMPLE tasty fast healthy recipe that I can whip up after work? I"ll try it.

smgardener

Sounds interesting -- we just recently got into what now seems like the opposite of pressure cooking: slow cookers. We have had good luck with this book of slow cooker recipes: Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

Durgan

Pressure cooking basically means the food is not in contact with water, so the nutrients are not left in the water, and the speed of cooking is about ten times boiling. Also you get the full flavour of the vegetable, since it is practically cooked in its own juices.

First you must have an insert colandar, with a bottom ridge to keep the vegetabls from the water at the bottom.

I often put several vegetabes in the colander and cook all at once. Potatoes, carrots, turnip as an example. Some may cook more than others, but this is expedient in some cases. They cook in about three minutes after the pressure comes up. This takes a bit of practice to determine the cooking time, since it is so fast at first it is not believable. To much time and you end up with all being overcooked.

Greens, cook almost instantly just before the pressure comes up.

You can also cook without setting the 'whistler' on top to get fast steam cooking.

To cook dried beans no other method can be better. It takes about 50 minutes to cook beans verses 6 hours baking. Peas soup is a joy, if you are into this type of soup.

Nothing cooks a pot-roast faster, and perfectly. If not tender enough put it back in, and cook a little more, usually less than an hour.

Great way to soften up spare ribs, and then put in the oven broiler for a bit of browning.

The pressure cooker is not a replacement completely for the oven, or even the slow cooker, but It is a wonderful supplement as a cooking method. A bit of practice is required. Above all get the insert as per my first pictures.

Over-cooking is what to watch for. Buy a bunch of vegetables and run some tests. All tests could be completed in a few hours.

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Durgan Zone 5B
http://durgan.org/2011/ Garden Journal

cia007

We do pressure cookers here. It is so easy! Biggest thing to remember is to have a bit of liquid in there, and to make sure the lid is clamped tight. After the thing starts jiggling for the right amount of time, you take it off the heat, and can run it under cold water to equalize the pressure. You won't be able to open it until the pressure is equalized.

The best best thing to make in a pressure cooker is corn on the cob! Bit of water in there, and some corn and you are good to go! Freshest, most delicious corn you will ever taste!

We've also made corned beef and cabbage with potatoes in it, although it will make the potatoes slightly mushy.

Durgan

I never tried corn on the cob, but will this summer. When I do meat, the meat is cooked alone first to perfection . Then removed and put in a pot, then the vegetables are cooked, removed and mixed with the meat-assuming a pot roast. This insures the vegetables are not turned into mush from over-cooking.

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Durgan Zone 5B
http://durgan.org/2011/ Garden Journal