Using a Pressure Cooker: Tips and Techniques
Cooking Methods and Cleaning Tips for Pressure-Cookers
Nov 3, 2009
With the economy forcing families to make their food budget stretch a little (or a lot) further, many cooks are looking into the ways their grandmothers and great-grandmothers prepared food in the days of the Depression. Old-fashioned cooking tools and techniques are coming back in style - and that makes it a wonderful time to rediscover the pressure cooker!
Modern chefs will be pleased to note that today's pressure cookers have advanced safety features and are easier to clean and maintain than grandma's. But the ease of use, and the flavor a high quality pressure cooker brings out of foods, are as good as ever.
Uses of the Pressure Cooker
Cooking with the pressure cooker is healthy and energy-efficient because it cooks foods faster than other methods and locks flavors inside - so unhealthy flavorings and additives such as extra salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and preservative-packed bouillon cubes aren't even necessary.
Common uses for pressure cookers include:
- Quick-cooking dried beans and grains in a fraction of the time it usually takes.
- Making flavorful soups and tender roasts.
- Steaming vegetables.
Canning fresh vegetables is also a traditional pressure cooker function, but this usually requires a larger pressure cooker, such as a 16-quart or larger model.
Pressure Cooker Resources
Need more inspiration? There are several good pressure cooker cookbooks available, and sites like RecipeZaar are an excellent source of pressure cooker ideas. But by far, the best-known and most comprehensive site devoted to all aspects of pressure-cooking is Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker Recipes.
How to Use and Clean Pressure Cookers
These tips will help make the tastiest pressure-cooked meals - and also prolong the life and usefulness of any pressure cooker:
- When cooking a meat dish in the pressure cooker that also calls for vegetables, add the veggies last so they won't become mushy.
- Store the pressure cooker with the lid off - not with the lid locked in place - to avoid trapping odors inside. A very good way to store the pressure cooker is with the lid upside-down on top of it.
- After every use, wash the gasket (the rubber ring from the lid) thoroughly. Some pressure cooker users also suggest rubbing it down with mineral oil to make it last longer.
- Also after every use, clean out the vent and make sure it is clear. That's why it's very important to choose a pressure cooker which has a pressure regulator that is easy to remove for cleaning the vent.
- When cooking dried beans, lentils, split peas, grains or other dried foods that can foam up and clog the vent, be careful not to fill the pressure cooker more than half full - that means both the water and the beans combined should not fill the pressure cooker more than halfway.
- Want to pressurize the pressure cooker faster? Just bring the food to a boil before locking on the lid.
Pressure cookers can be a fantastic tool for making fast, flavorful and healthy home-cooked meals - but choosing a quality pressure cooker with the right features and accessories is essential. See How to Choose a Pressure Cooker for tips on what size, materials and safety features to look for.
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