Pressure cooker and Pressure Cooking: Pressure cookers help to preserve flavors and nutrients, tenderize meats, and best of all, it can cook food three to ten times faster than ordinary cooking methods. The basics: All pressure cookers have a fill line. You can see it on the inside of the pot. Never go over the fill line. All my recipes are for a 4-qt pressure cooker. My pressure cooker came with a rack, which goes inside the pressure cooker. This is only used when steaming certain vegetables. Below I have put a star (*) next to items, which need to be cooked with the cooking rack. Always look through the vent pipe/pressure cooker nozzle to make certain that it is clear. Always do this before placing your lid on the cooker pot. The details: -If you are purchasing a pressure cooker from a thrift-store, make sure it comes with a pressure valve. This valve sits on the vent pipe. This is the round black nozzle that goes on the lid. You can see it in the picture above. This pressure regulator will fit loosely on your pot. It will not touch the top of the pressure cooker. -Always use a high heat setting on your stove, heat the pressure cooker until the pressure nozzle attains a gentle rocking motion. Once your pressure cooker nozzle/valve begins to rock, you begin your cooking timer. Cooling down: There are two ways to cool down your pressure cookers.You can "let the pressure cooker drop of its own accord", which means to set the cooker aside and do not open it until the pressure is completely reduced. Your air vent/ cover lock in the lid will pop down when the pressure is reduced. If the recipe says "cool cooker at once" then you cool the cooker by placing it in a pan of cold water and running cold water over it. I fill my sink up with a few inches of water and cool my cooker down this way. It cools in less than a minute. If your air vent/cover lock remains in its raised position, DO NOT open the cooker. The air venter/ cover lock is there to tell you there is still pressure in the cooker. You need to reduce the pressure completely before safely unlocking the lid. Safety information: Here are a few safety tips. I know many are scared to use pressure cookers, but they really are not that scary at all. Just follow these guidelines and you will be peachy. I promise. - never overfill the pressure cooker. The pressure regulator is designed to maintain the cooking pressure at a safe level. In relieves excess pressure through the nozzle/valve as it rocks back and forth. If the cooker is overfilled, expansion of foods may cause the valve to become clogged. If that happens it cannot relieve the excess pressure -Always add cooking liquid. A pressure cooker needs liquid to work. If it is empty on a hot burner or if a cooker boils dry and is left on a heated burner, the cooker will over heat and can damage the cooker. -Always look through the vent pipe (where your nozzle/valve rests). Make sure it is clear. I usually blow air through before I use it. If this is blocked it will not function properly and can damage the cooker. -Always fully close your pressure cooker. If it is not fully closed than it can not build up pressure, meaning it cannot work. -Never open a pressure cooker when it contains pressure. The air vent/ cover lock provides a visual indication of pressure inside the cooker. When it is up, there is pressure. When it is down, there is no pressure in the cooker. When there is no more pressure, than you can safely open the cooker. If you open it when the pressure is built up than the contents of the cooker could explode, causing bodily harm. So cook safe folks!
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 07:27:46 +0000
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