Pressure cookers???

Question

How do they work what can I make in one and how will do I know how long to cook things?? Help in general would be awsome

Answer 1

I learned to use a pressure cooker from my mother and Southern grandmother. I bought my own when I was in Paris .. what was I thinking lugging a pressure cooker back to the USA.

Anyways ... the only time I use mine is when I do a pressure cooked roast ... preferably an O-Bone roast. Season it, and brown it. The more brown the darker the gravy will be in the end. Cut up 3 potatoes and 5 carrots. Salt & pepper. About 5T of Worcestershire sauce. Fill with water until barely covering ingredients. Should be about half full or a little over. Cover with lid and cook on medium/high. Start time when it starts makin' the rocker "chug-chug" noise about 45 minutes.

Take off heat, and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Take the rocker off, let steam out from the top. When there is no more steam take lid off. Remove contents of pressure cooker. Put back on medium heat. Make a flour slurry. 2:1 flour and water. Then pour into boiling liquid while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.

Variatioms: You can put other vegetables. Eg. wedged onions, silced bell peppers, etc.

MAKE SURE NOT TO EVER TAKE OFF OR LOOSEN LID WHILE STILL HOT AND STEAMING.

I don't know that this is of any help to you, but my clients like this dish as comfort food.

Answer 2

The steam is trapped and allows the temperature to raise higher than normal, speeding cooking time.

Usually a cooker will come with instructions and some recipes. Once the rocker is going or the button on top raises, you should reduce the heat to a minimum, just to keep the pressure up, but not continually building. You don't want to have an accident! Most cookers have a safety mechanism anyway, but why waste energy and make a big mess?

You can make a lot of your favourite meals in a pressure cooker. Especially good for stews and casserole type dishes. Anything that uses liquid. You will have to use a certain amount of liquid to be sure to creat the steam.
There is a great book, "Cooking Under Presssure". Maybe you could get it at the library.
I am sure there are lots of recipes on-line too.

Here is a really informative link ->http://www.fabulousfoods.com/school/cstools/pressurecooker/pressurecooker.html
And here is another really good one, with recipes too
->http://missvickie.com/

Answer 3

Water boils at 212 F. A pressure cooker is a pot that allows pressure to build up to a safe level, and then holds that pressure. Water is now boiling at around 250 F. With this higher temperature, foods cook quicker, and will be more tender.

Recipes vary somewhat depending on the brand of the cooker. You will get an owner manual with the cooker, which will include recipes. It's best to know what pressure your cooker holds. (Most are around 10 PSI, but some can go up to 15). Ask the sales person what pressure the cooker holds. Recipes give cooking times based on these pressures.

Answer 4

They can cook faster, stews and roasts and chicken. Mine have some cooking time and pressure setting on the handle which is reat helpful. Also, many recipes on the Inet.
Another thing is most come with a try for the bottom to left things up about 3/8 inches off the bottom.
They also, great if you like to make Jelly or other canned stuff and put into Mason Jars.

Answer 5

Pressure cookers are great to make brown beans in. They come out really soft and moist. Make sure you do not open the lid while it is hot. That can be very bad!!! I usually set the pot under cool running water until it sighs.When you hear that sigh then you know the pressure is down and you can open it safely.

Answer 6

i would say pressure cookers cook in half the time of something...if youre cooking something and it takes like 10 hours..in the pressure cooker it should take half the time because the pressure cooker puts all the pressure in the cooking...basically they have a pot and a lid..and a whistler thingy on top...thats where all the steam comes out...its make that whistly noise...and you just use it to cook...

Answer 7

My mom had one and I think the only thing we ever used it for was to cook beans. It cut the cook time in half, and when we took it off the stove we had to put it in the sink and run cold water over it before we opened the lid. I think that was to reduce the pressure so that we didn't get burned, it's been a long time since I've used one.

Answer 8

if you trying to cook meat then, add water then let it start
boiling then lock the lid, & then whistle, after 10 -15 mins
its ready.
you can also boil potatoes, cook rice, dhal (Indian lentil soup)
can also pot roast in it, pudding.
add about 2inches of water to the thing you cooking.
*do not add extra water or else the whistle will pop out &
the whole ceiling will be in big mass.
it cook in minutes. 15- 20 minutes time is maximum cooking time,

Answer 9

on the phone with my mom right now. she says:
no need to use a pressure cooker for tomoatos.
most other veggies 15 lbs and hold it there. each veggie requires different times. most are 10min -25min. and corn takes the longest up to 75 min for corn. this is for quarts. she said to go to barnes and nobel and get a cookbook that tells you how long for each type of veggie. she doesnt remeber for sure exactly how long for each.

Answer 10

Pressure cookers work by using - wait for it! - PRESSURE. Thus the name, pressure cookers!

If you purchase a pressure cooker it will most likely come with a recipe book. People who use pressure cookers, mostly use them for meats and for canning.

Personally I wouldn't have one as they are dangerous.