Basic Steps of Pressure Cooking
If you’ve owned a pressure cooker or two, you’ll see that regardless of
brand, pressure cookers share the same steps of operation. If you’re
planning to buy a pressure cooker, check out the buying guide before you
learn more about the step-by-step procedures of operating a pressure
cooking.
A pressure cooker works by producing steam in a closed container,
which increases the boiling point, allowing the ingredients to cook
quicker than other cooking methods. Every time you use a pressure
cooker, there are several rules you should perform religiously. Once
you’ve put the golden rules of pressure cooking to heart, you can start
working on your dishes.
- Adding food – It is important to keep your pressure cooker only
two-thirds full of ingredients (liquids and solids included). The
unused space will be used for producing pressure. When your recipe
includes dried beans, broth, stock or foods that may froth or foam,
leave half of the cooker unused.
- Food rack – If a recipe requires you to use the rack (or the
metal insert that raises food above water for steaming), set it in
place before adding water and putting the food on the rack.
- Adding liquid – Before you throw anything in a pressure cooker,
the pot must have liquid inside. Most recipes call for water to be
added, but this can also be other liquids such as wine or broth. The
minimum amount of liquid for a recipe that takes 20 minutes is ½ cup
for newer (valve type) pressure cookers and 1 cup for older (jiggle
top) pressure cookers. For recipes that take longer to cook, more
water can be added.
- Achieving pressure – When directed to close the lid, lock it
securely and place the cooker on the correct burner size of the
stove. Set heat on high to increase pressure. For jiggle-top models,
wait for the steam to come out of the vent pipe before placing the
pressure regulator. When the regulator begins to “jiggle,” it has
reached cooking pressure. For valve-type models, marks on the valve
would indicate the level of pressure. Most valve-type pressure
cookers have three settings – 5 PSI (lowest), 10 PSI and 15 PSI (as
the highest). When your cooker doesn’t have these settings, make
sure to check with the manufacturer’s manual.
- Cooking – Once the pressure is reached, lower the heat quickly
to maintain pressure and begin timing. Use a bell timer when using a
pressure cooker to avoid overcooking. When the cooking time is up,
remove the cooker from the stove.
- Release Pressure – Learning how to release pressure is an
important step because releasing pressure inside improperly can burn
you. Never remove the lid from a pressure cooker if the pressure has
not yet been released. If you’re having trouble opening the lid,
don’t force it because it often indicates that there is still
pressure inside. There are three methods to reducing pressure – cold
water release, quick release and natural release. Find out how to
release pressure using these methods.
Most pressure cooker recipes follow these basic procedures. Once
you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can always experiment new ways to
adapt traditional recipes
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