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#1
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Pressure cooker questions
Hi, all,
I haven't been around for quite a while, but I'm still keeping low-carb to control my diabetes, and doing quite well at that, although my weight keeps moving around. (Note that if it was going down consistently, I would have put that a different way. ;-) ) I just got a pressure cooker and I'm wondering if there are any here who would be willing to answer some questions? I've looked at websites like missvickie but I'm not getting the answers I need. Thanks, Chak -- I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open. --Walt Whitman |
#2
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Pressure cooker questions
I used to use a pressure cooker when my kids were little but for just two
people it doesn't seem worthwhile. Anything I would cook in it I just simmer a few hours instead. What do you want to know? I remember one of the things I would make was Swiss steak, haven't made that in years. I had a gap in my cooking endeavors for a few years. | Chakolate wrote: || Hi, all, || || I haven't been around for quite a while, but I'm still keeping || low-carb to control my diabetes, and doing quite well at that, || although my weight keeps moving around. (Note that if it was going || down consistently, I would have put that a different way. ;-) ) || || I just got a pressure cooker and I'm wondering if there are any here || who would be willing to answer some questions? I've looked at || websites like missvickie but I'm not getting the answers I need. |
#3
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Pressure cooker questions
"FOB" wrote in
: I used to use a pressure cooker when my kids were little but for just two people it doesn't seem worthwhile. Anything I would cook in it I just simmer a few hours instead. What do you want to know? I remember one of the things I would make was Swiss steak, haven't made that in years. I had a gap in my cooking endeavors for a few years. There are just a bunch of questions I can't seem to find the answers to. Like whether PC cooking will tenderize meat more than stove cooking. Whether you can thaw stuff in the PC. (The owner's manual mentions thawing but then doesn't say a thing about how to do it.) Is it supposed to leak around the seal? I boiled some water in mine (it was a giveaway from freecycle, only used once) and got a bit of drip down the side. Can I cook a whole chicken in it or do I have to cut it up first? Does it work better with meat that's been cut into smaller pieces or does that not matter? Any answers you have will be appreciated. Chak -- I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open. --Walt Whitman |
#4
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Pressure cooker questions
No, it shouldn't leak around the seal, you can usually buy new seals for
them, but maybe the seal just didn't seat quite right when you put the lid on, try opening and reclosing it when it is hot, but don't open it if there is pressure inside, they are great fun when you take the weight off while it is pressurized, run cold water over the pan to cool it down quickly. Did the drip continue after pressure built up? Usually a leak will emit steam when you get pressure going. You can cook things from the frozen state, you would have to adjust the time for that. It tenderizes more quickly because it cooks more quickly, really that is the difference between pressure cooking and simmering--speed. Because of the pressure the temperature is higher but since there is moisture also contained there is no danger of burning the outside as there would be with high temperatures in the oven. You could cook a whole chicken with no problem, it doesn't matter whether meat is cut up or whole. You have to use it a bit to get your timing just right for various stuff, things like meat can stand a bit of overcooking, they will just get more tender. Things like potatoes (I know, just an example) will disintegrate if you cook them too long. Chakolate wrote: | | There are just a bunch of questions I can't seem to find the answers | to. Like whether PC cooking will tenderize meat more than stove | cooking. Whether you can thaw stuff in the PC. (The owner's manual | mentions thawing but then doesn't say a thing about how to do it.) | Is it supposed to leak around the seal? I boiled some water in mine | (it was a giveaway from freecycle, only used once) and got a bit of | drip down the side. | | Can I cook a whole chicken in it or do I have to cut it up first? | Does it work better with meat that's been cut into smaller pieces or | does that not matter? | | Any answers you have will be appreciated. | | Chak |
#5
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Pressure cooker questions
Thanks for all that - it's quite helpful. I'm not sure about what
happened with the leak, so I'm going to try again just boiling water. The seal looks just fine, no wear or cracks or anything, but you can't always tell by looking, right? I'm not at all sure I got the pressure high enough. There was some noise but not much through the whole procedure. More when I make a new test, I guess. Thanks again! Chak "FOB" wrote in : No, it shouldn't leak around the seal, you can usually buy new seals for them, but maybe the seal just didn't seat quite right when you put the lid on, try opening and reclosing it when it is hot, but don't open it if there is pressure inside, they are great fun when you take the weight off while it is pressurized, run cold water over the pan to cool it down quickly. Did the drip continue after pressure built up? Usually a leak will emit steam when you get pressure going. You can cook things from the frozen state, you would have to adjust the time for that. It tenderizes more quickly because it cooks more quickly, really that is the difference between pressure cooking and simmering--speed. Because of the pressure the temperature is higher but since there is moisture also contained there is no danger of burning the outside as there would be with high temperatures in the oven. You could cook a whole chicken with no problem, it doesn't matter whether meat is cut up or whole. You have to use it a bit to get your timing just right for various stuff, things like meat can stand a bit of overcooking, they will just get more tender. Things like potatoes (I know, just an example) will disintegrate if you cook them too long. Chakolate wrote: | | There are just a bunch of questions I can't seem to find the answers | to. Like whether PC cooking will tenderize meat more than stove | cooking. Whether you can thaw stuff in the PC. (The owner's manual | mentions thawing but then doesn't say a thing about how to do it.) | Is it supposed to leak around the seal? I boiled some water in mine | (it was a giveaway from freecycle, only used once) and got a bit of | drip down the side. | | Can I cook a whole chicken in it or do I have to cut it up first? | Does it work better with meat that's been cut into smaller pieces or | does that not matter? | | Any answers you have will be appreciated. | | Chak -- I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open. --Walt Whitman |
#6
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Pressure cooker questions
It is normal for steam to leak around the seal until the pressure has built
up to seat the seal. Then there should be no leakage except from the pressure relief device. The idea is to adjust the heat so there is a very small amount of steam escaping. As a general rule a pressure cooker will cook three times as fast as an ordinary pot. This is great for tenderizing meat. What is the size and brand of your pressure cooker? Bob in 92026 ==================== "Chakolate" wrote in message 7.102... Thanks for all that - it's quite helpful. I'm not sure about what happened with the leak, so I'm going to try again just boiling water. The seal looks just fine, no wear or cracks or anything, but you can't always tell by looking, right? I'm not at all sure I got the pressure high enough. There was some noise but not much through the whole procedure. More when I make a new test, I guess. Thanks again! Chak "FOB" wrote in : No, it shouldn't leak around the seal, you can usually buy new seals for them, but maybe the seal just didn't seat quite right when you put the lid on, try opening and reclosing it when it is hot, but don't open it if there is pressure inside, they are great fun when you take the weight off while it is pressurized, run cold water over the pan to cool it down quickly. Did the drip continue after pressure built up? Usually a leak will emit steam when you get pressure going. You can cook things from the frozen state, you would have to adjust the time for that. It tenderizes more quickly because it cooks more quickly, really that is the difference between pressure cooking and simmering--speed. Because of the pressure the temperature is higher but since there is moisture also contained there is no danger of burning the outside as there would be with high temperatures in the oven. You could cook a whole chicken with no problem, it doesn't matter whether meat is cut up or whole. You have to use it a bit to get your timing just right for various stuff, things like meat can stand a bit of overcooking, they will just get more tender. Things like potatoes (I know, just an example) will disintegrate if you cook them too long. Chakolate wrote: | | There are just a bunch of questions I can't seem to find the answers | to. Like whether PC cooking will tenderize meat more than stove | cooking. Whether you can thaw stuff in the PC. (The owner's manual | mentions thawing but then doesn't say a thing about how to do it.) | Is it supposed to leak around the seal? I boiled some water in mine | (it was a giveaway from freecycle, only used once) and got a bit of | drip down the side. | | Can I cook a whole chicken in it or do I have to cut it up first? | Does it work better with meat that's been cut into smaller pieces or | does that not matter? | | Any answers you have will be appreciated. | | Chak -- I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open. --Walt Whitman |
#7
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Pressure cooker questions
"Bob D." wrote:
It is normal for steam to leak around the seal until the pressure has built up to seat the seal. Then there should be no leakage except from the pressure relief device. The idea is to adjust the heat so there is a very small amount of steam escaping. Quoting only Bob D but really replying to Chakolate. It does sound like the rubber gasaket needs to be replaced. Or maybe it just wasn't brought up to tempterature yet. Only cooking water? I've never tried that. I experiment with food - The worst that's ever happened is I went to pick up a pizza and tossed the experiment. But I get that down side every so often experimenting with any cooking style so it's sure not unique to the pressure cooker. A pressure cooker will make a little bit of steam before it comes to temperature but then its vent will start a rythmic hiss-hiss-hiss cycle and it will stay like that until the heat is turned off. The same hiss-hiss cycle happens with the weighted tops that I prefer and with the spring loaded ones I've used. As a general rule a pressure cooker will cook three times as fast as an ordinary pot. This is great for tenderizing meat. For ease a pressure cooker works about the same as a crock pot. For time a pressure cooker works so much faster than a crock pot. After using a crock pot a lot most of the recipes in it start to seem alike so switching to the pressure cooker is a nice change for the different flavor. Both crock pot and pressure cooker are nice in that I can put in a frozen roast and have good things happen for a meal. It works for birds too as long as the giblet packet was removed before freezing. Thawing first is always better. With a crock pot I'll remove from the freezer at night, put inot the crock in the morning, eat after work. But if I forget at night it still works to take out of the freezer in the morning and drop straight into the crock pot. With a pressure cooker out of the freezer in the morning into the pressure cooker when I get home from work. But if I forget both it still works somewhat okay to use the pressure cooker. |
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