THE BEAUTIES OF PRESSURE COOKING

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THE BEAUTIES OF PRESSURE COOKING

Ready in: 3 HourTotal time: 3 Hour

There’s no denying the appeal of the pressure cooker. You get all-day-flavor in a fraction of the time. It’s that simple. Water and steam create faster cooking times, more moisture and fabulous flavor. And the science is pretty straightforward; Pressure increases the boiling temperature of the water. In your unpressurized Dutch oven, water can only heat to 212°F. In a pressure cooker, water, sealed inside a strong pot, can heat up to 250°F before boiling.

Ingredients

• SEE THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Instructions

1. Pressure cookers have come a long way since its early invention by Denis Papin in 1679. The improvements and the breakthroughs have transformed the perception and the reality of pressure cooking to the point that I believe that every household should consider owning one. Indeed, it carries with it the suggestion of an old-fashioned method used long ago but the technology has cooked a long way, although the traditional stove-top pressure cookers still do the job beautifully.
2. If you have a fancy, new pressure cooker, then you have a digital panel and even less work to do. If you’re using the old-fashioned kind, as long as the seal on your lid is good, you can still make glorious meals in minutes. The modern ones do have gaskets on the outside, locking handles, and pressure release valves, so they will never explode on you. But no matter which kind you have, as long as you carefully follow the directions, you have nothing to be afraid of.
3. While I'm a big fan of low and slow cooking, there are times when you need to get something done in a hurry, and that's when a pressure cooker really comes in handy. It’s a one-pot, no-mess solution. And with Fall here, a pressure cooker is a great way to put out cool-weather dishes like braised lamb and Osso Bucco without having something on the stove or in the oven for five or six hours. And it's amazing how much flavor the pressure cooker can create.
4. My favorite pressure cooker creations are Chicken Soup or Stock or Broth, Risotto, Chili, No-Soak Beans and the ability to can jams and jellies quickly and easily. Really, the possibilities for fast fabulous dishes are endless.

HERE ARE 5 REASONS WHY EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE A PRESSURE COOKER:

1. Slash Cooking Time by 70%: Pressure cooking is done at a higher temperature and higher pressure thanks to a completely sealed cooking vessel. Since steam can’t escape from the cooking pot, it is forced into the food to tenderize meat. The cooking time in a pressure cooker is reduced from 30 to 70% as opposed to that in conventional cooking methods. For example, it takes about 45 minutes to cook risotto conventionally, but the same can be done in less than 10 minutes in a pressure cooker.
2. Retain More Nutrients, Moisture and Flavors: Since pressure cooking requires minimum liquid, more nutrients, vitamins and minerals are preserved in the cooking process compared to the same being evaporated in the air in traditional cooking. The same food and the same seasoning will taste so differently between pressure cooking and traditional cooking. It goes without saying the flavors in foods from pressure cooking are greatly maintained and intensified.
3. Safer Than Ever Before: Over the last few hundred years, so much has transpired in the design and construction of pressure cookers. Not only will you find pressure cookers with multiple safety valves, pressure settings, and automatic pressure release methods, but also with user-friendly features such as dials or a twist of a handle to set the pressure level or lock the lid securely. Beyond the safety features, it’s also safer in the sense of killing bacteria in the foods at high temperature.
4. Versatility for Cooking Breakfast to Dessert: Pressure cookers are so versatile for cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. Most people love to use it for cooking stews, soups, vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. Of course, with the right size of the cooking pot, canning is one of the best and safest ways to preserve foods when there is a bounty harvest in your garden or from the local farmer’s market.
5. Save Money on Groceries & Energy: One is that you don’t waste much food in spoilage if you cook a big batch of food with all the ingredients. Two is to save you a bundle in energy consumption.

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