Pressure Cooking Class: Ideas?

[Richard Kilgore]

Looks like I'll be doing a class on pressure cooking using Kuhn Rikon PCs at Design & Grace, owned by my friend and eGullet member Tony Boulton. The format likely will be a talk, a little demo and time for Q&A, packed into a half hour or an hour.

So I would appreciate some help with the content from all you pressure cookers, as well as those who don't yet PC, but are considering it. What would you have liked to have known before you started using a PC? What do you think is important for people to know?

For starters, here's an outline of what I am considering:

* Intro: advantages of PCs

* The Pressure Cooker: parts, operation, safety

* Vegetables: steaming

* Legumes

* Rice

* Braises

* Stews and Chili

* Desserts, eg. flan

* Canning

Anything I should add? Anything I should make sure to cover in the above?

Questions I should anticipate?

Thanks,

Richard

[Bonnie Ruth]

I would like to know why beans don't seeme to taste quite as flavorful when I cook them in the pressure cooker. Am I perhaps cooking them too long, or is there nothing that I can do?

[thayes1c]

How about stocks? The ever-illuminating Cooking Issues has a couple good posts on the subject:

http://www.cookingissues.com/2009/11/22/pressure-cooked-stocks-we-got-schooled/

[nickrey]

How about a brief section on how the pressure cooker works? You may also want to comment on the effects of different altitudes on the instrument.

I'd add temperature control (the principle of cooking just at pressure vs with steam blasting everywhere).

You should probably also cover the effects of different methods of cooling (eg. via ambient temperature vs plunging under cold water).

You've also missed stock making.

Lastly, how about adding caring for your pressure cooker (maintaining and replacing seals, etc)?

[Richard Kilgore]

I am not sure I can answer that, but maybe someone here can. The best I can tell, some people find it less and some more flavorful with a PC...and some about the same. But I have not been able to nail down why. Anyone?

Yes, thanks thayes1c, I meant to include stocks, since that is a large part of why I was drawn to K-R. Although I think this audience is going to be less interested in stocks than I am.

[Richard Kilgore]

How about a brief section on how the pressure cooker works? You may also want to comment on the effects of different altitudes on the instrument.

I'd add temperature control (the principle of cooking just at pressure vs with steam blasting everywhere).

You should probably also cover the effects of different methods of cooling (eg. via ambient temperature vs plunging under cold water).

You've also missed stock making.

Lastly, how about adding caring for your pressure cooker (maintaining and replacing seals, etc)?

Thanks, nickrey. All good points to include.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks everyone. Here's a revised rough outline including everyone's points.

Anything else I can add?

Intro: advantages of PCs

The Pressure Cooker

how it works, parts, safety, maintenance

basic operation, temperature control, cooling, effects of altitude

Cooking with PCs

* Stocks

* Vegetables: steaming

* Legumes

* Rice and grains

* Braises

* Stews and Chili

* Desserts, eg. flan

* Canning

[Wholemeal Crank]

Artichokes. The pressure cooker is the definitive way to delicate, tender, delicious artichokes. My linkhttp://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/SteamedArtichokes.html

Also, the bowl-in-pot technique works beautifully for rice and other grains that might otherwise scorch or stick, and permits more precise control of the water that they are cooking in.

Another favorite pressure cooker trick is making corn stock, for soups that will feature fresh corn: cut corn off the cobs and reserve for the soup. Put the cobs, water to cover, perhaps some onion, and spices if you like; bring up to pressure, cook 10 minutes, and voila, mild sweet corn stock. Or tamarind stock: pressure cook some whole dried tamarind pods, and dried ginger or galangal, cloves, cinnamon stick, corinader, what you like, for about 10 minutes. Strain and press the tamarind against the strainer to extract the maximum tamarind goodness.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, Wm C. Nice idea for corn and tamarind stocks. Do you steam the artichokes?

[Dave the Cook]

Whenever possible, we like to present an "aha" moment: something that startles students and makes them think about things in a different way. Sometimes it can be simple: recently, we did a tasting of carrots prepared four ways. The class was mildly interested until they got to the juice. We had to show them the label to prove that we hadn't added any sugar.

For a pressure-cooker class, I'd consider hamine eggs, a la Dave Arnold.

[JAZ]

Richard, is this a paid class, or something free? If you've got a group of paid students who are already interested in pressure cooking, then things like stocks and canning would probably be appropriate. If it's just a free demo, though, I think you need to stay with something simpler.

One of the problems I've had doing pressure cooker demos (free ones, that is) is that there's really nothing to watch, and people get bored and wander away. But if you can come up with something to cook that takes only 15 or 20 minutes, something that's familiar to most people, you'll be more likely to catch and keep their interest. I've done chicken thighs braised with tomatillos and chiles, for instance; boneless thighs are falling apart tender in 20 minutes. And although I'm not a fan of pressure cooker risotto, it always seems to impress people.

My advice is to go ahead and start whatever dish you decide on right at the beginning of the class, then while it's cooking, talk about all your discussion points. When you're done talking, the food will be done and you'll have something tangible to show the students.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Thanks, Wm C. Nice idea for corn and tamarind stocks. Do you steam the artichokes?

Sorry the link was broken. Here is the text of the only way to cook artichokes:

Steamed artichokes

I have always loved artichokes. Growing up in California, we used to have them several nights a week in season. I liked them so much that eventually Mom would cook two at a time--one for the rest of the family, and one for me.

Every other artichoke preparation I've encountered has been disappointing, because they're never as good. I just won't order them anymore, even from a favorite restaurant. These are the best, but this simple preparation is suprisingly absent from even good vegetable cookbooks.

After cooking, the leaves and heart can be dipped in butter, or even eaten plain, but I prefer them with plain mayonnaise. It's the only reason I keep mayo in my kitchen.

You will need a pressure cooker, because the results are unique.

One or more artichokes (depending on your appetite), freshy with a moist firm stalk

Rinse the artichiokes and trim off the bulk of the stalk. There is no need to trim the leaves or any silliness like that, because the pressure cooker will soften the spines a bit. Place them on a steamer rack inside a pressure cooker above about an inch of water. Bring them to 15lbs pressure for 22 minutes for a medium to about 26 minutes for a quite large artichoke. Use a timer. Be sure the sink is clear before they are done cooking.

When the timer goes off, immediately remove the pressure cooker from the stove to the sink, running cold water over it to cool it rapidly down until the pressure is down and it is safe to open the lid. Remove them from the pot and serve with your favorite dip (mayo!).

"Baby" artichokes--not actually immature artichokes, but those growing on the side branches rather than the main stalk--will take less time, from 12-20 minutes depending on their size. When in doubt, cook them for a shorter time, check for doneness (you want a tender heart but not one falling apart), and put them back up to pressure for another 1-3 minutes at a time.

[Richard Kilgore]

Whenever possible, we like to present an "aha" moment: something that startles students and makes them think about things in a different way. Sometimes it can be simple: recently, we did a tasting of carrots prepared four ways. The class was mildly interested until they got to the juice. We had to show them the label to prove that we hadn't added any sugar.

For a pressure-cooker class, I'd consider hamine eggs, a la Dave Arnold.

Thanks, Dave. I followed your link, but was not able to find "hamine eggs" even with a search. Am I missing something obvious?

[Richard Kilgore]

Richard, is this a paid class, or something free? If you've got a group of paid students who are already interested in pressure cooking, then things like stocks and canning would probably be appropriate. If it's just a free demo, though, I think you need to stay with something simpler.

One of the problems I've had doing pressure cooker demos (free ones, that is) is that there's really nothing to watch, and people get bored and wander away. But if you can come up with something to cook that takes only 15 or 20 minutes, something that's familiar to most people, you'll be more likely to catch and keep their interest. I've done chicken thighs braised with tomatillos and chiles, for instance; boneless thighs are falling apart tender in 20 minutes. And although I'm not a fan of pressure cooker risotto, it always seems to impress people.

My advice is to go ahead and start whatever dish you decide on right at the beginning of the class, then while it's cooking, talk about all your discussion points. When you're done talking, the food will be done and you'll have something tangible to show the students.

Thanks, Janet. I think we're going to start out with free demos - about a half hour, then see if there's enough interest to do a paid class. Yes, cooking something during the demo seems to be essential, although I had not thought about people drifting away without it. I like your idea of doing something with chicken thighs, too. And yes, the stock making and canning would only be passing discussion points for the demo. More on that in a class. (And my understanding so far is that canning should be done only in a pressure canner, not a pressure cooker.)

[Dave the Cook]

Whenever possible, we like to present an "aha" moment: something that startles students and makes them think about things in a different way. Sometimes it can be simple: recently, we did a tasting of carrots prepared four ways. The class was mildly interested until they got to the juice. We had to show them the label to prove that we hadn't added any sugar.

For a pressure-cooker class, I'd consider hamine eggs, a la Dave Arnold.

Thanks, Dave. I followed your link, but was not able to find "hamine eggs" even with a search. Am I missing something obvious?

About 2/3 down the page. Look for a bizarro-world photo of a deviled egg beneath this description:

Pressure cookers (aptly named) are another great example of how pressure is used in cooking. We used it to trigger the alkaline reaction in Hamine Eggs in about 30 minutes, not the traditional preparation which requires eggs to sit overnight.

[Wholemeal Crank]

And my understanding so far is that canning should be done only in a pressure canner, not a pressure cooker.

This is something I've heard before, but I can't see what is different between the pressure cooker and the pressure canner, except perhaps extra careful calibration for the pressure canner.

If it gets to 10lb or 15lb pressure and holds it reliably, it will get hot enough to do what it needs to do--kill the botulinum spores that survive boiling but not the hotter temperatures achieved under pressure.

Is there something else that I'm missing?

[nickrey]

Not unsurprisingly, pressure canners are designed for the canning task; pressure cookers are not.

Quoting from a reply of mine on this thread:

(There is a) USDA recommendation not to use pressure cookers for canning. This is based on differences in size and thermal properties of the cookers/canners, particularly in terms of times for heat up and cool down, which are included in the processing times given. Because of these differences, the timings for a pressure canner cannot be used on a pressure cooker while maintaining the safety margin.

I do use a pressure cooker for canning stocks (I have more shelf space for jars than freezer space so canning is necessary if I am to use home-made stocks with convenience). These are left under pressure for times that give a conservative safety margin. The timings are calculated from food processing tables rather than from manufacturer's booklets.

... the details of timings are too complicated to put into a reply here. Safety in food processing is not an art, it is a science. Basically you need to know the Fo values appropriate to the food, which is the total integrated lethal effect (lethal to bacteria, not to humans) required to deal with the bacteria typically found in that type of food. Also involved is consideration of heat applied, thermal conductivity of the material, and the size of the container. The maths is typically something that should not be tried at home and requires access to scientifically derived lethality tables.

... This is a safety issue ... if you intend canning food regularly ... get yourself the proper instrument, which is a pressure canner. Then follow their directions to the letter.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Can't believe the calibrations in the recipes are that precise given that pressure canners are sold in a variety of shapes and sizes and materials, and are filled with variable amounts of water, and quantities of jars--the thermal mass and heat capacity is already tremendously variable even with jars of the same nominal capacity and the same type of food. I had a lovely heavy aluminum canner that took far longer to cool and drop pressure than my current lightly built model with similar volume.

If the recipes are built with a standard fudge factor for a mythical standard canner with a standard quantity of water and jars and food and cooling at a standard rate, and that needs to be accurate to ensure the safety of the processed food, then they're not writing safe recipes. The variability is too great already.

[nickrey]

Given continued questions, I decided to go to the source document rather than trusting secondary reports.

Interestingly, I could not find the term "pressure cooker" anywhere in the document.

The following covers equipment that is not recommended:

"Equipment and methods not recommended

Open-kettle canning and the processing of freshly filled jars in conventional ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers are not recommended, because these practices do not prevent all risks of spoilage. Steam canners are not recommended because processing times for use with current models have not been adequately researched. Because steam canners do not heat foods in the same manner as boiling-water canners, their use with boiling-water process times may result in spoilage. It is not recommended that pressure processes in excess of 15 PSI be applied when using new pressure canning equipment. So-called canning powders are useless as preservatives and do not replace the need for proper heat processing. Jars with wire bails and glass caps make attractive antiques or storage containers for dry food ingredients but are not recommended for use in canning. One-piece zinc porcelain-lined caps are also no longer recommended. Both glass and zinc caps use flat rubber rings for sealing jars, but too often fail to seal properly. (p. 1-10)."

It seems the machine that they don't recommend is a steam canner, which is nothing like a pressure cooker.

Looking further, I found this reference which seems to be the one from which people extract their Internet-related wisdom. They state that "in the late 1980s the USDA published its recommendation to not use pressure saucepans (small cookers) for home canning." Interestingly, searching the USDA site I could find no such recommendation.

The difference between a pressure cooker and a pressure canner seems to lie in the former having a recommended maximum water fill that is below the level for complete immersion of the jars. I suppose the question is what effect does total immersion versus being surrounded in superheated steam (steam under pressure that goes beyond boiling point) have on pressured cooking?

Can't believe I fell victim to the web-based secondary reference sucker punch.

If your pressure cooker consistently maintains pressure at 15psi, it will reach a temperature of 121C or 250F. This is the reference temperature used to determine commercial sterilisation processes [brennan, J.G. (Ed.). Food processing handbook. Wiley, 2006]. He goes on to provide a table of the times at which foods are held at that temperature for commercial purposes. This varies across food types so there is no one simple "hold it at x degrees for y minutes" statement possible.

Issues arise concerning time to heat up, holding time, and cooling time. All of these are important factors in achieving commercial-equivalent sterility.

The question of using a pressure cookers for canning seems still wide open. Recommendations against their use seem to hinge on processing times not having being formally calculated by the authorities.

Personally, I'd say if you don't fully understand the processes involved get yourself a modern pressure canner, follow the instructions to the letter, and forget about using your pressure cooker for canning.

Anyone else have some facts to present?

[Wholemeal Crank]

BTW, the jars are NOT supposed to be submerged during pressure canning, unlike the boiling water bath where they are supposed to be submerged. The water should go a few inches up the side when pressure canning.

Thank goodness, because otherwise it would take hours for the pressure to come down in my 22 quart canner when it's full up.

[nickrey]

BTW, the jars are NOT supposed to be submerged during pressure canning, unlike the boiling water bath where they are supposed to be submerged. The water should go a few inches up the side when pressure canning.

Thank goodness, because otherwise it would take hours for the pressure to come down in my 22 quart canner when it's full up.

So it seems that the only difference apart from variance in heat up and cool down properties is that there are no official time guidelines specified.

Edited March 16, 2010 by nickrey (log)

[Yajna Patni]

Pressure cookers make great quick risotto.