What spices, seeds, and nuts have you pressure cooked?

[pazzaglia]

I'm compiling the first-ever pressure cooking time table for seeds, nuts and spices. I will compile a preliminary time-table with your answers and then go through and test each one to write the definitive pressure cooking time.

The goal is to list the cooking time until "soft". Hopefully these cooking times will spur more creativity in addition to the oft-mentioned "pine nut risotto" but also allow use for usually hard-as-rock spices to be used as garnish, or... who knows! My goal, anyway is to have all of this information in one place so at least there is a reference for this information that is free and online.

I'm interested to know, if in a stock or curry or on purpose.. you ever included specific spice, nut or seed and found it soft. If so, for how long did you pressure cook it?

Here is what I've got so far...

DRAFT Pressure Cooking Time Table for Spices, Nuts & Seeds

Let's hear which of these YOU pressure cooked and if there are any more to add to the list!

Ciao,

L

[EnriqueB]

I have pressure cooked sesame and mustard seeds, as per Modernist Cuisine instructions (blanch first, 50 g seed + 250 g water, 1,5 hours). Details here (in Spanish).

Edited February 10, 2012 by EnriqueB (log)

[EnriqueB]

And, it will be nice to have such a compilation table online!!

[pazzaglia]

Fascinating! So, would you say the result was soft mustard seeds after boiling 90 minutes at high pressure?

Sesames just take a few minutes under pressure, not an hour and a half, to become soft- unless perhaps MC is referring to UN-shelled sesames (with which I do not have any actual experience). Have you tried sesame seeds, too?

Ciao!

L

[EnriqueB]

I've done with both mustard and (normal, shelled) sesame seeds, same proportions and same time.

I think both become more or less soft after a short cooking time, but I the "degree of softness" and texture likely changes with the longer times, though I have not tested, just followed MC guideline of 90 minutes at high pressure. The result are seeds that grow about 25% in weight and are soft in the interior but still retain some hardness in the "skin", so they kind of "pop" when you eat them.

See a similar recipe for the mustard in consumed gourmet, and pressure-cooked sesame seeds in this entry from my blog.

[pazzaglia]

I just found out (haven't tried) that you can boil mustard seeds at for 45-60 minutes with the same effect as pressure cooking for 90:

http://www.thekitchn.com/a-condiment-with-class-mustard-caviar-166307

Since I just re-engineered Modernist Cuisine Roasted garlic from being pressure cooked in 2 hours to 5 minutes ...

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2012/02/stinking-rose-perfectly-roasted-garlic.html

...I do wonder about how the Modernist Cuisine arrive at their pressure cooking times and if they tested the results at shorter times!

Ciao,

L

[LindaK]

Since I just re-engineered Modernist Cuisine Roasted garlic from being pressure cooked in 2 hours to 5 minutes ...

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2012/02/stinking-rose-perfectly-roasted-garlic.html

...I do wonder about how the Modernist Cuisine arrive at their pressure cooking times and if they tested the results at shorter times!

Laura, I tried your roasted garlic technique and it worked really well, though with a little less carmelization than one gets from the traditional method. I have not tried Modernist Cuisine's recipe for 2 hour garlic confit but if the photo is accurate it looks like they're aiming to carmelize the whole clove.

[pazzaglia]

Laura, I tried your roasted garlic technique and it worked really well, though with a little less carmelization than one gets from the traditional method. I have not tried Modernist Cuisine's recipe for 2 hour garlic confit but if the photo is accurate it looks like they're aiming to carmelize the whole clove.

Linda I'm so glad you liked it! One of my readers solved the peeling problem by sending me this video:

I still can't commit 2 hours to pressure cook a jar but a whole caramelized garlic clove sounds delicious.

When testing the roasted garlic, I sprinkled a little raw (demarara) sugar to promote caramellization on one of the bulbs. It was DELICIOUS - a bit like garlic brulee' but only relevant to the most die-hard garlic lovers and haute home cooks!

Ciao,

L

[pep.]

I still can't commit 2 hours to pressure cook a jar but a whole caramelized garlic clove sounds delicious.

You can cook more than one jar of course. And the confit is not only cooked, but canned, so it's shelf-stable. Just do a bunch of jars at the same time and use those two hours to make a years worth of garlic confit

[bmdaniel]

I still can't commit 2 hours to pressure cook a jar but a whole caramelized garlic clove sounds delicious.

You can cook more than one jar of course. And the confit is not only cooked, but canned, so it's shelf-stable. Just do a bunch of jars at the same time and use those two hours to make a years worth of garlic confit

Are you sure it will be shelf stable? I would be very cautious about canning garlic.

[pep.]

I still can't commit 2 hours to pressure cook a jar but a whole caramelized garlic clove sounds delicious.

You can cook more than one jar of course. And the confit is not only cooked, but canned, so it's shelf-stable. Just do a bunch of jars at the same time and use those two hours to make a years worth of garlic confit

Are you sure it will be shelf stable? I would be very cautious about canning garlic.

According to the MC team and at the given pressure, yes, unless you are high up in the mountains. I don't know whether someone has calculated the necessary sterilization time for European pressure cookers, though (0.8 bar vs. 15 psi).

[slkinsey]

Since I just re-engineered Modernist Cuisine Roasted garlic from being pressure cooked in 2 hours to 5 minutes ...

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2012/02/stinking-rose-perfectly-roasted-garlic.html

Not really, though. What you seem to have achieved is 5 minute steamed garlic that is softened but barely caramelized, not 5 minute fully caramelized garlic confit. A completely different product that doesn't have much in common with the original. I would think that before claiming to have reengineered a process to produce an equivalent result in 4% of the time, you would make the original recipe to understand what the result should be.

The point of the MC technique also has to do with the interaction of the oil and garlic, and the fact that you can infuse other flavors (herb, etc.) into the garlic and the oil. Certainly one could roast 35 cloves of garlic in the oven for an hour or so, and you would get a fair amount of caramelization. But it wouldn't be as even, and there would be moisture loss, etc.

I still can't commit 2 hours to pressure cook a jar but a whole caramelized garlic clove sounds delicious.

You can cook more than one jar of course. And the confit is not only cooked, but canned, so it's shelf-stable. Just do a bunch of jars at the same time and use those two hours to make a years worth of garlic confit

Are you sure it will be shelf stable? I would be very cautious about canning garlic.

According to the MC team and at the given pressure, yes, unless you are high up in the mountains. I don't know whether someone has calculated the necessary sterilization time for European pressure cookers, though (0.8 bar vs. 15 psi).

I don't think canning garlic in oil for storage would be a good idea. This is not recommended in the USDA canning guide, and I believe there have even been questions of safety related to commercial products. One reason jarred chopped garlic doesn't taste quite right is because acid is added to bring the pH to safe levels for canning.

Edited February 26, 2012 by slkinsey (log)

[pazzaglia]

Not really, though. What you seem to have achieved is 5 minute steamed garlic that is softened but barely caramelized, not 5 minute fully caramelized garlic confit. A completely different product that doesn't have much in common with the original. I would think that before claiming to have reengineered a process to produce an equivalent result in 4% of the time, you would make the original recipe to understand what the result should be.

Obviously, I jest about the pressure cooking time of garlic to bring the point home about the mustard seeds my original comment: if someone claims to achieve the same results by boiling mustard seeds for 45 min that MC produces by pressure cooking for 2 hours - one must wonder if other results could be achieved in a shorter time.

Since my goal is to develop a time table about when certain spices soften I very interested in the methods used by MC but do not see them as definitive source of information. I would like to hear what everyone has tried or found incidentally as a starting point for my experiments - which will now start at the pressure cooking equivalent of a 45 minute simmer for mustard seeds.

Back to the roasted garlic. If you read my technique, I am not trying to replicate MC garlic confit. Instead, my goal was to replicate what is happening in the oven using the foil packet - which indeed steams the garlic and then brings the olive oil to a boil to caramelize it.

Maybe I was wrong to kid about re-engineering MC garlic but I don't think it was out of line to question how MC arrived at their pressure cooking times.

Ciao,

L

Edited February 26, 2012 by pazzaglia (log)

[bonkboo]

I tried to do the mustard seeds and burned the whole mess. Looking for help. Have a Fagor. Blanched 50g of brown mustard seeds. Then put them in 250g of champagne vinegar. When steam and noise started out of the cooker began the timing. Plan was to do an hour. Brown stuff started to come out after about 30 minutes so I pulled it off and closed down the attempt. Any thoughts?

[pazzaglia]

Have you used your pressure cooker for anything else, before and did it work properly?

Fagors begin to make a bit of noise WHILE they are reaching pressure. It builds into a crescendo until the little yellow pressure signal is solid to the touch. At that point, you should lower the heat to "low" and begin counting the pressure cooking time. Some thin wisps of vapor and a light "sssssss" sound are normal during the cooker's time under pressure.

If the heat is not turned down, the cooker will continue to vent forcefully (and loose liquid) making a loud, forceful and continuous "SHHHHHHH!" sound.

Ciao,

L

Edited March 17, 2013 by pazzaglia (log)

[bonkboo]

I have used the PC a number of times for stocks, meets and veggies. Wondering if I'm using too high a temp as my wife suggested. Typically I start with the knob at 8 or so on my electric stove (knob has 9, 10, and High as well.). I turn down to 6 or so when the button pops up. This time I started on high and then moved down, for no particular reason.

[bonkboo]

I have used the PC a number of times for stocks, meets and veggies. Wondering if I'm using too high a temp as my wife suggested. Typically I start with the knob at 8 or so on my electric stove (knob has 9, 10, and High as well.). I turn down to 6 or so when the button pops up. This time I started on high and then moved down, for no particular reason.

[pazzaglia]

If all the liquid is evaporating, you're running your cooker too hot.

Experiment with water, not dinner or expensive spices, as to how low you can go. Your cooker may even be able to maintain pressure on heat setting 2! It'll take a bit, you you'll find the cooker's sweet spot.

Ciao,

L

[bonkboo]

Thanks for the advice. I try not to run it too hot but not sure how low I can go. How much sound should I be hearing to be sure it is still working?

[pazzaglia]

If the cooker starts to loose pressure, you've gone too low. It depends on the band and model cooker you have - some don't make ANY noise at all while others make a delicate "ssssss" sound and have the VERY lightest wisp of vapor coming out of the valve.

Ciao,

L

[pep.]

I've tried pressure-cooking coriander seeds with vinegar and some salt (and a bit of water) yesterday, but after cooking the seeds twice for an hour each, they are still a bit crunchy. I will try another two hours today, but it may well be that the structural material of the seeds (cellulose?) doesn't break down at all.

[Franci]

I want to try to pressure cook black sesame seeds. I read the modernist procedure and This from the Ideas in food. How much water would you add if you steam in the PC on a trivet?

Then I also read this taste hong kong blog about steaming and then pan roasting the seeds to make a sesame paste. More ideas.

I'm not sure what I want to do with them: use them whole, make a paste... For sure I want to use them in savory applications. Unfortunately with my last move I don't have a dehydrator anymore and drying after PC is so excluded.

I think I will start by soaking my seeds overnight.

 

Edited to add link

Edited May 18, 2014 by Franci (log)

[Franci]

I soaked my black sesame overnight and tried 3 methods: steamed (only 15 minutes), pressured cooked for 90 minutes modernist way and Ideas in food way. Already the long soak make the seeds quite tender and I measured: the weight increase was 100%. I started with 150 g seeds, divided by 3. 

The steamed seeds were soft but not as soft as he PCooked seeds,  I should have kept some to do side by side comparison, forgot, instead decided to toast the steamed seeds and grind into a powder, then added honey and a little bit of EV coconut oil. I didn't use runny honey, didn't have it in the house, which of course produced a very thick paste, then I added more coconut oil and I found was difficult to incorporate by hand. I think this paste ended up to sweet for my liking and the taste of sesame got a little lost. I'm curious to try it though in glutinous rice balls (which I already make in the past by simply toasting and grinding the seeds. Next time I'll try rice syrup instead of honey.

The pressure cooked sesame, modernist way, (50 g 250 g water), cooked 90 minutes were very nice but the water almost ran out and some of the seeds stuck to the pan, not too bad, I need a little more water.

The ideas on food cooking method was to cook on a trivet, I add a bit of water to the pot, inserted the trivet and added the seeds to a terrine dish with lid and added a little more water to cover the seeds and a pinch of salt). Of course the water was too much and the taste of the seeds was not as intense as the one cooked according to the modernist method.

Now I froze both seeds and I'm thinking to use them in stir-fried rice or in some sushi rolls.