Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 4)

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

When I push the 'SAUTE' button then I can push the 'ADJUST' button and that changes it to either 'LESS, NORMAL OR MORE'.  The 'LESS NORMAL OR MORE' is located right underneath the 'LOW -HIGH' pressure indicators.

 

I do this as well but once I have it set to say, low, I can't change it to normal or high without shutting the machine off and then setting it to the new setting that I want.

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

I do this as well but once I have it set to say, low, I can't change it to normal or high without shutting the machine off and then setting it to the new setting that I want.

Me too.  

[kayb]

@lindag, I've run into issues when I crowded the pot too much. Since it doesn't have as large a diameter and "floor space" as, say, my 12-inch skillet, which I'd normally use for browning, I find that I have to break more things into batches to brown. I usually use the "medium" setting to brown meat.

 

Edited December 21, 2016 by kayb
fix plural (log)

[Dave the Cook]

Having spent some time as an innocent (and sometimes not-so-innocent) bystander and frequent lab rat while someone else worked on an Instant Pot book, I can say that, despite being a justifiably popular and very capable device, the Instant Pot suffers from an inconsistent user interface and a manual that is, at best, barely capable of explaining it.  

 

That said, its stainless steel pot is superior to other electric pressure cookers, which almost always feature non-stick interiors that are pretty bad at browning, and lack the cladding that helps spread the heat from that tiny, center-positioned element. Still, I often resort to doing initial browning on the stovetop in a sauté pan, then transferring to the Instant Pot after deglazing. I'm willing to trade washing the extra pan for the frustrating tong work and scorched forearms that often accompany pressure-cooker searing. 

[Kerry Beal]

Thanks to the discussion today about the 3 adjustable temperatures for saute (which not having RTFM I did not know) - I was able to make a second cranberry steamed pudding this afternoon much more easily than the one I made this morning. 

 

Instructions for changing a steamed pudding into a pressure cooked one - is to steam for 15 minutes and then high pressure for 35 minutes. 

 

 

Batter

 

 

in the IP

 

 

Post steam

[lindag]

Does anyone have a good method for ridding the IP of lingering food odors?

I made my Swiss Steak recipe and despite scrubbing carefully, the odors linger on.

I store it with the lid upside down on top but when I get close I can still smell the meat and veg.

 

[Maison Rustique]

7 minutes ago, lindag said:

Does anyone have a good method for ridding the IP of lingering food odors?

I made my Swiss Steak recipe and despite scrubbing carefully, the odors linger on.

I store it with the lid upside down on top but when I get close I can still smell the meat and veg.

 

 

I haven't used mine enough yet to experience this situation, but would it help to store it with an open box of baking soda in it?

[rotuts]

the odor seems to eventually settle in the silicon gasket 

 

this was mentioned up-thread.   I eventually got an odor and for me

 

Oxi-Clean-Gel  works :

 

http://www.oxiclean.com/en/AllProducts/Stain-Fighters/Products/OxiClean-Max-Force-Gel-Stick

 

it may of course shorten the life of the gasket

 

up thread advice was give to get replacements to have on hand

 

good advice Id say

 

 

[lindag]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

the odor seems to eventually settle in the silicon gasket 

 

 

I see, that makes perfect sense!  Thanks for the advice!

 

 

 

[Shelby]

I have an addiction to beets.  Weird, I know.  Beets made any way (as long as they are tender).

 

 I love Aunt Nellie's brand pickled beets but I couldn't find any in the big city store that I went to last week, so I purchased some fresh ones and made my own.  The IP worked like a charm.  15 mins on high and NR.  Skins peeled right off easily.  My fingers, however, are still pink.  

 

[MelissaH]

I actually did RTFM (as any good tech writer would, lol) and somehow I missed the part about being able to adjust the saute temperature.

[kayb]

Ordered a nine-inch glass lid to use on the IP when I want to use it as a slow cooker. If you have not done this, I highly recommend it; it's much simpler than using the regular lid, and allows for some evaporation and thus the appropriate changing of flavors if, say, you're making something that includes alcohol. I used it to make mac and cheese for our Christmas dinner; used the saute function to boil the noodles, drained them, switched over to "keep warm" and added the cheese, butter, cream and milk, and just stirred it periodically until we were ready to dig in.

 

I found this one on sale for $9.95, free shipping. Looks almost identical to the IP-branded one. Glad I've got it. The IP gets even more versatile, if that's possible.

 

 

 

[ElsieD]

I made some dulce de leche today using both IPs.  In one went two pint jars, in another 1 pint jar.  They both went for 35 minutes, 15 minutes NPR.  What was interesting was the result.  The one that was by itself was a whole lot darker and therefore thicker than the one that had the two jars in it.  I mixed the three of them together and got a lovely result.  But, why would they be different?  My limited knowledge of the IP tells me that quantity should not affect the result.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Were the IP's set the same?

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Treacle Pudding made in the IP - creme fraiche - the rest of which will be beaten into butter over the next couple of days.

[rotuts]

@Kerry Beal  

 

nice   please share the Rx.   Id like to use the iP and the CSB more for a little Pudding Making as Tj's no lingers carries the Xmas Toffee Cake.

[Kerry Beal]

This is the one. I used panko instead of white bread crumbs, a bit of canadian whiskey instead of brandy. Replaced the 175 grams of self raising flour with 170 grams of flour 5 grams of baking powder and 2 grams of salt. Steamed for 15 minutes then high pressure for 35 minutes.

[kayb]

Dinner via the IP tonight (no photos, because, well, I'm lazy).

 

Choucroute garnie. Three pints of sauerkraut, the homemade variety, that have been languishing in my fridge for a while. Bratwurst, kielbasa, ham. Caraway and juniper berries. A bottle of cheap Riesling. Rye bread.

 

Hard to beat.

 

 

 

 

[quiet1]

Our IP passed the test run. Beef stew tomorrow I think.

[lindag]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 8:10 PM, kayb said:

 

 

I found this one on sale for $9.95, free shipping. Looks almost identical to the IP-branded one. Glad I've got it. The IP gets even more versatile, if that's possible.

 

Thanks for the tip; I didn't get mine at the sale price but I ordered it just the same.  Perfect fit for the IP.  I like it a lot better for regular cooking than fussing with that quirky big PC lid.

 

 

[rotuts]

as yesterday was a Snowday , at least in the afternoon , I took advantage of it to make some more Turkey Ragu.

 

this time I doubled the Rx  ( 1/4 lb generic bacon , 1 lb ( or 20 oz ) ground turkey ( StonybrookFarm ) , 1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2, 1/4 lb Sweet Italianish Sauage ( SBF ) )

 

I don't like licorice flavor , would never use fennel bulb ....   but a little fennel flavor in Ragu is nice 

 

the double portion fit nicely in the IP right up to the limit for this sort of thing.

 

I portion it out into little tubs and freeze it  :

 

 

I took advantage  of the NEWeather , and put 8 of these outside in the snow , covered  and then in the AM  bagged and vacuum sealed them.

 

on the L is a trick Ive learned  pre-vaccum seal :  rough up the frozen top w the back of a spoon . it eliminated sharp edges and most of the air pockets

 

the one on the R has not been done yet.  I had one bag failure due to a sharp edge !

 

 

 

these are what the bags look like frozen and ready to go into the basement SV Freezer.

 

I take the frozen brick out of the bag and put it back in the plastic container  when  I thaw  them for dinner .  its a mess to get the

 

ragu out of a bag when not frozen.

 

w the addition of the italian-ish sausage the flavor really did improve.  Id use pork italian sausage , but none of it is made at markets here

 

and the list of ingredients that AgraCon uses are amazing.   SBFarm's are more reasonable.   ill get some fennel seed and use that in the future.

 

Oooooops !  1 jar 32 oz marinara sauce.  this time i used MarketBasket generic.  it was fine.  on Sale !  99 cents a Jar !

Edited January 8, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

an IP question for those more Season'd in its use than I :

 

[ ed.: those who have actually read the Manual , not just Skimmed It ! ]

 

I now do double batches of Turkey etc for Turkey Ragu.  new for me , I use the  ' warm ' Fx to warm up the two jars of marinara , and each

 

addition I add to the iPot from the sauté pan where I do the browning , reducing etc.  I prefer the larger sauté pan  ( 12 " ) than using the

 

iP for these sorts of things.

 

when the total TR is ready for PC'ing , I turned off the ' warm ' and then put the lid on and selected Manual and 20 min on HP

 

the first time I did this , there was the usual beep after selection ( lid in place etc )  but the pressure did not build up

 

so the valve popped up etc , and it began counting down for the 20 minutes  w/o pressure build up.

 

I turned it off , open it fiddled with the lid so that the pressure valve did not seem to stick and tried again

 

success.

 

today was my second attempt , and I thought I needed to turn the IP off  as having just used the ' warm ' maybe

 

its Chips still thought Id like warm ?

 

similar think happened   

 

so  ....   if you use Warm,   then want to use HP  is there a trick im missing ?

 

thanks

[rotuts]

just to conclude my Studies w the IP for TurkeyRagu :

 

winter is bad , but there are a few opportunities :  my workbench for both SV and TurkeyRagu :

 

you might have to scroll down to the Snow and the TurkeyRagu  getting ready outside to hit the ChamberVaccum for the downstairs freezer.

[Anna N]

I think I have become incapable of making soup any other way than in the Instant Pot. I was reading the Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews (which I own because of all the enablers we harbour on this forum) when I came across a recipe for curried parsnip and apple soup. My bullshit detector immediately deployed. Irish?  Hmmmm.  But I had parsnips on their last legs, apples not much better off and of course curry powder.  I just could not wrap my head around something simmering for 30 minutes. Some of this has to do with my entirely too curious four-legged houseguest who I am afraid might well end up in the soup. So I followed the recipe only so far, sauteeing in the IP and then slapped the lid on,  cooked it on high for 10 minutes, slow release for 10 minutes and then finished off also in the Instant Pot. I have tasted it and refuse to look its pedigree in the eye because it is so good. 

[rotuts]

@Anna N  

 

ai can see the same thing for myself eventually .....

 

""    and then finished off also in the Instant Pot  ""

 

so what did you do ?

 

CC of Ireland is on the way from my library

 

there seem to be another one from Italy

 

just saying