Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, Shelby said:

@blue_dolphin  I am lacking skill and patience so I finally just decided to ask you.  Could you please re-post how you do your grits in the IP?  I've searched and I can't find your method that I know you've probably typed out more than once.  Thank you in advance.

 

I'm sorry to say that I have't tried IP grits. I keep meaning to try this method, so thanks for the reminder!   I've been getting such nice results with Vivian Howard's double boiler method that I've been sticking with that. 

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

This what you are looking for?

YES.  Thank you SO much.  I've been looking through the IP threads for 30 mins.  

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I'm sorry to say that I have't tried IP grits. I keep meaning to try this method, so thanks for the reminder!   I've been getting such nice results with Vivian Howard's double boiler method that I've been sticking with that. 

I should have said your polenta method--I figure it will work the same for grits maybe?  I'm making the scallops with cocktail tomatoes in the next couple days and thought I'd do the grits in the IP.....

[Okanagancook]

I have an entry in my "Instapot" notebook:

 

"Blue-Dolphin's grits:  pot in pot method using 1/2 c grits, 2 cups water and butter.  Manual HP x 15 minutes, slow release"

I did try this and my notes says a little under, try 20 minutes next time.

I also have a note about 'chemed's' version:  1:4 ratio with chicken stock.  Manual HP x 15 min, presumably SR.

Give it a go but the time may depend on the "coarseness" of one's grits.

[ElsieD]

45 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I should have said your polenta method--I figure it will work the same for grits maybe?  I'm making the scallops with cocktail tomatoes in the next couple days and thought I'd do the grits in the IP.....

 

Scallops with cocktail tomatoes?

[Shelby]

41 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

I have an entry in my "Instapot" notebook:

 

"Blue-Dolphin's grits:  pot in pot method using 1/2 c grits, 2 cups water and butter.  Manual HP x 15 minutes, slow release"

I did try this and my notes says a little under, try 20 minutes next time.

I also have a note about 'chemed's' version:  1:4 ratio with chicken stock.  Manual HP x 15 min, presumably SR.

Give it a go but the time may depend on the "coarseness" of one's grits.

AWESOME!  Thank you so much.  I will write all of this in my book.

5 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Scallops with cocktail tomatoes?

Sorry.  I should have specified.  The recipe is from Deep Run Roots.  The cocktail tomatoes have to marinate for at least a week.  Tomorrow will be a week.  I will post further about it on the cooking from the cookbook thread in a couple of days.

[ElsieD]

@Shelby  thanks.  I don't follow that thread as I don't have the book but I'll take a look at it in a couple of days once you have had a chance to post.  Love scallops, love tomatoes.

[Beebs]

Well, I've finally opened my new IP purchased a couple weeks ago. It's bigger & heavier than I expected, so now it doesn't fit in the space I originally wanted it to rest. Haven't turned it on yet either.

 

Anyway, question about pressure cooking. I've used a traditional pressure cooker maybe twice ever in my entire life, and this was in high school home economics. Approximately how much cooking time is reduced by pressure cooking? Half? More? Presumably it depends on what I'm cooking? Say a standard beef stew that takes a couple hours stove top. What about (soaked) beans?

 

I think I'll have a go at the IP this long weekend.

 

Thanks!

[rotuts]

cosider@Beebs

 

everything is here for you :

 

 

 

its all here

 

or consider this book :

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hip-Pressure-Cooking-Fresh-Flavorful-ebook/dp/B00IWUI6HY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1501871164&sr=1-1&keywords=hip+pressure+cooking

 

perhaps test drive from your local library ?

 

or

 

https://www.hippressurecooking.com

 

Enjoy !

 

[Beebs]

Thanks, @rotuts! I know how I'll be spending my weekend!

[rotuts]

@Beebs 

 

Nice !

 

you will want to look into a basket to put above the 1 cup or water

 

for Pressure steaming

 

this one works :

 

U.S. Kitchen Supply 3 Quart Stainless Steel Mesh Net Strainer Basket...

 

but you have to bend up the handles of snap them off

 

not that easy to do but well with it:

 

 

its all in the threads

 

pressure-steaming w an iPot keeps all the flavor in the basket

 

although , when Tis what you want " Soup " that button is nice !

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted link to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[blue_dolphin]

57 minutes ago, Beebs said:

What about (soaked) beans?

This list has Instant Pot cooking times for various Rancho Gordo beans, soaked and unsoaked.  For most unsoaked beans, I like to cook them under pressure for ~ 20 min, then simmer for another 20 min or so using the sauté function.

 

If you don't already have a copy, I highly recommend downloading the Kindle version of Instant Pot® Obsession: The Ultimate Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Cooking Everything Fast by our own @JAZ.  

It's not a fancy photo-filled cookbook but it's packed with accurate, concise information about the IP.  At $2.99 or $CDN3.73, it's well worth the investment. 

[rotuts]

I also have and recumbent this book

 

Mine is the PB.

[kayb]

On 8/3/2017 at 6:39 PM, ElsieD said:

@Shelby  thanks.  I don't follow that thread as I don't have the book but I'll take a look at it in a couple of days once you have had a chance to post.  Love scallops, love tomatoes.

 

You need the book. It's wonderful.

 

[Shelby]

Ok, so I made the recipe I was talking about above last night.  I decided to make my life easier (after a long day of canning tomatoes) and do the grits in the IP.  This recipe was perfect.  No sticking to the bottom or anything.  It makes a lot, but that's what I wanted.  Ronnie doesn't care for grits, so I never make them and this way I have leftovers to eat

 

Here is the recipe

Edited August 7, 2017 by Shelby (log)

[ElsieD]

Cook's Illustrated must be coming out with a "multicooker" cookbook.  I received an email today from them asking if I owned one and if I did, would I be willing to test recipes.  So I said yes, and yes.

[lindag]

10 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Cook's Illustrated must be coming out with a "multicooker" cookbook.  I received an email today from them asking if I owned one and if I did, would I be willing to test recipes.  So I said yes, and yes.

I'll be looking forward to your results here!

I did that several years ago and found some nice recipes I wouldn't have otherwise attempted.

[ElsieD]

19 minutes ago, lindag said:

I'll be looking forward to your results here!

I did that several years ago and found some nice recipes I wouldn't have otherwise attempted.

 

I've been testing recipes for them for a long time, although I only do the ones I'm interested in, which means there are long stretches when I don't do any.  I still make one of their ecipes to this day for a pork chop.  Given my love for the IP I'll likely test everything that comes my way

[weedy]

so...

 

I ran the recommended initial test run tonight, and I have a question.

 

I filled to the recommended 3 qt line and ran it on Steam for 2 minutes...

but then, once it finished and I turned it off, it still hadn't "naturally released" after anther 40 minutes... is THAT normal?

 

 

 

also, anyone want to recommend a smaller insert for pot-in-pot cooking small rice or grits quantities?

 

 

[rotuts]

@weedy 

 

Im not quite sure what you mean by ' steam'

 

pressure steam ?  where the little silver button goes up ?

 

 

[Shelby]

8 hours ago, weedy said:

so...

 

I ran the recommended initial test run tonight, and I have a question.

 

I filled to the recommended 3 qt line and ran it on Steam for 2 minutes...

but then, once it finished and I turned it off, it still hadn't "naturally released" after anther 40 minutes... is THAT normal?

 

 

 

also, anyone want to recommend a smaller insert for pot-in-pot cooking small rice or grits quantities?

 

 

If you filled it that full and brought it to pressure, then, yeah, that would be normal.  

 

This is a great pictorial to walk you through the water test.  If anyone should need it.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Shelby (log)

[Anna N]

 

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite bowl for using inside the 6 quart instant pot. I found it in a thrift store but I have shown you the dimensions in case you see something similar. 

 Also if you Google accessories for the instant pot you will find many people who have found suitable accessories and have provided links to where you can buy them. 

[blue_dolphin]

11 hours ago, weedy said:

also, anyone want to recommend a smaller insert for pot-in-pot cooking small rice or grits quantities?

 

I usually use a Pyrex bowl but there are many options.  Over on one of the IP Facebook groups, someone posted a link to this list of accessories that may be helpful.  The Amazon links in that list are just straight links, not affiliate links.

[Anna N]

So I wasn't sure if I should share this experience with my Instant Pot with all of you. But I believe we should share the good,  the bad, and the ugly. In the end I think that the IP did exactly what it should do when it calls in one or more of its safety systems. 

 

I was adapting a recipe from the Hip Pressure cooking site for risotto. The only real departure from the recipe on the site was that I was sauteeing some bacon with the onion.  After briefly sautéing the 1/2 a cup of rice I added one cup of vegetable stock. I put the lid on quickly as the instructions say, switched from the sauté function to manual, set timer for six minutes and walked away. I noticed that the display had changed from "on" to "6" telling me that it had reached pressure.  Suddenly it started spewing steam very loudly  and managed to totally terrify me. I snuck around it as one does when facing an enemy and quickly unplugged it.  I saw that the pressure had dropped but I did not trust this noisy enemy in my kitchen so left it alone for sometime.

 

Finally, when I had plucked  up the courage to face my nemesis head on, I opened the lid.  Nothing at all appeared amiss. The rice was not burned, the gasket seem to be in place,  I could see daylight through the valve telling me it was not plugged and about the only thing that struck me as dicey was that the rice add absorbed most of the liquid.

 

 After I had calmed down and tried to assess the situation reasonably, I am wondering if the thing was so hot from the sautéing that it somehow affected the production of steam and it became over pressurized.  

 

 It did not explode nor did it give any indication it might.  I tend to panic in the presence of loud noises but I believe that it was doing what it was designed to do -- safely releasing the pressure. 

 

 I intend to put it through a test with just water in it very shortly. 

 

Any insights?

 

[weedy]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

 

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite bowl for using inside the 6 quart instant pot. I found it in a thrift store but I have shown you the dimensions in case you see something similar. 

 Also if you Google accessories for the instant pot you will find many people who have found suitable accessories and have provided links to where you can buy them. 

Anna,

do you place that inside the inner pot, or just instead of?

i have small stainless steel mixing bowls but I wasn't sure they'd be happy in direct contact with the IP heating element. 

 

Thanks!