PRESSURE COOKING 101 – Part 1

You can save a lot of time preparing meals by using a pressure cooker. In general, a pressure cooker will give better results than a microwave. It is more like a super quick crockpot. Most people who don’t use a pressure cooker do so because they are afraid of them – having heard horror stories of them exploding. Although it is true that older ones (those built before 1995) could explode, any pressure cooker that has been manufactured after 1995 must comply with International Safety Standards by having at least two built-in automatic pressure releases which prevents exploding. Today’s pressure cookers are 100% safe and won’t even build up pressure if any of the pressure valves or gasket is not functioning properly.

Generally speaking, pressure cookers cook foods in about 1/3 the time of conventional cooking methods. The time charts I have listed here are guidelines to help you cook foods without a recipe or adapt some of your own recipes to the pressure cooker.

Times will vary depending on your particular pressure cooker, your heat source, your size pressure cooker, and the quality of the foods you are preparing. When cooking multiple foods in the same pot begin timing for the food that takes the longest time to cook.

The size of the food will affect the cooking times as well. Foods that take the same amount of cooking times should be cut in the same sizes to cook evenly. To balance out the differences in cooking times of foods with slightly different cooking times cut the foods that require the longest cooking times in smaller pieces, and the shorter cooking foods in larger pieces.

Next time, Part 2. It will include charts for vegetables, more information and pressure cooking tips, including the Intrrupt Cooking Method for when your cooking different types of foods at the same time. I will also give you a website which carries manuals and parts for all types of pressure cookers very inexpensively. Stay tuned!!

TYPE OF MEAT	AMT. OF LIQUID TO USE	COOKING TIME
Beef, corned ; 3 to 4 inches thick	4 cups liquid	45 minutes
Beef, pot roast, blade, chuck, or rump; 2-3 inches thick	1 1/4 cups liquid	30 to 40 min
Beef, round steak (Swiss); 1/2 inch thick	1 1/4 cups liquid	20 to 25 minutes
Beef, stew meat; 1 inch cubes	2 1/2 cups liquid	15 to 20 minutes
Chicken, whole (3 to 4 lb.)	2 cups liquid	25 to 30 minutes
Chicken, parts with bone in	1 1/4 cups liquid	9 to 11 minutes
Chicken, boneless breasts	1 1/4 cups liquid	5 to 7 minutes
Chicken, breasts with bone	1 1/4 cups liquid	10 to 12 minutes
Chicken, legs or thighs	1 1/4 cups liquid	5 to 7 minutes
Ham, uncooked shank; 3 to 5 lb.	2 1/2 cups liquid	35 to 45 minutes
Pork chops, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick	1 cup liquid	4 minutes
Pork chops, 1 inch thick	1 cup liquid	6 minutes
Pork shanks	2 1/2 cups liquid	35 minutes
Pork shoulder	1 1/2 cups liquid	35 to 40 minutes
Pork spareribs	1 cup liquid	15 minutes
Pork steak, 1/2 inch thick	1 cup liquid	5 minutes
Rabbit	1 cup liquid	12 to 15 minutes
Turkey, parts	1 cup liquid	5 minutes 1 1/2 cups liquid
Turkey, breast half bonless	1 1/2 cups liquid	15 to 20 minutes
Turkey, breast half with bone in	1 1/2 cups liquid	25 to 30 minutes
Venison, pot roast; 3 to 4 inches thick	1 1/4 cups liquid	30 to 40 minutes

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

This vegetarain is looking forward to Part 2------thanks!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), May 06, 2002.