Recommend me a pressure cooker

dogstarheaven

i'll be given one anytime soon, and i'm wondering if you can use them to sterilise jars for preserving, i wonder? are there tried n' tested pressure cooker recipe books i could try or normal recipes work on them too?

seraphina

dogstarheaven wrote: »

i'll be given one anytime soon, and i'm wondering if you can use them to sterilise jars for preserving, i wonder? are there tried n' tested pressure cooker recipe books i could try or normal recipes work on them too?

You can indeed use them for sterilizing. I do my glass jars with the minimum amount of water my cooker needs, and then 15mins at 15lb pressure.

PipneyJane

dogstarheaven wrote: »

i'll be given one anytime soon, and i'm wondering if you can use them to sterilise jars for preserving, i wonder? are there tried n' tested pressure cooker recipe books i could try or normal recipes work on them too?

Normal stew recipes work but you only need one-third to half the cooking liquid. Just brown the meat/veg as normal add the liquid, put the lid on, bring to pressure and cook at pressure for 1/3 of the stated cooking time. Then switch off the burner, move the pot onto a cold burner and allow it to depressurise naturally, which takes about 5 minutes. And dinner is done.

Marguerite Patton gives instructions for bottling vegetables in a pressure cooker. They're in her Better Basics - Jams, Jellies and Preserves (I think that's what it's called). Americans would call this "canning". I'm not an expert, but if your pressure cooker can reach and maintain 15lb pressure, you should be able to follow most American "canning" recipes. The USDA bible for canning is here: http://www.foodsaving.com/canning_guide/ . It's the basis of the fabled "Ball Blue Book" (Amazon link).

Our European neighbours bottle and preserve far more extensively than the British so you may find it easier to buy jars, equipment, etc, in France or Spain while on holiday. I hit the mother-load of le Parfait jars in Normandy a month ago, which came complete with multi-lingual instructions on how to process in a pressure cooker but no recipies. I also came across some Weck jars and have the Weck Home Canning Book on my Christmas list.

If you have a choice, get the largest pressure cooker you can. I have a 10L Tefal one that has a lever to select the pressure. It's OK but I'd rather an old-style one with the weights on top because that'll conform to the American "jiggler" style pressure canner. Instead, I have to work things out as I go. I haven't poisoned us yet, but I haven't explored canning very far.

23rdspiral

Bump! So Aldi have the £30 pressure cookers back in stock. But there are cheaper Tower brand ones on eBay. Can anyone recommend the Aldi one? Or should I stick with a brand, re spare parts ect? Any advice gratefully received.

Dobiesmon

Hi
Just wondered if anyone knew what to use inserts you can buy for the pressure cooker . There is a shallow one for veg (Steam ) I think. but what would you use the deeper one for are they worth the investment ,
I have only used my new pc once so looking at other stuff to make in it otherwise its not going to be a money saver lol:D

squeaky

Hi

Our main thread is this one:- Recommend me a pressure cooker

So I'll add your query to it to help keep answers together.

beachgirl76

Have just purchased a prestige stainless steel pressure cooker,in perfect condition from an op shop, my last one I had was a namco,this one has the numbers 992 pressed into the bottom of the pot base & under the lifting handle has the numbers 1746-1987 nominal operating pressure 103 kPa. It did not have a manual with it but had all the other accessories.The vent weight looks like a mini ufo,& in front of the vent weight is a half circle in white with 2 dots at one end & 3 dots the other end.Perhaps someone could tell me where a manual would be available for this model. beachgirl76