Recipe: How to Convert Traditional Recipes for Use in the Pressure Cooker
Tips and TricksCONVERTING TRADITIONAL RECIPES
FOR USE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
It is easy to adapt your favorite recipe for use in a pressure cooker. For the most part, soups, stews, braised and slow-roasted meats and poultry, steamed and braised vegetables, dried beans and legumes, and slow-simmered recipes like tomato sauce and fruit preserves, provide the best results. When converting a recipe, always refer to the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each recipe chapter for the type of food being prepared. In addition to giving cooking times, this information also provides guidelines for the amount of cooking liquid required.
When cooking meats and poultry, brown them well in the pressure cooker using at least three tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil or other fat. Saute onions, garlic, or other vegetables called for in the recipe. Add the remaining ingredients and at least three-fourths of a cup of cooking liquid, such as stock, diluted tomato puree, or wine, depending on the length of the cooking time. Bear in mind that the amount of cooking liquid will probably be much less than that needed in traditional cooking, since you will be cooking in a sealed pot for a much shorter period of time, making for less evaporation. You must, however, use sufficient liquid, since the pressure cooker is constantly building steam during the entire cooking process. If you run out of liquid and continue cooking, the food will burn.
Soups are quick and easy to prepare in the pressure cooker. Add beans, meat, poultry, or seafood to the pressure cooker along with any desired vegetables, herbs, and spices. Add the cooking liquid, usually water or stock, filling the pressure cooker no more than two-thirds full. Consult the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each chapter for basic cooking information.
Foods like tomato sauce and fruit preserves cook to perfection in a pressure cooker, saving 50 to 70 percent in cooking time. When preparing tomato sauce, saute finely chopped onion and/or garlic in olive oil. Add and brown the meats as specified in the recipe. Add the strained or pureed tomatoes, filling the pressure cooker only two-thirds full. Position the lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pressure drop naturally.
To make fruit preserves, prepare the fruit as indicated in your recipe. Place the fruit in the pressure cooker with the desired quantity of sugar. Let sit one hour to release the natural juices of fruit. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Stir well and add the other ingredients as indicated in your recipe. Position lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure for up to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure drop naturally.
Bear in mind that there are no universal guidelines for converting recipes for pressure-cooker use. Trial and error will come into play until you understand how a pressure cooker cooks. Because it can always be cooled longer, if need be, it is always better to undercook rather than to overcook food.
Source: The Ultimate Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Tom Lacalamita
More to Explore:
Pressure Cooker Recipes
Shop for Pressure Cookers
FOR USE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
It is easy to adapt your favorite recipe for use in a pressure cooker. For the most part, soups, stews, braised and slow-roasted meats and poultry, steamed and braised vegetables, dried beans and legumes, and slow-simmered recipes like tomato sauce and fruit preserves, provide the best results. When converting a recipe, always refer to the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each recipe chapter for the type of food being prepared. In addition to giving cooking times, this information also provides guidelines for the amount of cooking liquid required.
When cooking meats and poultry, brown them well in the pressure cooker using at least three tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil or other fat. Saute onions, garlic, or other vegetables called for in the recipe. Add the remaining ingredients and at least three-fourths of a cup of cooking liquid, such as stock, diluted tomato puree, or wine, depending on the length of the cooking time. Bear in mind that the amount of cooking liquid will probably be much less than that needed in traditional cooking, since you will be cooking in a sealed pot for a much shorter period of time, making for less evaporation. You must, however, use sufficient liquid, since the pressure cooker is constantly building steam during the entire cooking process. If you run out of liquid and continue cooking, the food will burn.
Soups are quick and easy to prepare in the pressure cooker. Add beans, meat, poultry, or seafood to the pressure cooker along with any desired vegetables, herbs, and spices. Add the cooking liquid, usually water or stock, filling the pressure cooker no more than two-thirds full. Consult the approximate cooking times at the beginning of each chapter for basic cooking information.
Foods like tomato sauce and fruit preserves cook to perfection in a pressure cooker, saving 50 to 70 percent in cooking time. When preparing tomato sauce, saute finely chopped onion and/or garlic in olive oil. Add and brown the meats as specified in the recipe. Add the strained or pureed tomatoes, filling the pressure cooker only two-thirds full. Position the lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pressure drop naturally.
To make fruit preserves, prepare the fruit as indicated in your recipe. Place the fruit in the pressure cooker with the desired quantity of sugar. Let sit one hour to release the natural juices of fruit. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Stir well and add the other ingredients as indicated in your recipe. Position lid and lock in place. Cook under high pressure for up to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure drop naturally.
Bear in mind that there are no universal guidelines for converting recipes for pressure-cooker use. Trial and error will come into play until you understand how a pressure cooker cooks. Because it can always be cooled longer, if need be, it is always better to undercook rather than to overcook food.
Source: The Ultimate Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Tom Lacalamita
More to Explore:
Pressure Cooker Recipes
Shop for Pressure Cookers
- Post Reply
- Post New
- Save to Recipe Box
ADVERTISEMENT
UPLOAD AN IMAGE
Allowed file types: .gif .png .jpg .jpeg
Allowed file types: .gif .png .jpg .jpeg
POST A REPLY
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
- Do not use the message boards for advertising or solicitation of our visitors.
- Do not post personal data about yourself or others such as resumes, phone numbers, addresses, etc.
- Be kind. Rude or offensive posts are not acceptable. If you should find a posting that is objectionable to you please do not post a response. E-mail a message to: help@recipelink.com If a complaint is made against a message it is removed.
- Choose the board topic that best suits your post. Off topic messages may be moved or removed. Posts of the same request to more than one message board will be deleted.
- Please do not request that responses be e-mailed directly to you - we work together as a group and we all want to enjoy the replies!
- Please keep posting of URLs to a minimum and limited to exact responses to requests. Posts with links included are removed if they are inaccurate, if they don't lead to the exact answer to the request or if the site content doesn't meet our criteria for sites we link to.
- E-mail all site-related questions and comments to:help@recipelink.com
-
The message
boards are monitored and not all posts are accepted. We reserve the right to
modify, move, use or remove (or not remove) information posted at our discretion
and without prior notification or explanation. Failure to follow the guidelines
may result in loss of access. These guidelines are subject to change without
notice.
Not required, but a request:
Please take a moment to post a thank you to those that take the time (sometimes hours) to find the recipe or information you requested!
Thank you for participating!
POST A NEW MESSAGE
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
- Do not use the message boards for advertising or solicitation of our visitors.
- Do not post personal data about yourself or others such as resumes, phone numbers, addresses, etc.
- Be kind. Rude or offensive posts are not acceptable. If you should find a posting that is objectionable to you please do not post a response. E-mail a message to: help@recipelink.com If a complaint is made against a message it is removed.
- Choose the board topic that best suits your post. Off topic messages may be moved or removed. Posts of the same request to more than one message board will be deleted.
- Please do not request that responses be e-mailed directly to you - we work together as a group and we all want to enjoy the replies!
- Please keep posting of URLs to a minimum and limited to exact responses to requests. Posts with links included are removed if they are inaccurate, if they don't lead to the exact answer to the request or if the site content doesn't meet our criteria for sites we link to.
- E-mail all site-related questions and comments to:help@recipelink.com
-
The message
boards are monitored and not all posts are accepted. We reserve the right to
modify, move, use or remove (or not remove) information posted at our discretion
and without prior notification or explanation. Failure to follow the guidelines
may result in loss of access. These guidelines are subject to change without
notice.
Not required, but a request:
Please take a moment to post a thank you to those that take the time (sometimes hours) to find the recipe or information you requested!
Thank you for participating!