Can anyone give me instructions on how to use a 4 quart pressure cooker?!
Answers: I was wondering if I should add any water to the pressure cooker when I add a roast or vegetables, if so how much? Any help would be appreciated. Barb
I have the old kind of pressure cooker where there is a pot, a lid, a trivet, and a pressure regulator valve which sits on the stem on the lid when in use. I'm not sure about the newer ones.
Usually if you have a meat roast in a pressure cooker you would set it on the trivet that comes with your cooker. Naturally you would add water to cover the trivet and possibly a little more. Check your booklet for cooking time needed. Lock the lid in place and place your pressure regulator on the stem. Then you turn the fire on high under your pot, watch pot until the the steam rises and begins to blow out the steam at valve. Then you turn your fire down to the point where the valve gently rocks. That is when you start setting your timer. When the timer goes off (lets say after 30 minutes) and you need to bring the temperature down, DON'T TOUCH THE PRESSURE VALVE. With potholders, Carefully carry the entire pot over to the kitchen sink and run cold water over the lid until the pressure is all gone. Check the pressure valve to make sure no more pressure exists inside. Then you can remove the pressure regulator valve, then the lid and remove the meat and add your vegetables.
Some recipes call for leaving the food in the pot under pressure and allowing the pot to cool down naturally (it's still cooking your food). The meat is usually the tough kind so it would take longer that the vegetables. If you put your vegetables in at the same time, the veggies would be overcooked.
This is how we've always done it -- I don't know if it's the approved and safe way. Read your instructions -- very important.
You can tell that it has been years since I've used it. It really shortened the time for cooking tough meats -- I remember that with corned beef & cabbage we put the cabbage in later, after meat was tender.
There is danger of serious burns if the pressure regulator is removed while there is still steam pressure in the pot. I recall one day some noise in the kitchen (I was a young girl) and going into the kitchen to see my dad all upset because he had prematurely removed the regulator on his pot of stew and the juice was spurting up to the ceiling. He never did that again. A frightening experience. He was lucky and not injured. Or if he was burned, he didn't complain too much.
Yes, you have to add water or it won't work at all. The pressure cooker needs steam pressure to be effective. I usually add it to an inch deep. Of course the water and food should not directly contact each other.
Be careful with vegetables (except potatoes) as they will easily get overcooked.
Check the manufacturer of your pressure cooker and look on their website for detailed instructions on using your pan, if you don't have the instruction booklet that came with the pan.
As someone already said, you can get hurt if you use it improperly. My daughter is 38 and refuses to use a pressure cooker! She's afraid of trying one.
Every time you use your pan, check the rubber gasket for flaws or cracking. I've only had a blown gasket twice, and it made a mess. My soup was leaking out and burning on the fire.