Vacuum cooking mode Sous Vide, which is available in some latest generation multicookers, is a heat treatment of products in a special vacuum package. This method of preparation involves the use of a water bath, which ensures a constant temperature, followed by rapid cooling and regeneration. This function allows you to get dishes highest quality, reduce losses during heat treatment and increase their shelf life. Vacuum cooking is considered relatively new technology for multicookers, but in a professional kitchen it has been used for a very long time.

Vacuum cooking is considered by experts to be one of the most worthy innovations in cooking. In a vacuum, food retains its aroma and taste much longer, all useful trace elements and vitamins. Moreover, this method makes nicer taste many vegetables, and the meat always remains nutritious and juicy.

The use of the vacuum method has many advantages, the main of which is the unique and unique taste dishes. The food retains its natural taste and literally melts in the mouth, because it is not subject to oxidation, it is cooked in own juice without the use of oils and fats. Such a technique is not only original way preparing familiar dishes. It is fundamentally new method, which is fundamentally different from other methods heat treatment products and guarantee best result. Vacuumed products are surprisingly gentle and cooked at the perfect temperature. Heat passes through food in a vacuum 10 times more efficiently than through air, resulting in amazingly delicious meals.

Vacuum cooking provides many benefits:

• Products retain their taste and aroma.
• Shrinkage and dehydration of products is excluded.
• Products do not oxidize and do not release bitterness.
• Products do not oxidize and do not go rancid.
• Weight loss is reduced from 15% to 30%.
• Electricity costs are reduced by more than 20%.
• It is possible to cook several dishes at the same time.
• Ready meals can be stored under vacuum for up to three weeks.
• It is possible to create a non-waste menu.

The main stages of cooking in a vacuum

In order to cook food in a vacuum, you must:

• Season the ingredients with spices. This technology allows you to preserve the natural taste and aroma, as the food is cooked in its own juice. And spices only enhance the taste and aroma.
• Seal in a special vacuum bag.
• Drop the sealed bag into water bath with exactly the right temperature.
• Dishes are cooked very slowly. Before serving, the products are removed from the vacuum bag and beautifully decorated.

A multicooker with a vacuum cooking function will become an indispensable assistant not only in the preparation of delicious and wholesome food, but when preparing products for long-term storage. With this function, you can package a large number of products into separate portions, save them from souring, fermentation and mold. Due to the absence of air in the packaging, the products long time retain their original freshness, taste and appearance.

The vacuum cooking function allows you to use any food, but this technique is especially suitable for different types fish and seafood. They require a careful attitude, and in a sealed state they will never be digested. Vacuum-cooked dishes preserve all the most important ingredients. nutrients and vitamins, which is impossible to achieve with frying, boiling and even steaming. Besides, in vacuum packaging light fats found in meat and fish are perfectly preserved. At the same time, the products remain not only whole, but also useful. Cooking in vacuum takes from 20 minutes for medium-sized fish and scrambled eggs to 72 hours for pork ribs and other meat.

Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments below!

Before answering the question posed, let's find out for ourselves, what is a pressure cooker in general? By purchasing this item kitchen utensils, let's open, first of all, the instruction for its operation. What can we read and understand for ourselves there? But it turns out that! Firstly, a pressure cooker is a real miracle in your kitchen. It is very similar to the same pot from a fairy tale, which had only to say - "pot, cook" and he began to cook delicious and healthy porridge. So is our pressure cooker. It will help you save the time it takes to prepare any dish. Secondly, the vegetables that you cook in a pressure cooker will retain much more useful substances than when boiling them in regular saucepan. And, thirdly, if you want to cook porridge in a pressure cooker, then in this pan you will get that very magic porridge from a fabulous pot - crumbly and fragrant.

Today's pressure cooker is nothing like its predecessor. It is equipped with a convex valve that regulates the pressure and keeps it at a certain desired level. And when the boil is over, the pressure can be released fairly quickly to a level that will allow the lid to open.

Here's what's more interesting, a modern pressure cooker is designed in such a way that with the help of a regulator it is easy to carry out decompression (pressure reduction), slow or fast. The choice of decompression depends on the type of food you are preparing. For example, broths confectionery with milk, eggs, cooking dried vegetables, yeast-based puddings and muffins all require slow decompression. But for meat stew and fish dishes a rapid reduction in pressure is required.

And the most important thing in a modern pressure cooker is the exclusion of all sorts of unpleasant surprises, as it is equipped with a spare and a whole system of valves on the lid, along its entire circumference, and even a system for blocking it. That's it!

How to properly cook food in this miracle pan?

If you are making soup and the recipe says to put all the vegetables in at the end of the boil, remove the pressure cooker from the heat, let it cool for cold water and release steam through the valve, and only then open the lid and throw vegetables into it.

If you need to cook soup for four or six servings, then the exact amount of water should be poured into the pressure cooker. Why? And because in this wonderful saucepan, the evaporation of liquid is reduced to zero.

It is important to remember that you should reduce the heat under the pressure cooker immediately after the liquid begins to boil in it, since the countdown of the time needed to cook the dish begins from this moment.

If, during the preparation of a dish, you stopped seeing drops of liquid in the slot and stopped hearing a slight hiss, the diagnosis is unequivocal: valve contamination. Its cleanliness must be constantly monitored. Therefore, after each cooking, rinse it thoroughly, and if severe contamination occurs, you can use a wire to clean it.

And the last tip: do not leave food stored in a pressure cooker, it can deteriorate in it and spoil the appearance of your sorceress, hard-to-remove stains will remain on the metal. It is better to transfer the food to another container and put it in the refrigerator.

These are the basic rules for cooking in a pressure cooker. They should be remembered and observed so that your kitchen "assistant" will serve you for a long time and without unpleasant surprises.

What Russian doesn't like fast food? Do not think anything bad, it will not be about the compromised “fast food” - food that is unanimously considered to be harmful and wrong food. Fast food it can be very even if it is cooked in a special pressure cooker. In addition, the preparation of such food does not require any titanic efforts from women and huge amount time.

Thank you impatient men!

People have always sought to find quick ways cooking. And in 1679, the French physicist Denis Papin created a hermetically sealed vessel in which, when heated, the pressure rose, and therefore the boiling point increased, and the food was cooked faster. True, the first pressure cooker was not very convenient. She represented large saucepan with a tightly screwed lid, and could explode at any moment under the influence of high pressure.
This design was improved in 1954 by the American inventor Alfred Vischer. Now the pressure cooker has become like a pot familiar to everyone, valves have appeared on the lid that regulate the working pressure and release steam at the end of cooking, as well as a spare valve and a lid locking system. There is no need to wait hours for the pot to cool down, the steam pressure will decrease and it will be possible to open it.

A good pot is a good dinner

The main advantage of pressure cookers is the speed of cooking. For example, beets, goulash, pilaf can be cooked in 20–25 minutes, potatoes and peas in 10 minutes, and cauliflower and fish - in 5 minutes. In addition, food cooked in a pressure cooker preserves vitamins better, as well as the taste, aroma and color of the products. What is important, you can cook food without adding fat and oil.
Most often cooked in a pressure cooker like this. Put all the products and spices in the pan at once, pour right amount water, close it with a lid with an o-ring, open the valve and put on a strong fire. As soon as the water boils and steam starts to come out of the valve, the fire is reduced. After the time required for cooking, the pan is removed from the heat, cooled in air or in a container with cold water, then release the remaining steam and open the lid.
Sometimes, putting food in a pressure cooker and pouring water, they wait until the contents boil, remove the foam, then close the lid and continue cooking, as described above. Sometimes not all products are cooked at once. For example, meat is boiled first, then the pressure cooker is cooled, the lid is opened, the rest of the food is put in and cooked for some more time.

Basic rules for cooking in a pressure cooker

Can't put pressure cooker on covered with a lid, on fire without water. Minimal amount liquids for safe work - 2 glasses.
The maximum filling volume of the pressure cooker should not exceed 2/3 of its volume, and when cooking soups, cereals, peas - 1/2 of the volume.
It is impossible to fry in oil under pressure, vegetables or meat must first be fried in an open pan, add the remaining ingredients and water, close the lid and cook under pressure.

What is cooked in a pressure cooker?

In this miracle pot, you can quickly cook a lot of wonderful and healthy meals. Each housewife, we are sure, will eventually find her own "signature" recipes for "fast" food. And for starters, we suggest you prepare, for example, such simple dishes.

Bean soup with tomatoes (45 minutes)

Place the meat in a pressure cooker better piece brisket on the bone) and white beans, add water and cook in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes after the valve hiss. During this time, prepare vegetables: peel and cut potatoes, carrots, onion, tomatoes, celery. When the broth is ready, remove the meat, separate it from the bone, cut into pieces and put back into the pan. Add vegetables Bay leaf, salt, pepper (if desired, you can put a spoon garlic sauce). Close the lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs and sour cream.

Roast beef and potatoes (30 minutes)

In a saucepan-pressure cooker, fry the meat, cut into pieces, in butter. Add coarsely chopped potatoes, onion rings and carrots, mix and lightly fry everything. Salt, pepper, add spices to taste, bay leaf. Then pour water into the pan so that it covers the meat and vegetables, close the lid tightly and simmer for 20 minutes.

Beef kidneys (20 minutes + 10 minutes)

Kidney cut large pieces. Melt the butter in a pressure cooker and lightly fry the kidneys in it, add the chopped onion and flour. Stir with a wooden spoon. Pour in sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir again, put the mushrooms and pour water. Close the pan and simmer the kidneys for 20 minutes. Then remove from heat and do not open the pan for another 10 minutes.

Chicken with beans (25 minutes)

Soak beans overnight. In the morning, rinse, put in a pressure cooker, pour water so that it is 2 cm higher than the beans. Add Green pepper, cut into pieces, 2 chicken legs, 2 table. spoons olive oil, a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped onion, a little paprika and a couple of bay leaves. Put the pressure cooker on high heat, after the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 25 minutes.

Pork cutlets with potatoes (10 minutes)

Melt the butter in a pressure cooker and brown the cutlets on it. Cut peeled potatoes into slices. Remove cutlets, put potatoes, then cutlets on top, salt, pepper, add a little water. Close and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stewed fish with horseradish (5 + 5 minutes)

Lubricate the bottom of the pressure cooker with butter, put a thin layer of grated horseradish (you can also use purchased horseradish or with lemon). Place pieces on top raw fish(for example, cod, pollock, hake), in 2-3 layers, sprinkling each layer with horseradish. Pour the fish with broth mixed with lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. After that, remove the pressure cooker from the heat, carefully, so as not to crush the fish, drain some of the broth, add sour cream to it, heat to a boil, add flour, boil, pour over the fish. Close pressure cooker. Simmer another 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with herbs.

Potatoes in sour cream (7 minutes)

Lubricate the bottom of the pressure cooker with butter, put the potatoes cut into strips, add water and salt, close the pan, simmer for 5 minutes. Then open the pan, add sour cream, garlic, dill, pepper (optional), mix, put another piece on top butter. Close the pot and simmer for 2 more minutes.
As an option: instead of sour cream, you can add ketchup or tomato paste, various hot sauces.

Vegetable casserole (7 minutes)

Fry the onion sliced ​​​​in rings in a pressure cooker, put coarsely chopped zucchini in layers on top, then potatoes, then tomatoes. Pour cream over vegetables, salt and pepper. Close the pot and simmer for 7 minutes. Serve to the table, sprinkled with grated cheese and herbs.

Chicken pilaf (15 minutes)

Pour a glass of rice into a saucepan and place under running water, stirring occasionally. At this time, fry the chicken pieces in a pressure cooker for vegetable oil. Then add two chopped large onions, one large grated carrot. Fry everything, add pepper, salt. Then pour in the drained rice, add water to cover the rice, close the pressure cooker and put it on the fire. After the pressure cooker “hisses”, cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Braised duck (40 minutes)

Fry a small duck (1.5-2 kg) in oil in a pan, then put it in a pressure cooker. Add chopped onions and carrots. Salt, pepper, put spices to taste (you can pour half a glass of dry white wine). Add a glass of water, close the pan and simmer the duck for 30 minutes.

You bought a new pressure cooker and the first question arises, how to use a pressure cooker, what can be cooked in a pressure cooker. About this and will be discussed in this article.

How to use a pressure cooker correctly

Before you start using conventional pressure cooker or an electric pressure cooker, you need to carefully study the instructions that come with it and the manufacturer's recommendations for using the pressure cooker. But there are several general rules, which will be useful for any pressure cooker model.

A new pressure cooker needs to be washed and dried. When using for the first time, especially if the pressure cooker is made of uncoated metal, boil milk in it without closing the lid. Then the metal will not darken or tarnish.

You can not put a pressure cooker on an empty fire. It should contain at least 250 ml of water, and preferably 500 ml.

The pressure cooker must not be used for pressure frying, it is suitable for boiling. If you need to fry a small amount of vegetables in oil, then you need to do this without closing the lid: save the vegetables in a small amount of vegetable or butter, then add all the other products required amount liquids. Only then can you close it with a lid and cook under pressure.

When cooking in a pressure cooker, do not fill the water to the brim, there should be room for steam and pressure. It is recommended to pour water only 2/3 of the volume of the pan. If you cook foods that swell during cooking, then fill the pan halfway.

When cooking meat, it is better to bring it to a boil without closing the lid, remove the foam, and then close the pan. If you immediately close the pressure cooker with a lid, then pour water up to half the volume.

The pressure cooker can be used on the stovetop. Cooking in it under pressure in the oven or electric oven is impossible.

After preparing a dish in a pressure cooker, it must be removed or transferred to another pan, plastic container or other container for food products. It is not recommended to store a cooked dish in a pressure cooker, so that persistent grease stains or acid and salt stains do not form on the walls of the pan.

When cooking in a pressure cooker, steam must escape through the valve and not through the lid. If the opposite is true, then check:

Is the pressure cooker lid closed properly?

Is the O-ring inserted correctly?

Is the pressure relief valve clogged?

To eliminate the malfunction, the pan must be removed from the heat, relieve pressure by opening the valve or put in cold water.

You can clean the valve with a wire and rinse under running water.

After cooking, the pressure cooker should be thoroughly washed and dried. To wash the pressure cooker, you can use any detergent which is suitable for the material of your pressure cooker. You can wash the pressure cooker in the dishwasher if it is allowed by the manufacturer and there are recommendations in the instructions for the pressure cooker. Do not wash the pressure cooker lid in the dishwasher, especially if the lid is with a control panel and this panel is not removable. Do not wash the sealing ring from the cover.

Open the pan only when the pressure regulator is in the lowest position, or manually release the steam.

How to choose a pressure cooker I wrote

How to cook in a pressure cooker

When preparing soup in a pressure cooker, immediately pour the right amount of water or broth. During the cooking process, the loss of liquid is not very large. From the beginning of boiling, you must immediately reduce the heat.

If during the cooking process you need to add vegetables or other products, you must first remove the pan from the heat and release the steam through the valve or cool the pan under cold water, and then just open the lid.

Frozen foods can be cooked immediately in a pressure cooker provided that they have been processed before freezing, i.e. washed, cleaned, gutted.

To cook steamed dishes, you need to use a special insert or buy a special basket separately. You can steam meat in a pressure cooker large pieces, and the vegetables are whole, not cut into small pieces.

When cooking a dish, seasonings can be put immediately and half as much as when cooking in a conventional pan. In a tightly closed pressure cooker, food retains its own aroma more and absorbs the smells of spices and seasonings well.

At the end of cooking, immediately release the steam. Otherwise, the products may be overcooked. The secret is that after turning off the heat and removing the pan from the hot burner, the cooking process will still continue for some time under pressure until the pan cools down naturally.

Modern pressure cookers have a pressure regulator that must be set to slow or fast compression. Or put the pan under cold water.

The question will be natural, and from what moment you need to start counting cooking in a pressure cooker. The moment of the beginning of the cooking countdown must be considered when the pressure regulator valve begins to release steam with a characteristic sound. This indicates that the desired pressure has been reached and the rapid cooking process has begun.

What can be cooked in a pressure cooker

Almost all foods can be cooked in a pressure cooker. It is not recommended to cook in a pressure cooker only foods that, during the cooking process, form a lot of foam and spatter, and which can clog the valve from the inside. These products include: oat flakes, pearl barley, millet, semolina, crushed peas, pasta: spaghetti, noodles and others, compotes, especially with high acidity. In this case, the pressure cooker can be used like a regular pot.

Cooking in a pressure cooker takes much less time than in a conventional saucepan. You can cook soups, borscht, meat and fish, vegetables, cereals, side dishes, desserts in it.

Below I will give a list of products with an approximate cooking time in a pressure cooker.

As can be seen from the table, cooking time is three to five times less than in a conventional saucepan.

How to cook jelly in a pressure cooker

I cook jelly only in a pressure cooker. To make it tasty, it froze well without gelatin, you need to cook it for at least 6-8 hours on low heat. Which modern hostess can afford to spend so much time preparing, albeit tasty, dishes? In a pressure cooker, jellied meat can be cooked in 1.5 - 2 hours.

We will cook jelly today from pork knuckle, chicken legs. And so that the jelly freezes better, add a couple of pork tails.

Wash the meat well. We scrape the knuckle and ponytails well with a knife.

We put all the products in a pressure cooker and fill it with water. The water should cover the meat about 3 to 4 cm higher.

Before boiling, do not close the pan tightly, you will need to remove the foam and salt. As soon as the foam is well removed, salt and tightly close the lid. From now on, I cook jelly for 1.5 - 2 hours. When I put pork legs in aspic, it's two hours. With a rudder - one and a half. You need to salt the jelly, as I said in this article, so that the broth is slightly oversalted. After 1.5 - 2 hours, I turn off the fire, and leave the pan until it cools down a bit and you can open the lid. Then we disassemble the jelly: we separate the meat from the bones, chop the meat and fill it with broth. I add spices and seasonings to taste. I usually add garlic, bay leaf and that's it.

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Of course, at the beginning of the last century, Escoffier did not use a pressure cooker, but it is safe to say that today he would cook his broths in it.

Part 1.
Principle of operation and types.

A pressure cooker is an amazing working tool for any cook. The traditionally long and laborious cooking process is reduced several times - the pressure cooker needs much less time to open magical fragrances and transform the texture of foods than a conventional pan. Risotto takes 7 minutes instead of 25, strong chicken bouillon- 90 minutes instead of 2-3 hours. Canning jars, baking bags or vacuum bags (those designed for high temperatures) can be placed in the pressure cooker - polenta no longer needs to be constantly stirred so that it does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. And the high temperature inside the pressure cooker promotes caramelization and browning until golden brown, a reaction that adds subtle flavors into your dish, impossible to achieve in a humid environment, such as when stewing. If you are still not a fan of the pressure cooker, try our Caramelized Carrot Soup (recipe attached).

A pressure cooker is essentially just a pot with a hermetically sealed lid and a valve to control internal pressure. The principle of its operation is that the lid does not release steam, which, as it forms, increases the pressure inside the pan. An increase in pressure gives an increase in the boiling point of water, which is usually limited to 100 C (at sea level, since in higher places the boiling point is slightly lower due to lower atmospheric pressure). And because useful temperature in a pressure cooker higher, about 120 C, the cooking time is significantly reduced.

Fast, and therefore energy-saving cooking is, of course, wonderful, but what really makes a difference is the quality of the dishes prepared. During ordinary cooking, the wonderful smells that hover around the kitchen warm the heart, but at the same time, the fundamental components of taste disappear into the air without a trace. The airtight environment inside the pressure cooker retains most of these quickly evaporating flavors. Ready meal retains the fullest range flavor shades as the evaporating elements condense on the lid and then flow down and back into the pot.

Too many people avoid pressure cookers simply because they are too lazy to follow safety rules. Relax, in modern pressure cooker technology, safety comes first. We recommend using pressure cookers with an integrated spring valve, such as those from Kuhn Rikon or Fagor, or pressure cookers with a sliding valve. Electric pressure cookers are even simpler - you just need to set the time, she does the rest herself. Old models of pressure cookers or autoclaves (devices for home canning) can also be used, but they will definitely be louder and not retain flavors as well.
Consumer grade pressure cookers are different sizes: 4 to 10 liters. Choose a three-layer stainless steel pressure cooker (aluminum with a stainless steel layer) - this is guaranteed to save you from burns. Also make sure that the pressure cooker has an indicator that indicates the level of absolute internal pressure. As a rule, recipes indicate a pressure equal to 1 bar (or 1 technical atmosphere) or 15 psi - (pounds per square inch).

BUYER'S GUIDE.

Pressure cooker with spring valve.
Pressure cookers with a built-in spring valve are best suited for making broths and sauces. The valve hermetically seals the pan, which makes it possible to retain all the volatile flavors before they evaporate into the air. Fagor pressure cookers deliberately release a little steam when the internal pressure needs to be adjusted, but they still lose much less flavor than open pots.
When the internal pressure reaches 1 bar, the indicator shows 1 red bar.

Price: $80 for Fagor and $200 for Kuhn Rikon

Electric pressure cooker.
Nothing could be easier to use than an electric pressure cooker: Plug it in, press the button and set the timer. The only downside is that the food cannot be brought to readiness on the stove, and you will have to find a separate place in the kitchen for this unit - after all, in fact, this device has only one function.
Where to buy: in kitchen equipment stores, in hypermarkets
Price: $100-$135

Pressure cookers with a movable valve.
Our grandmothers also used such pressure cookers: a rattling, steaming machine, whose behavior is not so easy to determine the level of pressure. In addition, it is not so safe in comparison with its modern counterparts. But if used strictly according to the factory instructions, pressure cookers with a movable valve are quite safe and cope with the tasks.
Where to buy: Kitchen equipment stores, flea markets
Price: $35-$50

Autoclave.
This hefty unit is the closest relative of the pressure cooker and it is intended for conservation. It can also be used for cooking, but then you will have to deal with countless clips on the lid, which is not very convenient to use. Also, autoclaves are usually made of aluminum, and therefore the food burns in them. It is customary to bleed the autoclave before canning, but do not try to do this before cooking in it - again, delicious aromas will be lost. Autoclaves often have a movable valve, but it does not always work.
Where to buy: Kitchen equipment stores
Price: $80-$200

Part 2. HOW IT WORKS.

So, why is a pressure cooker so good? Yes, because when the pressure in it reaches the set value of 1 bar, it heats up very much inside - up to 121C. Whether you are cooking broth, simmering goulash, or simply boiling legumes, the temperature of these water-containing dishes, as a rule, will not be able to exceed the boiling point of water - 100 C, and then the water will boil away, which is also undesirable for the cooking process. But in order to quickly extract important taste-forming reactions from products or quickly destroy cell membranes herbal products, this temperature is simply not enough. Increasing the pressure helps overcome this difficulty.

Pressurized steam quickly transfers heat to the surface of foods that are not immersed in the liquid.
The lid closes with a pin that tightens the walls of the pan. Frequent overloads can ruin the mechanism, and the pressure cooker will become useless. There are pressure cookers where bolts are used that clamp the walls from the outside.

In mountainous areas, atmospheric pressure is lower, respectively, and water boils at a lower temperature. In Denver (rise 1.6 km above sea level) water boils at 95 C, in Chamonix (France; rise 1 km) it boils at 97 C, in the city of Cusco (Peru; rise 3.4 km) - at 89 C. At a similar height in both pressure cookers and open pans, cooking takes longer, but even at the top of the pressure cooker it is still more efficient.

The handle also has a lock to keep the lid from opening while the contents are under pressure.
Add enough water into the pot - around the food or under the food insert so that a lot of steam is generated.

The spring valve is initially open to allow air to escape. When the contents begin to heat up, the increasing vapor pushes the valve upwards and it closes (if overpressure, it rises even higher and reopens to bleed off excess steam). The valve regulates the pressure inside the pressure cooker according to the given indicators: usually it is 0.7 or 1 bar (10 or 15 atmospheres), this value is called absolute pressure. At this pressure, water boils at 114 C or 121 C. Once the pressure cooker reaches the set pressure level, turn down the heat to avoid overloading.

Sealing ring. As a rule, this is a dense rubber gasket that does not allow the resulting steam and air to escape from the pan. As the temperature rises inside, the steam pressure increases - it is this process that increases the pressure. Any food particles stuck in the pad can cause a leak, so wash thoroughly and carefully check the gum for cleanliness before each use.

There is too much liquid in this pressure cooker. In a word, the pan should be filled no more than two-thirds.
The water becomes steam, increasing the pressure inside the pressure cooker as it heats up. The boiling point also rises, since it is directly related to pressure, just enough to keep the water and steam at their boiling point so that the pressure can rise in turn. The pressure continues to rise until the relief valve opens.

Spoiler: They are much more functional than you think.

Part 3. COOKING IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

Chefs who are just starting out with pressure cookers often cook with too much high temperatures, which leads to an overload of the unit. It is very important to understand that excess pressure inside the pot does not increase the temperature, but only provokes the emergency valve to release steam, causing the water inside the pan to boil. Constant overloads can ruin both the sides and the sealing gum on the lid. Read the manufacturer's manual to know exactly when the pressure cooker is at absolute pressure, when it is overloaded, or when it is depressurized.

1. Prepare the ingredients. If you want to brown onions or any other spices before cooking them in a pressure cooker, save the extra frying pan, you can fry them right in the pot, and only then close the lid.
2. Add all ingredients, stir, and close the lid. It is imperative to mix - liquid or fat evenly distributed throughout the pan will help to avoid burning. Remember that once you close the lid, you will no longer be able to stir the dish.
3. Heat a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Watch and listen - the pressure cooker will beep when it reaches the absolute pressure level, and then lower the heat to low. Raise the heat to maintain absolute pressure in the pressure cooker.
4. The timing can start when the pressure inside the pressure cooker reaches the level specified in the recipe. If your pressure cooker has a spring valve, it should pop up to the red line, not higher. The pressure cooker should not hiss loudly. If you have a pressure cooker with a moving valve, it should move 3-5 times per minute, it should not shake continuously and furiously.
Most pressure cookers with a spring valve have 2 lines drawn to indicate the pressure - low and high. We recommend cooking at an absolute pressure of 1 bar or 15 psi.
A jet of steam from a valve that pops out means that the pressure cooker is overloaded and the valve releases excess pressure for safety reasons. Overloading can dent the sides that hold the lid tightly and press it against the pot, and if they don't close tightly, the pressure cooker will be of little use.
5. After cooking, remove the pressure cooker from the heat and cool it down. You can simply leave the pot alone for a few minutes if the dish allows (for example, broth). And for dishes that are more sensitive in terms of cooking time (for example, risotto), run a stream of cool water (26-36C) along the edge of the lid - this way the pan will depressurize faster (be careful not to let water get inside the valve). Some pressure cookers have a quick pressure release button or wheel, make sure you read the instructions and know how to use this feature safely. Never try to open a pressure pot. The dish will instantly lose its flavors, not to mention that all the contents will be splashed all over the kitchen.
6. Place the pot in the sink and open the lid. If the lid doesn't budge, don't strain - let it cool a little more until it opens with less resistance.
7. If the dish is not ready, simply put the pan on the stove and complete the process without closing the lid. Alternatively, close the lid, bring the pot back to absolute pressure, and continue cooking.

SAFETY REGULATIONS
Be sure to read and follow the factory instructions for using your pressure cookers.
Opening the lid of the pressure cooker before it cools down will cause the boiling water to splatter all over the kitchen or even you. Before opening the pressure cooker, use the quick pressure release button, or cool the pressure cooker under running tap water, or simply let it stand. The pressure valve will lower when the pan is completely depressurized.
Before you start cooking, check the rubber seal on the lid to see if it's dry or cracked. These gaskets do not last forever - change them according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Also make sure the lid rim and gasket are clean. Any food particles stuck there can break the seal.
Don't fill the pot more than two-thirds full. For legumes and grains, which tend to expand in volume, fill the pressure cooker only half way.
Avoid cooking foamy foods (such as oatmeal or pasta). Foam can block the valve and prevent pressure from being released at the right time.
Open the lid away from you so that you are not scalded by the hot air from the pressure cooker.
Use canning tongs to handle hot jars and be sure to let the contents cool slightly before opening them.

AUTOCLAVE (HOME PRESERVATION)
Several of the recipes in this book reflect the benefits of cooking in glass jars. We use them to prepare ingredients that require intense, constant stirring like polenta, to make small batches of lard, for confit garlic, or to extract flavors. Always leave at least 1.3 cm to the lid when filling the jar. Also, jars should not touch the bottom of the pressure cooker: place them on a metal grill or on a hot stand, or in extreme cases on crumpled aluminum foil. Pour enough water to cover the grate and allow the pressure cooker to create steam. Once the jars are completely screwed on, loosen the lids a quarter of a turn, otherwise the pressure may break the glass or rip off the lid during cooking. Be sure to check the glass for cracks after using the jar in the pressure cooker.


CARAMELIZED CARROT SOUP
Quantity: 6 servings (1.3 kg)
Time: 40 minutes (20 minutes prep and 20 minutes self brew)
Difficulty: Medium
Special Requirements: Pressure Cooker, Ghee carrot oil(optional, recipe on page 121)
The quality of this soup depends entirely on the quality of the carrots, so try to find the best one. Calcium-rich carrot stems can add a bit of bitterness and ruin the texture. delicate cream soup so it's best to get rid of them right away. But it's up to you, one way or another, you can try to cook soup with or without rods and compare. Serve soup with a spoon coconut cream and a sprig of tarragon - this will emphasize the sweetness inherent in carrots. You can also use fresh coconut flakes and cumin seeds.
Ingredients:
500 gr peeled carrots
113 g unsalted butter
30 grams of water
5 gr salt
2.5 gr soda
635 gr freshly squeezed carrot juice
40 gr melted carrot butter
Salt to taste
1. Cut all carrots lengthwise into quarters and cut out a coarse fibrous core. Then cut into pieces of 5 cm.
2. Melt the butter in a pressure cooker (to keep the carrots from sticking to the bottom).
3. Dissolve salt and soda in water. Add this mixture and the chopped carrots to the melted butter and stir well.
4. Cook at absolute pressure (1 bar) for 20 minutes. Start counting the time only when the pressure cooker reaches the specified pressure level. To prevent anything from burning inside, you can shake the pan slightly. After 20 minutes, the carrots will be completely caramelized.
5. Cool the pressure cooker under running cool water.
6. Puree well cooked carrots in a blender.
7. Pass the puree through the shinoa.
8. Boil in a separate container carrot juice. Strain through a fine sieve.
9. Mix juice with carrot puree and bring to a boil. Add water, if needed, to bring the soup to the right consistency.
10. Stir chilled carrot oil into soup. You must use an immersion blender - this is very important to give the soup a velvety texture.
11. Add salt to taste and serve warm.

original text and photo - Modernist Cuisine at home.
translation - Anya Chapterova