Instant Pot question re veggies

[mcar]

Got an Instant Pot for Christmas because I had heard so many good things about it. My kids love theirs.

I've had successes and failures - I'm still learning. But here's my question:

I've read a dozen recipes for cooking broccoli in the IP. I've even watched YouTube videos. They are all about how wonderful and perfect the broccoli comes out - best ever, never cook it another way again, yada, yada.

I've followed these recipes exactly and come out with mush every time.

1 cup water (hot from the tap)

broccoli in separately purchased steamer basket

High pressure - or maybe low pressure (why not the steam function?)

0 minutes (mine doesn't allow for that so I have to do 1 minute)

quick steam release

Done. ... Mush

These recipes seem to think the quick release is only a minute or two. My quick release is never less than 10 minutes. Added to the pressure build up and 1 minute cook time - mush.

Am I doing something wrong? Except for the fact that SO loves mushy broccoli, I'm about to give up. But I hate giving up.

Help!

[SheltieLover]

1. Not sure

Sorry, I've not tried broccoli yet.

Hang in there!

I got 1 for xmas, too & love it!

[mcar]

2. I'm delighted with it, most of the time

We eat a lot of beans and it cooks dried beans beautifully. Ditto rice, chicken, and hard boiled eggs.

I made chicken rice soup in it today and it came out wonderfully.

Funny I'm getting obsessed about this one thing I can cook many different ways.

[SheltieLover]

3. Me too!

Have you tried spaghetti?
So quick, easy, & perfect every time!

Maybe try "Low" or "Steam?"
I'll do some searching online & let you know if I find anything.

[mcar]

4. I tried low tonight

It was even worse.

I may try steam.

I have done pasta - a sausage and peppers dish. Pasta was a little overdone but still good. I'm learning to reduce the cook time, unless it's meat. I've done a whole chicken (6 lb) that came out great. We don't eat a lot of red meat but the kids like ribs and other things in it.

[SheltieLover]

5. Omg! Worse on low?

Wth? Try steam?

All sounds great!

I made stuffed cabbage soup yesterday for first time. Yummy!

How do you do dry kidney beans &/or lentils in it? I have both canned & dry kidney beans - can go either way with chili...

[mcar]

7. Right? How does that even make sense? Low more mushy

Beans are a snap. Dry beans (I've done garbanzos and pintos, separately). Cover with water. Pressure cooker high about 20 minutes (may vary per the type of beans), natural release. Voila.

We make a lot of hummus and I used the pintos for baked beans, also in the IP. Flavor was excellent.

[SheltieLover]

10. Wow! Ty!

I might get brave & try beans tomorrow.

Low mushier doesn't make sense. Except that maybe it takes longer to build pressure?

Have you tried just hitting cancel after it's "on" for maybe 5-6 min?

[mcar]

12. I think I'll just deal with my veggies on the stove

or roasted and enjoy the IP for what it does do. I'm wasting too much broccoli.

[SheltieLover]

14. It does cabbage, carrots & potatoes well

I suppose just too fragile.

[Big Blue Marble]

6. I tried broccoli once.

It just did not work; better to steam broccoli on the stove in my opinion.

There are so many foods the IP does amazingly well; broccoli is just not one of them.

Have fun with your IP. It will change the way you cook!

[mcar]

8. I've gotta give it up, I know

I'm enjoying searching recipes. Thanks!

[Thomas Hurt]

9. It cook potatoes and carrots with the pressure cooker setting.

15 minutes and they tender but no mush. Broccoli maybe too delicate for anything but a steam setting.

[mcar]

15. Haven't tried taters yet

Do they come out like baked potatoes?

[forgotmylogin]

18. It cooks potatoes very fast.

They won't have the crispy-style skin due to the steam of course, but if you're just wanting cooked potatoes, or potatoes for mashing or creaming, it does a great job!

That's the one thing I had to learn from the slow cooker - in a Crock Pot you put potatoes and carrots in with a roast at the beginning. When I pressure-cook a roast, I actually cook the roast first, then quick release, add potatoes and carrots for about 10 minutes more + natural release.

If you put the potatoes and carrots in a pressure cooker with a roast at the beginning, they can almost disintegrate and fall apart, kind of like potatoes and carrots inside of a can of soup. Some people like them that way though.

[GeoWilliam750]

11. Vegetables?

Isn't that what food eats?

[mcar]

13. Hey, it's the New Year!

I'm trying to be good.

[forgotmylogin]

16. Quick release shouldn't take 10 minutes?

Modern pressure cookers should be able to "quick release" the pressure with the button in about a minute - just however long it takes the released steam jet to stop and the pressure button to drop down. Sometimes the lid might still seem sealed if you're shy about it - as long as the steam stops and the pressure valve drops, you should be able to open the lid. It might require a bit of effort - like you may have to push down a bit and fiddle with it to get it open. So long as that pressure indicator pin drops, it should be safe to open. If you can't pressure release and get the broccoli out immediately (within a minute or two of hitting pressure) it will never not be mushy. If your "quick release" function honestly won't release and let you open it before 10 minutes, your unit may be defective.

That's *probably* what is happening. Broccoli is fully cooked as soon as it hits pressure (hence 0 minutes) - more time will pulverize it.

Some pressure cookers have a "steam" function that does not raise the pressure and steams it like normal (in 5-10 minutes). That may be an alternate method, or it may not be worth the trouble separate from just steaming it in a pan.

[mcar]

17. My quick release function always takes a minimum of 5 minutes before the button drops down

Natural release takes way longer. I've read that natural release can take anywhere from 5 to 40 minutes but haven't seen anything about quick release.

Do you think it's a malfunction? A lot of steam comes out when I hit the quick release button, but it still takes that time for the button to drop/unit to unlock.

I've got the option of buy another item to fill with ice and put on the lid, but I can think of anything other than veggies for which I'd need it. And, as you noted, I can steam them on the stove (or in the microwave).

[forgotmylogin]

19. Five minutes is a bit long...

You could try carefully tapping the button with a utensil and make sure it's not just getting stuck in the up position longer than it needs to be. Make sure nothing is clogging the steam release nozzle also.

Instant Pot Natural Release vs. Quick Release
When cooking the IP has built up a lot of pressure closing the valve I talked about above and depending on how full the pressure cooker is, it can take a while to release pressure.

If you let the pressure cooker sit for a while until the pressure naturally releases and goes back to normal, this known as natural release(and can take up to 30 minutes). If you push the knob to release the pressure right away (this can take up to 2 minutes) this is known as quick release.

You could also try overriding pressure to "low" when trying broccoli and see if that helps.

[getagrip_already]

20. ideas...

Make sure your inner seal and the mating surfaces are clean. If the seal leaks even a little it will take longer to come up to pressure so your food will cook longer.

Try preheating the water by using the saute function for 10 minutes before you put the lid on (or add really hot water from the tap).. again, the longer it takes to come up to pressure, the longer the food cooks.

don't add salt to the water. Salt will raise the boiling point and again, it will take longer to heat.

try deep chilling the broccoli before adding it to the pot. colder food takes longer to cook.....

turn off keep warm, it will depressurize faster..

hit cancel as soon as it beeps indicating pressure has been reached. it's a zero minute hack....

just some thoughts.....

[RicROC]

21. just my thoughts, not recommendations

I love my IP !!!

You don't need 1 cup of water for such a short processing time; with 1 cup the water will boil a while as the pressure builds.
Even ¼ cup should be enough.

Setting the timer to 0 minutes means that the IP will shut off when the pressure builds up, but during that time, steam is being produced and hence, is cooking the broccoli.

If you can't set for 0 minutes, set the IP for 1 minute. As the pressure builds, the display will say ON. Once the pressure it optimum, then you will see 1 minute on the display. So then, just shut off the IP because you have reached 0 minutes.



Frankly, I eat broccoli only if it's mushy, so I let it go for 4 minutes.

[dweller]

22. Old fashion no fail broccoli prep

Here’s how we do it in the restaurant biz, no instapot required ...
take your fresh broccoli and cut it to size, chunks or bite size ...
also, take the large stem and cut off the outer skin till you have the white core stem, cut it into bite size also ...
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1tsp or less baking soda
Once boiling add all broccoli and stem, and as soon as the water returns to boil, or even close, drain and plunge veg into ice bath
Once chilled, drain and put into airtight container and refrigerate
It is ready to prepare as needed
I’m single, so I cook single servings but you can also cook it all as needed
To prepare for serving, take a nonstick pan with lid and cover the bottom with 1/8” water (add more for more veg) I add 1 Tb butter, herbs and salt to taste
Cover and bring to steam, shake pan a bit about ... about the time the water is gone, it’s done 😀
Try it ... the refrig broccoli can hold about a week, the baking soda makes it bright green, and it’s yummy and easy

✌🏻

[mcar]

28. This sounds great! Thanks.

I've always wondered why broccoli is so good in restaurants.

[procon]

23. I cook fresh and frozen veggies with entrees

And casseroles, often cooking times are 10-12 minutes, but my veggies always turn out tender crisp. Whether cooked in combination with other foods or separately, just enclose the veggies in a tightly sealed foil packet that protects them from the super heated steam.

Ideally fresh veggies should cook by themselves in 1 minute with a quick release to have bright, tender crisp results. From what you describe, it sounds like you are using the natural release, not a quick release.

With a quick release you need to turn the knob all the way over to full vent. This allows all the steam in the pot to rapidly vent which drops the pressure so you can easily open the lid in a minute or 2. Check to be sure you're doing it right.

[MissB]

25. See now I never thought to mention QR vs NR

Pro tip on the quick release: use your left hand to turn the knob to avoid a steam burn.

[mcar]

29. Mine has a quick release switch

As soon as I push it, a lot of steam comes out of the vent. Still takes a good 5 minutes or more for the red button to drop. I'll give the button a nudge next time to see if it's getting stuck.

[MissB]

24. I own and use two of them

And my quick release takes a minute or two on each machine. I’m wondering if you should contact Instant Pot customer service (they have an active and responsive Facebook page) for troubleshooting. They’re good about replacing defective units.


Have you taken the knob off completely (once depressurized and cool of course)? Maybe it’s not on right?

Weird that you don’t have the option of zero cook time. I do have older IPs though.

Is your steam basket off the bottom of the insert?

[mcar]

30. Yes, it's off the bottom

It is strange that I don't have the 0 minute option. I will contact them. Thanks.

[Lars39]

26. Re cooking broccoli...

If you can’t set it to 0, set it 1 minute high pressure, but push cancel the instant it switches from On to 1, then Quick Release.

[DangerousRhythm]

27. I think the trick here is...

Dump your broccoli into an icewater bath immediately to stop it from overcooking.

[mcar]

31. Well, if I can't get it out of the IP till 5 or so minutes after quick release

All the ice baths in the world won't save it. It's already mush.