I just bought a 6 quart pressure cooker.

[flamin lib]

Partly to speed my bean cookery and partly just because it's one of the few things I don't have in the kitchen. Made a beef stew and cooked off some turkey legs for broth and enchiladas to try it out and both turned out well. Every thing I find seems to be a super fast versions of slow cooker recipes, soups, stews and such.

Got any favorite pressure cooker recipes?

[Warpy]

1. Pressure cookers are great for cheap meat

You know, the part of the cow that is beef flavored chewing gum no matter how long you cook it in the oven. Pressure cooking will soften Elsie right up to the point that you can cut it with the side of your fork.

When I ate meat, I used to use mine for chicken fricasee and Brunswick stew, as well as shoe leather beef. Now it's the only way soybeans and chickpeas will get done at 6000 feet.

[Inchworm]

2. Canning pints of deer meat

(and other pint stuff) is my main use for the smaller cooker.

:hi:

[Denninmi]

3. Let us know how you like it.

I bought one 2 years ago, and it's never been out of the box. After I bought it, people had to share their "When my pressure cooker exploded in 1956" stories with me, so I got nervous and put it away on the shelf.

I really SHOULD use it this year. I bought it mainly for pressure canning low acid foods, but I guess it can be used to cook things as well (I think -- will have to look at the dumb thing).

[Inchworm]

4. Yup- I did the same thing

left it in box for months before I really got into it. I remembered mom's exploding split pea soup all over the kitchen when I was wee. They are safer now :)

I must admit though... I still kinda peek from the door when it is building steam at first before it starts doing the happy dance.

:)

[eleny]

5. I like making chicken soup in it

First I put the chicken in the cooker with water, some bay leaf and some peppercorns.
While the chicken is pressure cooking I cut up my vegetables.
When the chicken is done I remove it and add the veggies and pressure cook them while I'm removing the bones from the chicken.
After the veggies are done I add back in the chicken I want in the soup and save the rest for chicken salad.

The process makes good use of my time and shortens the soup making time by quite a bit. Just cook the chicken the recommended time found in the cookbook that came with the cooker. There's sure to be a recipe for cooking a chicken. Same with the veggies which will take a lot less time, maybe 10 minutes or so once the cooker reaches the pressured stage.

[The empressof all]

6. I have a 6 quart electric that sits on the counter

I do the usual soups and stews and pot roasts but it's also great to pressure steam veggies particularly potatoes. I have a basket for mine and just throw the potatoes in with a cup or two of water and in 10 minutes I have perfectly cooked potatoes for mashing. I don't bother peeling.

It does perfect artichokes, sweet potatoes and winter squashes. It's fun to throw in various root veggies like celery root, parsnips and potatoes for new twists on the standard mash.