| No more than a generation or two ago, at the most, | | | | to fall apart, causing the entire process to speed up |
| the words pressure cooker could cause a grown man | | | | appreciably. |
| to suddenly need to run an errand blocks away from | | | | How It All Works or Welcome to Elementary Physics: |
| his house. The kids had a burning urge to do their | | | | Let's start at sea level, with a pot that has no lid but |
| homework, real or imagined, at the far end of the | | | | contains water which boils at 100ºC |
| house, preferably outside. Poor Mom was deserted to | | | | (212ºF). The escaping steam from this pot will |
| deal with THE CREATURE, which had the terrifying | | | | also be 100ºC (212ºF). The water will retain |
| ability to spew forth chunks and splats of dinner on | | | | the 100ºC reading,irregardless of how much heat |
| every conceivable surface of the kitchen, from the | | | | is directed at it. But, the pressure inside the pot can rise |
| pristine white ceiling to the sparkling linoleum floor. | | | | precipitously if the water evaporation is trapped by a |
| Cooking dinner "under pressure" had turned into | | | | well-sealed lid. |
| hand-to-cooker combat with mops, rags, and sponges | | | | The rising pressure, as well as the temperature of the |
| against dripping walls and puddles from stem to stern | | | | steam and water inside the pressure cooker, will rise |
| of the kitchen. Sigh...What an enticing prospect! | | | | above the normal 100ºC boiling point |
| But lo and behold! The pressure cookers of the early | | | | temperature. |
| 21st century present no injury to life or limb and are | | | | Food inside the cooker cooks extremely rapidly, |
| easy to use, too. These modern-day marvels are | | | | anywhere from 3 to 4 times faster, due to the steam |
| thought to be descended from Denis Papin's jewel of | | | | pressure. The steam causes the intense intermingling |
| engineering. Papin, a French physicist living in London, | | | | of flavors, as well as giving the pressure-cooked food |
| designed the prototype of today's pressure cooker, | | | | enhanced moistness and succulence. Many more |
| which was alternately called a pressure resister, | | | | vitamins and nutrients remain behind than with |
| digester or digestor, or retort while serving as a | | | | conventionally boiled food. And remember, the higher |
| laboratory assistant to Robert Boyle, a chemist best | | | | the pressure, the more quickly (up to 70%) the food |
| remembered for Boyle's Law, a physical law which | | | | will cook, giving you time to enjoy your family and |
| proposed that the pressure and volume of a gas are | | | | friends. |
| dependent upon one another. | | | | Take care not to add different foods all at once. They |
| Papin demonstrated his device by cooking turkey | | | | will turn to mush if steamed too long. Put in |
| bones in it before the Royal Society in 1679. This | | | | longer-cooking foods first, release the pressure, and |
| pressure digester included a very tight lid on a vessel; | | | | then add the final shorter-cooking foods last. |
| provided with sufficient pressure, it enabled the | | | | Watch the pressure on your cooker. Have no qualms |
| contents of the vessel to be raised to a very high | | | | about lowering the heat from the stove; this needs to |
| temperature. It was given a safety valve as protection | | | | be done immediately so that the pressure will reduce |
| against an exorbitant rise in the pressure, thus releasing | | | | itself. |
| the excessive steam. | | | | When the cooker reaches the full predetermined |
| Let's jump down the time some two hundred and fifty | | | | pressure, it is time to start cooking times. Until you learn |
| years to the first modern use of the pressure cooker. | | | | to predict how slowly or rapidly your pressure cooker |
| The 1939 New York World's Fair was the showcase | | | | functions, it is best to estimate cooking times on the |
| for the first commercially made aluminum pressure | | | | low side. |
| cooker, made by the National Pressure Cooker | | | | High altitudes mean increased cooking times. There is |
| Company, later to become the Presto Company, | | | | no need to make any adjustments for elevations from |
| which today is known internationally. The Baby Boom | | | | sea level to 2000 ft. but for every 1000 ft. beyond the |
| in the late 1940s was a significant force in the | | | | 2000 ft. base, cooking time should be increased by 5%. |
| manufacture of the new-style pressure cookers. | | | | Simply the mere thought of an old pressure cooker |
| Unfortunately, many of these cookers had hidden | | | | shooting off its mouth (so to speak) was cause for |
| flaws contributing to the high rate of explosive | | | | the cold sweats. Rejoice! Today's pressure cookers |
| accidents and general mistrust of them. | | | | are built for safety. Until the pressure is released from |
| By now, "modern" pressure cookers were appearing in | | | | the pot, it is virtually impossible to open a modern |
| homes all across America. In the beginning, there was | | | | cooker. |
| an issue of mistrust (and justifiably so). However, as | | | | There are two choices by which to release the steam: |
| we go trippingly along the timeline, we find ourselves | | | | the Natural Release method and the Quick Release |
| over the boundary into the 21st century where | | | | method. The Natural Release is extremely simple. |
| pressure cookers are items of sheer delight in the | | | | Remove the pot from the heat source and allow the |
| ease of use. No more spaghetti à la spaghetti... | | | | pressure to slowly release itself while the pot's |
| Basically, the modern pressure cooker is a kitchen pot | | | | temperature decreases. This method of release |
| with an elaborate lid making a tight, complete seal so | | | | enables tough cuts of meat and such to remain in a |
| that the explosions of yore are not even a condition | | | | steam chamber which helps to tenderize the food. |
| that might present itself to an absentminded chef. In | | | | The other method, the Quick Release, uses an |
| order for the pressure to work, a sealed pot or vessel, | | | | automatic release. It is not a problem if your pressure |
| adjusted to a predetermined pressure will not allow | | | | cooker does not have an automatic release. Merely |
| liquids or steam to spurt forth from the cooker. | | | | move the pot from the stove to the sink. Turn the cold |
| The boiling point of water will increase as the pressure | | | | water tap on the pressure cooker, allowing the |
| in the cooker climbs higher, in search of the | | | | difference in temperatures to bring about a quick |
| precalculated pressure. Because of this increase, the | | | | release of pressure. |
| escalating pressure causes the liquid to reach a | | | | Pay attention to the gasket and valves. The gasket |
| temperature in excess of 100ºC (212ºF) | | | | must remain flexible to do its job properly. Be sure to |
| before it boils. In 1917, the USDA elected to make the | | | | keep food debris and residue from lodging in the |
| internal pressure setting 15 psi (pounds per square | | | | valves. Most importantly, do not immerse the lid in |
| inch), where upon water will boil at 125ºC | | | | water and use dishwashing liquid to hand wash the pot. |
| (257ºF). As the temperature rises, the more | | | | Take good care of your pressure cooker and it will |
| quickly the food will cook. The fibers in the food begin | | | | take good care of you. |