Old Time Pressure Cooker

The slow cooker or crock-pot has been around for a long time and recipes to make in it abound. I guess we’re all just so busy—everything is about doing things in fast time—why not try the new old-fashioned “fast cooker”? An old cooking utensil with a great history that has been enjoying a well-deserved come-back is the pressure cooker, now called a pressure pan or supercooker. This appliance has a really new and improved profile.


With the fast lifestyle of today and an avid interest in healthy cooking, pressure cooking is ideal. Pressure cooking takes about one-third of the time of regular cooking and fewer fats are needed. Additionally, there is very little evaporation, so fewer nutrients are lost. Pans are usually made from stainless steel and have a heavy layer welded on the bottom to increase heat distribution and prevent burning. Several safety valves are built in the new pans, so that it is virtually impossible for the pot to explode. If all these advantages were not enough, pressure cookers are energy efficient and have a tenderizing effect on low-cost meats. Yes, you can use your old-style pressure cookers, but because they do not have the added safety features, a new stainless steel one is a small investment for the return.

If you’re like I am—you’ve forgotten to put everything in the slow-cooker in the morning and you’re halfway through the day when you remember. No problem; when you get home, you can brown in the pressure cooker (not possible in the crockpot, so you have to dirty two pans), then throw in the rest of the ingredients, the liquid and seal. Fifteen to forty minutes later, voila! Dinner.

Any recipe that you now make in a slow cooker is possible in the pressure cooker, plus a few. I have a large one and a smaller one, so I can make side dishes, like potatoes or rice while the main dish is cooking. You can put casserole ingredients in a round casserole, seal it with foil, set it on the trivet which comes with the new models, add water and pressure cook it in the pot. Even breads and desserts are great in the supercooker.

The pressure cooker is ideal for soups. The caveat is that some ingredients like beans and rice cause foaming which can plug your valve. To insure against this, add one tablespoon of fat per cup of dried product or fill the pot with less liquid than the maximum fill line. You may also want to cut down on the amount of liquid your soup recipe calls for (slightly) because there is very little evaporation during the cooking process compared with conventional cooking methods. Vegetables cook very quickly, so consider adding the vegetables towards the end of the cooking time to insure tender, not mushy vegetables.

A perfect way to start using your pressure cooker is a beef-vegetable soup. Just put soup bone and meat into cooker with desired vegetables, 6 cups water and seasonings. Heat to boiling, put lid on, wait until steady stream of steam is coming out, put weight on and when jiggling, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce pressure by running cold water on lid until pressure releases. Open lid. This is a general method for all cookers, but you should read the manual that comes with yours.

For a quick fall supper, try Creamy Celery and Potato Soup with a green salad and crusty bread.

2 tablespoons butter 1 large potato (8 to 10 ozs.), peeled and diced
One and one half pounds celery Salt to taste
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat butter in cooker. Add celery, onion and potato; season with salt. Add 6 cups water, bring to boil. Put lid on cooker and seal. When steam flows, put weight on. Cook for 8 minutes. Reduce pressure with cold water on lid. Puree soup in blender or with an inversion blender right in the pot. Stir in lemon juice, garnish with celery leaves.

And for dessert? Spicy Raisin Pudding with Caramel Sauce

One and one-fourth cups brown sugar One half cup milk
One cup flour Four tablespoons melted butter
One cup raisins Three-fourths teaspoon cinnamon
Two teaspoons baking powder One half teaspoon nutmeg
One-half teaspoon salt Two cups boiling water

Grease a one-and-one half-quart baking dish (that fits in your pressure cooker). Mix together one-fourth cup brown sugar, flour, raisins, baking powder, salt, milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour mixture into prepared dish. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining one-cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and boiling water. Pour over raisin mixture (do not stir). Cover entire dish with aluminum and seal well. Place on a trivet in the pressure cooker, seal, bring up to pressure, reduce heat to stabilize pressure and cook for 22 minutes. Remove from heat, depressurize, and remove lid and foil. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.