Session 6 Cooking Class Handout

Mission Viejo Stake Cooking Class

Session #6:  Great Under Pressure

Pressure Cooking and Canning Basics

Pressure Cooking:

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking in a sealed vessel that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. In a sealed pressure cooker, the boiling point of water increases as the pressure rises, resulting in superheated water.

Pressure is created at the beginning by boiling a liquid, such as water or broth, inside the closed pressure cooker and the trapped steam increases the internal pressure and temperature. After use, the pressure is slowly released so that the vessel can be safely opened.

Advantages/Disadvantages

+ Foods cook much faster on a pressure cooking than with other methods (except for small quantities in microwave ovens), and require much less water than boiling. Less energy is required than when boiling, steaming, or oven cooking. Since less water or liquid has to be heated, the food reaches its cooking temperature faster.

+ Pressure cookers are quicker at heating and cooking food because the internal steam pressure from the boiling liquid causes wet steam (or "saturated steam") to be forced through the food. This results in faster cooking times compared to conventional cooking methods, because liquids and steam conduct and transfer heat better than air. (To illustrate this point, the hot air in an oven at a higher temperature than steam won't immediately burn your hand, but steam from a boiling kettle will instantly scald your hand, even though it is a lower temperature than the air in the oven.)

+ To give you a general idea of how cooking time is sped up by using a pressure cooker, some cooking times from a pressure cooker user manual are: 12-18 minutes for a whole chicken (2-3 lbs.), 5-7 minutes for pre-soaked white beans and 35-40 minutes for a beef roast or brisket.

 - Pressure cookers are considerably more expensive than conventional saucepans of the same size. The additional gasket (sealing ring) requires special care when cleaning, unlike a standard lid for a saucepan.  

 - With a conventional saucepan, it only takes a matter of seconds to inspect the progress of cooking.  When using a pressure cooker, the cooking process needs to be halted and the cooker depressurized before opening, which takes time.  This makes it absolutely essential to follow cooking time guidelines in tested pressure cooker recipes.

Safe Pressure Cooking

Modern pressure cookers typically have two or three redundant safety valves as well as other safety features, such as an interlocking lid that prevents the user from opening the lid as long as the internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure. If any of the safety mechanisms are not correctly in place, the cooker will not pressurize the contents. Pressure cookers should be operated only after reading the instruction manual, and should be regularly maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Four important safety rules:

1.      Do not cook the following foods in a pressure cooker because they tend to foam and sputter, which may block the pressure release mechanism: applesauce, cranberries, pearl barley, oatmeal or other cereals, split peas, rhubarb or pasta.

2.      Do not fill a pressure cooker more than 2/3 full. If you are cooking foods that expand, like rice or dried vegetables, don’t fill more than 1/2 full.

3.      Do not open the pressure cooker until it has cooled and the inside pressure has been reduced.

4.      Do not open the pressure cooker towards your face, even if you have already released the pressure. There may still be steam inside.

Recipes:

Zesty Homemade Chili (Presto Recipe)

1 ½ pound ground beef

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

½ cup water

1 cup chopped onion (1/4 cup dried onions)

¾ cup chopped green pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 1 tsp garlic powder)

1 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

……….

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

** I use black beans or pinto beans

Turn heat selector to medium and brown meat.  Put in pressure cooker.  Add remaining

ingredients except kidney beans. Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 5 min. with a very slow, steady flow of steam escaping from the pressure regulator.  Let pressure drop of its own accord.  Stir in kidney Beans and heat through.

Soaking beans:  Rinse beans and place in a large pot.  Add 3 times as much water as beans.  Bring beans to a boil and boil 2min.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 to 2 hours.  Drain. 

Note:  Soaking is not required, but does lower required cooking time.

Cooking beans in a Pressure Cooker-  After soaking, rinse beans and remove any loose skins.  Place in pressure cooker.  Add fresh water to just cover beans.  Add 1 TBSP of oil (to prevent foaming).  Close cover.  Cook black beans 2-4 min.  Cook pinto beans 3-6 min.

 

Refried Beans for Burritos

2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed

1/4-1/3 cup water

1 TBSP white vinegar

1 tsp chili powder

Few flakes of dried onion

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt to taste

Basic Canning:

Canning is an important method for preserving food. The canning process involves placing foods in jars and heating them to a temperature that destroys micro-organisms that cause food to spoil. During this heating process air is driven out of the jar and as it cools a vacuum seal is formed. This vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product bringing with it contaminating micro-organisms.

Safe Canning Methods

There are two safe ways of processing food, the boiling water bath method and the pressure canner method:

·         The boiling water bath method is safe for tomatoes, fruits, jams, jellies, pickles and other preserves. In this method, jars of food are heated completely covered with boiling water (212°F at sea level) and cooked for a specified amount of time.

·         Pressure canning is the only safe method of preserving vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. Jars of food are placed in 2 to 3 inches of water in a special pressure cooker which is heated to a temperature of at least 240° F. This temperature can only be reached using the pressure method. A microorganism called Clostridium botulinum is the main reason why pressure processing is necessary. Though the bacterial cells are killed at boiling temperatures, they can form spores that can withstand these temperatures. The spores grow well in low acid foods, in the absence of air, such as in canned low acidic foods like meats and vegetables. When the spores begin to grow, they produce deadly toxins.

The only way to destroy these spores is by pressure cooking the food at a temperature of 240°F, or above, for a specified amount of time depending on the type of food and altitude. Foods that are low acid have a pH of more than 4.6 and because of the danger of botulism, they must be prepared in a pressure canner.

The low acidic foods include:

·         meats

·         seafood

·         poultry

·         dairy products

·         all vegetables

High acid foods have a pH of 4.6 or less and contain enough acid so that the Clostridium botulinum spores can not grow and produce their deadly toxin. High acidic foods can be safely canned using the boiling water bath method.

The high acidic foods include:

·         fruits

·         properly pickled vegetables

Certain foods like, tomatoes and figs, that have a pH value close to 4.6 need to have some acid added to them in order to use the water bath method. This is accomplished by adding lemon juice, citric acid, or cider vinegar.

Equipment

·         Water Bath Canner - a huge pot to sanitize the jars after filling (must be tall enough for jars to stand up plus one inch of water over the top).

OR

·         Pressure Cooker/Canner - a specialized huge pot with a locking lid and pressure gauge (must be tall enough for jars to stand up in to be used for pressure canning).

·         Canning Rack – either a raised metal disk or wire rack with handles.  Keeps jars from touching each other or sitting on the bottom of the canner and/or helps lift the jars out.

·         Canning Jars - Mason, Ball, or Kerr brand jars come in quart, pint, ½-pint, and other sizes.  Can be found at Wal-mart and some grocery stores.     

·         Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.  These may only be used once.

·         Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars.  These may be reused many times.

·         Jar Grabber - to pick up the hot jars.

·         Lid Lifter – small tool with a magnet end.  Used to pick the lids up out of the boiling water where you sanitize them.

·         Jar Funnel – has a large neck that fits snuggly into jars.

·         Silicone Hand Mitts – allow you to hold hot jars to secure lids without slipping.

·         Assorted large spoons, ladles, knives, cooking pots, and clean cloths.

How to Can Salsa - Boiling Water Method:

1.      Place cooking/canning rack on bottom of canner. Fill canner halfway with water.

2.      Preheat water to 180°F.

3.      Soak clean jars, lids, and rings in near-boiling water until salsa is ready.

4.      Prepare Salsa according to tested recipe. 

5.      Fill HOT jars with HOT salsa leaving ¼” - ½” head space.  Be sure to wipe the top edge of the jar clean before placing lids.  Fasten rings barely tight – do not over-tighten.

6.      Use jar lifter to place filled jars, with lids and bands fastened, on cooking/canning rack in canner.

7.      Make sure the water level is at least 1 inch above jar tops. Add more boiling water, if needed.

8.      Turn heat to its highest setting until water boils vigorously.

9.      Place cover on canner.

10. Set a timer for processing time given in salsa recipe.

11. Lower the heat setting to maintain a gentle boil throughout processing.  Be sure water level remains above the jars.

12. When jars have been processed for the complete time, turn off heat and remove canner cover.

13. Using jar lifter, remove jars and place them on a towel, leaving at least 1-inch spaces between jars during cooling.

14. As jars cool, lids will depress.  If sealed correctly, no sound is made when the lid is pressed down.

15. Allow jars to cool naturally 12 to 24 hours before checking for a seal.  Do not retighten bands.

Recipes:

Mrs. Wages Medium Hot Salsa

6 pounds ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded, cored, and coarsely chopped

½ cup cider vinegar

1 package (4 oz.) Mrs. Wages “Create Salsa Tomato Mix”

Combine tomatoes, vinegar and Salsa Mix in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Pour hot salsa into clean, sterilized, hot canning jars, leaving ½” head space.  

Cap each jar when filled.  Process 40 minutes in boiling water bath. 

Makes about 5 pints.

Zesty Salsa

10 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 6 pounds)

5 cups chopped and seeded long green peppers (about 2 pounds)

5 cups chopped onions (about 1½ pounds)

2½ cups chopped and seeded hot peppers         (about 1 pound)

1¼ cups cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.

Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes using boiling water canning method.

Makes about 6 pints.

Note: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent being burned.