Helpful Hints For Pressure Cooking - Presto 01784 Instructions And Recipes Manual

23-quart induction compatible pressure canner with stainless steel clad base

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For your convenience, both the ⅔ and ½ full levels are marked by indentations on the side of the

pressure canner body (Fig. O). The top marking indicates the ⅔ full level and the middle mark-

ing the ½ full level. (The lowest marking is the 3-quart water level marking used for pressure

canning.) In addition, in each section of the recipes you will find instructions on the maximum

fill level for each type of food.

2 . Always add cooking liquid. If an empty pressure canner is left on a hot burner or if a canner

boils dry and is left on a heated burner, the canner will overheat excessively causing possible

discoloration and/or warping of the canner .

3 . Always look through the vent pipe before using the canner to make sure it is clear. If the vent

pipe is blocked, it cannot function as it should and thus cannot relieve excess pressure . Pressure may then build to unsafe levels . To

clean the vent pipe, draw a pipe cleaner or small brush through the opening, as shown on page 6 . Also clean the vent pipe nut as shown .

4 . Always fully close the pressure canner. The canner is fully closed when the cover handles are above the body handles . Your pressure

canner has specially designed lugs on the cover and body which lock the cover in place when the canner is fully closed . However, if

the canner is not fully closed, the lugs cannot lock the cover onto the body . Therefore, it is possible that pressure could build inside

the canner and cause the cover to come off and result in bodily injury or property damage . Always be sure the cover handles are

above the body handles . Do not turn past handle alignment .

5 . Never open the canner when it contains pressure. The air vent /cover lock provides a visual indication of pressure inside the canner .

When it is up, there is pressure . When it is down, there is no pressure in the canner and it can be opened . If the pressure canner is

opened before all of the pressure is released, the contents of the canner will erupt and could cause bodily injury or property damage .

6 . Replace the overpressure plug if it is hard, deformed, cracked, worn, or pitted, or when replacing the sealing ring. Replace

the sealing ring if it becomes hard, deformed, cracked, worn, pitted, or soft and sticky. The overpressure plug is a secondary

pressure relief valve which is designed to relieve excess pressure by releasing from the canner cover in the event that the vent pipe

becomes blocked. The overpressure plug is made of rubber, and when new, is soft and pliable. Over time, depending on the frequen-

cy and type of use, rubber becomes hard and inflexible. When hard and inflexible, the overpressure plug loses its ability to act as a

secondary pressure relief valve . It should be replaced immediately .

Should the overpressure plug ever be forced out of the cover due to excess pressure while cooking, call the Presto Customer Service

Department at 1-800-877-0441 for assistance in determining why this happened . Do not attempt to use the released overpressure

plug .

7 . Always follow special procedures found in the instruction book when pressure cooking dry beans and peas. During cooking,

dry beans and peas tend to froth and foam which could cause the vent pipe to become blocked . Therefore, dry beans and peas need

to be soaked and cooked according to instructions on page 29 . Using this method will help to minimize foam during cooking .

8 . Never pressure cook applesauce, cranberries, rhubarb, cereals, pasta, split peas, dried soup mixes, or dry beans and peas

which are not listed in the chart on page 30. These foods expand so much as a result of foaming and frothing that they should

never be cooked under pressure .

♦ Your favorite recipes may be adjusted for cooking in the canner by following the general directions in this book for the particular

type of food being cooked . Decrease the length of cooking time by two-thirds, since pressure cooking is much faster than ordinary

cooking methods . Because there is little evaporation from the canner, the amount of liquid should be decreased . Add about 2 cups

more liquid than desired in the finished product . There must always be water or some other liquid in the bottom of the canner to form

the necessary steam .

♦ Use the cooking rack when it is desirable to cook foods out of the cooking liquid . When foods are pressure cooked out of the liquid,

flavors will not intermingle . Therefore, it is possible to cook several foods at once, as long as they have similar cooking times . If it is

desirable to blend flavors, do not use the cooking rack .

♦ When the body of your canner is heated, the metal expands . Therefore, it may be difficult to close the cover on a heated body . When

this happens, allow canner to cool slightly .

♦ Foods are quickly cooked in the canner . Therefore, to prevent overcooking it is important to accurately time the cooking period .

♦ If your cooked food has more liquid than you desire, simmer to evaporate excess liquid .

♦ When pressure cooking at high altitudes, the cooking time needs to be increased 5% for every 1,000 feet above the first 2,000 feet .

Following this rule, the time would be increased as follows:

♦ If you have questions on recipes or timetables, contact the Test Kitchen by calling 1-800-368-2194, or email us through our website

at www .gopresto .com .