My daughter-in-law is from a country whose residents prepare most of their food in pressure cookers. (Not to be confused with a pressure canner, which is used for food preservation/canning.) This summer, she taught me how to prepare food via pressure cooking.
I owned an Instant Pot for several years, but I had to discard it, because it kept spitting steam out in unwanted places.
A simple, 2-quart stovetop Presto Pressure Cooker from Amazon has been a great replacement.
Here’s a recipe for “perfect” black beans:
Put one cup of dry black beans in the 2-quart pressure cooker. Cover with 3-4 cups of water. If you want them seasoned, add seasonings such as onions, garlic, peppers, etc.
Place on stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. Set timer for 40 minutes. (Do not put the “toggle” or pressure regulator on yet.)
When steam starts coming out of the vent, place the toggle/pressure regulator on top. Eventually, it will start to make a jiggling/whistling sound as the pressure builds up in the pot. (The pressure indicator located on the top of the lid will also rise.) Allow it to cook until the timer goes off.
Then, turn heat off and let the pot sit untouched until the pressure indicator goes all the way down—then it is safe to open.
Forty minutes is the perfect amount of time for black beans.
Remember: do not open the pressure cooker until the pressure indicator goes all the way down. This will indicate that it’s safe to open.
Enjoy!
Rice and whole grains: one cup grains to two cups water; cook for 20 minutes
Beans: one cup beans to three to four cups water; cook for 40 minutes
Meats: cover with water (1” above meat) and desired vegetables and seasonings; cook for 35 minutes
Emily Boller, wife, mother, artist, and author is on a mission to create expressive works of art in her lifetime; and to bring awareness to the potentially harmful traps of diet-wellness culture.
In her free time, she loves to chase skyscapes, grow flowers and vegetables, and can homemade soups.