Crockpots are Time Savers

So many of us need a little more time in our days. From the time our feet first hit the floor in the morning, it is rush rush rush for the majority of the population. Rush to get breakfast ready for the family, rush off to work, then rush home to rush and fix dinner, rush to finish up chores, homework, etc.

What if at least one of those things could be a little less rushed a little less stressful?

Dinner is something that could be ready for you when you walk in the door. There are so many one pot meals that are great to fix in a Crock Pot. You just fix the recipe and put it in the crockpot on low and let it cook on low all day. (or whichever setting the recipe you are using calls for)

It much simpler than having to fix everything from scratch the minute you get home.  Now you can have dinner ready and fix a few sides if you want, or as mentioned above do a one pot meal in your slow cooker which doesn't necessarily need any sides to go with it.  

What kind of shortcuts do you use to get through your day a with a little less stress?

How to Eat Healthy with your Salad Shooter

Salad Shooters are actually quite handy little gadgets.  Some of us may have one lurking around in the cabinets pining for daylight, others use ours almost on a daily basis, and then there are the few that still have not yet purchased a salad shooter.

If you are trying to hold up to your New Year's Resolution, depending on what your resolution was, the salad shooter might actually be able to help you. It can help you eat healthier, lose weight (by eating healthier), and save money.

Obviously, you can use your salad shooter for salads.  It can shred and slice veggies and fruits.  In turn this will save you money. If you buy pre-shredded and pre-sliced fruits and veggies, not only are they more expensive, but they tend to go bad at a faster rate than whole fruits and vegetables.

The salad shooter can also:

• Shred cheese and peppers for omelets
• Slice apples for a delicious apple pie
• Take care of all your veggies for your homemade vegetable soup
• Cheese, Peppers, & Onions on your pizza
• Shred potatoes for delicious hash browns
• Perfect for shredding all the ingredients for coleslaw
• Use it to make a graham cracker crust

Honestly the options are limitless, and it makes prep time so much faster, there is no need to drag out the cutting board, sharpen your knives, or dirty extra bowls, you can just shred directly into the recipe.

When eating healthier is easier, it makes you more likely to stick with it.

Already own a salad shooter and need parts? We have salad shooter parts at Pressure Cooker Outlet's website!

Canning is on the Rise

The more people that we've talked to the more that we've found that there are many more people who are planning on planting a garden and canning vegetables this coming spring, summer, and fall.  A lot of it has to do with the economy, and some of it has to do with the grassroots movement that seems to be making its way through society right now (do the two go hand in hand? Perhaps, but we'd love to hear your thoughts on that).

So, you have big ideas and maybe your New Year's resolution is to plant a garden this year and to can your hard worked for veggies.  So is there anything you can be doing now in order to prepare yourself for the hard work this spring?

1. Clean!  You can go ahead and decide what area of your yard you want your garden in and start removing dead flowers, shrubs and other plants.

2. Plan!  Start learning all you can about what types of vegetables you want in your garden, how you want it laid out, whether you want to do raised beds, etc.  If you aren't sure what kind of veggies you want, you might want to go ahead and purchase some books about canning and see which things you'd be interested in and keep a list.

3. You may want to start stocking up on seeds, mulch, and fertilizer, as sometimes the winter prices on these products are cheaper.

4. Do all the research that you need to do.  It will make things go quicker this spring if you have the knowledge already there and can stay steady with the job instead of having to start and stop in order to look things up.

5. Draw a map/plan of your garden so that you know how the spacing between plants needs to be, etc.

Have fun with your winter preparations for your spring garden!  We would love to hear what kinds of plans you have in mind.

Timeless Cooking or What did they do before microwaves?

In the past, there was a time before microwaves existed.  And quick cooking wasn't what it is today.  You couldn't just go to the freezer and grab a microwave meal, pop it in your microwave and get to cooking.  Then you had to plan and prepare each meal carefully.

So what did they do back then before they had microwaves, when they didn't have much time to prepare a meal?

Well, they used pressure cookers.  In the early part of last century, pressure cookers were very popular because of their ease of use and quickness in cooking.  Also because refrigerators were still not what they are today and many people could not afford them, the best way for them to preserve their food was to can it in a pressure canner.  Without these items many people would have had to learn to do without meals in many cases.  But not only was the pressure cooker good for cooking a quick meal, they were also useful if jars needed to be sterilized before using them to can in.

Pressure cookers are able to keep most of the nutrients, texture, and flavor of the food, in the food.  While studies of microwaves over the last few years have shown that microwaving food causes nutrient loss, and we have all experienced that annoying cold spot, or the oh so hot hot hot spot with microwaves that cook food unevenly.  Plus microwaves tend to dry out meats or cause them to be tough.  With a pressure cooker your meats will be moister and more tender.

If part of your New Year's resolution was to eat healthier, then you will definitely want to look into pressure cookers, what healthier way to eat, than to keep the natural nutrients in your vegetables in them after they are cooked.  There are many pressure cooker cookbooks, and the internet has dozens of recipes on it so it should be easy to find recipes for your pressure cooker, all you have to do is a quick search for them in your favorite search engine.

Recipes for Cold Weather

It's been very cold out this winter, and with all the snow we've been getting here at Pressure Cooker Outlet, it is sometimes an added relief to the cabin fever we all occasionally experience if we are able to at least try something new or different in the kitchen.  Something to break up the routine, so we've searched and found a couple recipes for you to try out on your pressure cooker.  (Don't forget to order pressure cooker parts if yours are getting older or worn before cooking with your pressure cooker!)

We found a recipe by Kalyn's Kitchen for Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew.  A 4-quart pressure cooker seems to be a good size for this recipe.  We haven't tried this one yet, but it looks delicious.

Another great recipe is by The Veggie Queen at her blog PressureCooking.blogspot.com she features a recipe called Black Eyed Pea Soup with Brown Rice, Corn and Peppers.  She used this recipe to bring in the New Year, but it looks like one that would be a hit on any chilly afternoon.

 If you try these recipes let us know how it went!  We love hearing about your pressure cooking experiences.  What you liked about it, or what could have made it better.

Safety with Pressure Cookers and Canners

Since safety is a big thing with using pressure cookers and canners, all of us at Pressure Cooker Outlet feel it would only be appropriate to have our write our first "real" blog on safety.  Please feel free to bookmark this page and refer back to it as you need to.

Safeguards:

·         Always remember, before you do anything with your pressure cooker or canner, please read your instruction manual thoroughly before operating.

·         Check the vent pipe before use.  This is very simple but necessary to do. You can check the vent pipe by holding the cover of your cooker/canner up to the light and run a pipe cleaner through it to ensure that it has a clear opening.

·         You do not want to fill your pressure canner more than 2/3 full while using it.

·         You do not want to pressure cook applesauce, pearl barley, cereals, pastas, grains, split peas, or soup mixes. These foods tend to foam, froth and sputter and may block the vent pipe, over pressure plug, and air vent cover lock.

·         Please do not try to open the pressure canner/cooker until the pressure inside has been completely reduced. Wait until the air vent and cover lock has dropped.  When you see that there is no more steam you can remove the pressure regulator.

·         If your sealing ring has become dry, brittle, or cracked, then you need to replace it, BEFORE using your canner/cooker again, along with your over pressure plug. (Most manufactures advise you to change the sealing rings and over pressure plugs every 3-4 yrs depending on the use). That way you will feel secure knowing that you have two new parts that will be working properly for your canner/cooker.

Pressure Canners and Pressure Cookers are great tools. Just so long as you  remember to practice safety with them. Also with pressure canning, always be sure to use undamaged mason jars for your canning.

Pressure Cooker Outlet

Hello and welcome to our first blog.  We are Pressure Cooker Outlet, and things are in full swing for the New Year already.  We cannot believe that 2010 went by so quickly.  We are owned and operated by Red Hill General Store which has a brick and mortar location in Hillsville, VA.  You should stop by and see us there if you live close enough we are located just outside the town limits of Hillsville, at 1035 Sylvatus Hwy. (Rt. 100)

In our online store and at Red Hill General Store we offer products by Presto, All American, Mirro, Cuisinart, and more!  So feel free to check out all our links, leave comments/suggestions, bookmark us, etc.  We love to interact with our customers and readers!  Feedback is always a plus!