Decoding Pressure Cooker Recipes

Sometimes deciphering a pressure cooker recipe is a little tricky, even to those with plenty of experience. Here are a few tips for your in your pressure cooking endeavors:

What does a recipe mean when it says cook "0" minutes?

In the case of a pressure cooker recipe saying that you need to cook it 0 minutes, it usually means that the food you are cooking is a delicate food. So to cook a food in a pressure cooker 0 minutes, you will just heat the pot until the pressure regulator begins to rock back and forth and then you will cool the pressure cooker according to the recipe's directions.

How do you "quick cool"?

Some pressure cooker recipes will state that you need to quick cool the pressure cooker. This means that you need to either place the cooker under cold running water, or set it into a sink full of cold water.

What adjustments do I need to make for altitude?

Altitude will affect the length of time that food needs to be cooked. To adjust your cook time view the info below:

3000 ft. elevation increase cook time 5%
4000 ft. elevation increase cook time 10%
5000 ft. elevation increase cook time 15%
6000 ft. elevation increase cook time 20%
7000 ft. elevation increase cook time 25%
8000 ft. elevation increase cook time 30%