How to Use a Pressure Cooker

• For beets, trim off long roots or stems but leave about a half-inch intact to prevent bleeding; scrub but leave skins intact. Large beets cook in about 25 minutes, and small beets in about 13 minutes. 
• Whole scrubbed potatoes cook on a trivet with 1 to 2 cups of water in the pot. Cook for 7 to 12 minutes depending on the size, age and variety of potatoes. 

• Grains and legumes expand during cooking and need more space in a pressure cooker. Do not fill your pressure cooker more than 1/2 full for grains and legumes.  
• Because there is little evaporation when pressure cooking, the amount of liquid used is usually less than the amount used for conventional stove top cooking. As well, grains often need to be drained, depending on the recipe.

A basic stock can easily be made in your pressure cooker. Add any bones or a carcass, with or without meat, 1 roughly chopped small onion, 1 coarsely chopped carrot, 1 celery stalk with leaves, and up to 8 cups water. Keep in mind your maximum fill level. Cook on high pressure, 45 minutes for beef stock and 30 minutes for poultry stock. Use natural release.  

For vegetable stock, use up to 4 litres (about 16 cups) of roughly chopped vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, potatoes or almost any other vegetable. You do not need to remove skins and peels, just scrub them clean. Add up to 8 cups of water and cook on high pressure for at least 15 minutes. Use natural release.  

If using a slow cooker broth recipe, follow the recipe as directed without adding salt or other seasonings until later. Add water listed, but only filling up to 2/3 full. Cook on high pressure using timing from above and natural release.

• Pressure cooking can be used to give the effects of long braising or simmering. 
• For best flavour, always brown your meats well.  
• If deglazing with wine,  simmer and reduce the volume of the wine by half or it may have too intense a flavour. 
• Cover with foil for a few minutes before shredding or slicing to allow the meat juices to set. 
• Use a fat separator or refrigerate overnight to solidify the fat for easy removal.

• One-pot meals can be done by layering foods using foil packets, steam baskets or racks. Side dishes of vegetables and potatoes can be done beside a roast; wrapping delicate vegetables in foil can protect them from too much heat.