Mary wrote:
>
> "Cheryl Perkins" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Victor Martinez > wrote:
> > > MaryL wrote:
> > >> Years ago, my neighbor was very badly injured when her pressure cooker
> > >> exploded. They are *supposed* to be safe, but I simply don't *feel*
> safe
> > >> around them and will not use one.
> >
> > > Modern pressure cookers have a special valve that will break off if the
> > > pressure gets too high, thus preventing an explosion (but probably
> > > covering your entire kitchen and any hoomins in it in whatever you were
> > > cooking, at a very, very high temperature).
> >
> > No, it's mostly the ceiling directly above the stove and the wall behind
> > it that gets coated with, to take an example at random, soup.
> >
> > My grandmother used one for years, to the occasional grumbling of my
> > grandfather, a mechanic who knew a good bit about pressure and steam. She
> > never had an accident, and swore by hers as a great method for cooking
> > vegetables quickly. My granparents and I had different views on what
> > constitutes a well-cooked vegetable. I thought, barely softened with
> > crunch left, they thought, so soft you can practically puree it with a
> > fork.
> >
> > I still have mine, which I used to use a lot, but haven't used in years.
> > That's less for reasons having to do with soup on the ceiling and more to
> > do with an increased dependence on the microwave.
> >
>
> Hmm. My mother used a pressure cooker. I am not sure I understand
> what the advantages are.

Well, for some beans using a pressure cooker is great if you don't have
lots of time to cook them. Some things should not be cooked in a
pressure cooker because they plug the steam valve. I like to pressure
cook my potatoes for mashing as boiling them seems to make them too
watery or wet. I think it is me and not the potatoes but that is how my
brain sees it.

A crock pot is nice to do dried beans in but my favourite, if possible,
is just a pot on the stove simmering.

In the olds days lots of vegetables were raw and home cooked as opposed
to today where they are bought canned, like beets.