Pressure Cooker

my mom used to use one for her veggies.
I BEGGED her for it when I moved out, but alas, she won't part with it.

my mom and grandmother use them for canning vegetables. but so far as i know have never used them for making dog food.

Does anyone here use a pressure cooker for home cooking? I'm looking into one to save some money on the canned foods I use with my two elderly dogs.

I've done a little preliminary research and see a lot of features. The canning sounds kind of neat, for instance . . .and I've seen a couple of vintage models available on e-bay for around $50.

Thanks!

 
I don't have any suggestions, but I am curious to follow this thread...it sounds like a REALLY good idea you have brookcove! []

Pressure cooking certainly is faster.  Personally, tho, I wouldn't want to use it on a regular basis, if you are crock potting now.  It probably wouldn't make much difference over store bought canned food, but I do *think* there is a difference in these types of cooking and crock pots.
 
 From what I've read, using high heat / high pressure really changes the molecules of the meat and, apparently, it's not as healthy as food that has been cooked with less pressure.  Now, I'm not completely sure of my facts, and have not spent much time researching this.  This has just been a general impression I have gotten from things I have read in the past.   But, again, it would be the same as canned, and cheaper, and you KNOW the ingredients, so from that perspective, it would be better!
 
Just be sure to know how to slowly release the steam before trying to take the lid off.  There is some serious business going on with pressure cookers.  They need to be safe.  You can buy really good new ones for not too much money.  The newer models have easier methods to release the steam.  The older models had that "toggle" on top.  I've had and used both.  If you can, buy a newer brand one, and don't get an old one.  The rubber that goes around the top would probably be bad on an older model, anyhow.  Buying a pressure cooker would warrant a few minutes on-line looking for good name ones since they are a different "animal" than your regular cooking utensils.  And do make sure to actually read the instructions, because, again, pressure cookers work on high pressure, and if you don't know what you are doing, you could seriously hurt yourself.  So, do read how to operate it before using.

Ok, so I had to endure a trip to the evil W at one point in my life and found one there for less then $30.  My boyfriend like canning his own veggies and stuff like that so we bought one just big enough to fit 3 med. cans in it, I think it was the 4qt size.   If I remember correctly the larger sized one was only $45.  I really have no idea how to can so I leave the whole canning thing up to my boyfriend, he's a health nut. 

I do know you have to be careful not to block the hole on the top and at higher altitues you have to use a heavier weight.  Many are now made with safty featurs to keep you safe.  I've also used it to cook corn beef and it came out great, I'd love to get a larger one to cook a turkey for ThanksGiving sometime.  To me meats just tast better when cooked in one of thoes.

You may also want to try [linkhttp://www.froogle.com]www.froogle.com[/link] to search for one, it's like google but displays things for sale from various website and you can sort by price.  The first one on the list is a new 6qt. pressure cooker for only $26.99, not sure how much shipping is. [linkhttp://www.goodmans.net/item.asp?n=PR-01264&k=PR-01264&sc=FRGL]http://www.goodmans.net/item.asp?n=PR-01264&k=PR-01264&sc=FRGL[/link]

Wow, new thoughts in my head.

If I buy a pressure cooker, will it be much faster than my usual cooking method (steaming/boiling veggies and boiling or pan "frying (no oil)" meat)? And I could can my own food? How long would canned dog food keep? That'd be way better than buying canned food.

could you "can" meat with a pressure cooker? i wouldnt think so, but i am not sure. the "canning" that my mom always does is with glass jars. she has never done any meat, just veggies.

Becca, my mom has used a pressure cooker for years, but she's always used it to can things. I'll ask her if she's ever used it for anything else, but I don't recall. What I do remember, however, is that thing making the darndest RACKET. [] If you want, I'll ask her if she's looking to unload it?!?!?

I saw a show on the Food Network (big surprise, hunh??) - Alton Brown's show. He was cooking something along the lines of beef stock, in a pressure cooker. Basically what he said was the pressure reduced the time it took to cook things - by a LOT. Gots ta be careful not to blow the lid off though.

I don't know anything about whether from a nutritional standpoint it is better or worse than slow cooking.

You packed yet?

could you "can" meat with a pressure cooker? i wouldnt think so, but i am not sure. the "canning" that my mom always does is with glass jars. she has never done any meat, just veggies.

I don't see why not?? My MIL cans spaghetti sauce. I would imagine if you were to can meat it would need to be ground up and liquified some though.

good point i hadnt thought of that. []

That would make things so much easyer when I fianlly make the swich to homecooked.  humm...I'll have to find out what is needed to preserve meats.  I would think you need to use some salt as well. 

My Mom use to use a pressure cooker for some things, but she actually had a "canner" she used for canning veggies.   I actually think it was pretty much long the line of of a pressure cooker, only much bigger.  She never canned any meats, but my Dad's Mom did.  However, I have no idea how it was done.  I have put up all kinds of jams and jellies, sweet and dill pickles, but have always blanched and forzen my veggies.

I know it's possible to can meat as I've heard of it being done in "old timey days".  I think you'd have to be more scrupulous than I am (in general) about doing it exactly right.  I'd probably just cook and freeze a week's worth of stuff like I do their veggie/grain mixture now.

Laura I am not done by a long shot!  I forsee a long night.  I have been really wrapped up with Teddy - he's a real handfull!  I would love it if you would ask your mom about pressure cooking in general and whether she'd be interested in "unloading" that used cooker.

I used to use the giant pressure cookers when working for a restaurant so I know you don't play around with them!  Ben is simply wild for the Merrick cans but I worry about the quality.  Plus nearly $2 a can, yikes.  I've tried crock potting similiar recipes (mixing in Green Cow to approximate his fav, Working Dog Stew), but it doesn't seem to have the "wow" factor.  I'm getting ready to put a 200 pound ram in the freezer and it would be nice to incorporate the meat in some recipes for Ben. 

Some things I hadn't thought of with the safety of older models.  Thanks for the great info!

Not to be gross, but if they can make spaghetti O's with meatballs and beef raviolis, then I'm sure meat can be canned.
Not, you know, that I'm real positive as to how REAL the meat in those products are, but I'm sure meat can still be canned.