To Steam or Not to Steam in the Pressure Cooker: What’s all the fuss about steaming?
Call me crazy, if you like, it’s been done before but I cannot understand why people are so gaga over steaming vegetables in the pressure cooker. Will someone please explain it to me?
The whole device is basically a giant steamer anyway. So why put your vegetables, or most anything else, that you are steaming over water when you can cook directly in the pot and get so much flavor? I understand steaming whole squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tamales and bean sausages but what is the benefit of steaming vegetables?
I hope that someone will help me understand this. I just filmed electric pressure cooker videos and made two different steamed vegetable dishes. One I seasoned with a Tuscan spice and the other I seasoned with curry, both after they were steamed. I am quite positive that had I cooked the vegetables directly in the pot with the seasonings and a bit of broth that they would be more flavorful and turn out just as well.
PRESSURE COOKED VEGETABLES SING, LOUD AND CLEAR.
THEY SAY EAT ME.” ~ The Veggie Queen
So, please tell me how I can help break you of your steaming habit? Perhaps I am standing (almost) alone in not having a love for steamed vegetables. Plain steamed veggies are (in my mind) boring. Pressure cooked vegetables sing, loud and clear. They say eat me.
You see, the liquid in the pressure cooker actually penetrates the cell wall of the vegetable and softens it, making it more nutritious and more digestible. Isn’t that wonderful?
So, the “crazy” lady here needs some assistance. I hope that you will leave a comment to help me wrap my head around why I would want to pressure steam vegetables instead of just cooking them to flavorful perfection?
Here is a photo of my “perfectly” cooked 1 minute broccoli.
Kristy says
Can I use a variety of veggies for this method? I usually steam carrots, broccoli, peas and corn together.
Jill Nussinow says
Kristy,
The different vegetables will cook at slightly different times but you can likely cook them for 2 minutes all together. If I have harder vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash, I will cook those first for a minute, quick release the pressure and then add the other vegetables and do another quick release.
The broccoli will likely take the least amount of time but it ought to be OK. Sometimes vegetables take a bit of experimentation.
Let me know how they turn out.
Diane Marie says
Interesting. Personally I like my vegies like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower tender-crisp (half cooked if you will) so I briefly microwave mine in a Pyrex dish with just a tablespoon or 2 of water. Sadly for us, the Instant Pot is not available in Australia (and we have a different wattage to the US so can’t buy one online either).
Jill Nussinow says
Diane,
I know that they have the Instant Pot in Europe but sorry to hear that it’s not in Australia. The instructions are for any pressure cooker, not just for the electric cooker.
I honed my skills for most of my 20 years teaching with the stove top cooker. So, maybe that is the key part of your solution without having an electric cooker at your disposal.
The stove top pressure cooker actually affords more control for cooking vegetables than the electric cooker. I see them both, though, as being valuable for getting people to eat more vegetables.
I agree with you on how I like my vegetables: al dente, not mush.
Diane says
For me it is just an old habit to steam veggies. I have been told they are more nutritious without traditionally cooking them…old habits die hard….
Jill Nussinow says
Try the new method Diane and see what you think.
Janice says
I have used the InstantPot set manual to zero for frozen AND fresh broccoli, (separately) which each came out softer than I am used to, but tastier! Much tastier! I “worried” they were less nutritious because they were softer than I am used to, but I also drank a hot mug of the cooking water and I am a convert!
Jill Nussinow says
Good new Janice. Keep on cooking.
Irene says
Hi, Jill, I have just read this article 3 x and am confused. The Instant Pot has a setting for Steaming, and for Manual Pressure Cooking, and my “stove” pot with steamer basket are all “pots”. Maybe you could define POT in the article. As I read it, I think you are saying you prefer to use the Pressure cooker settings because of flavor. Exactly which button should I push on the Instant Pot to get the most flavorful vegetables? I am a very new user, so please excuse my problem with the lingo. I love your Fast Food, and the way you tell me about times and releases.
I have been steaming veggies on the stove with steamer basket because I don’t want to wait 10 minutes for the pressure to build up.
Jill Nussinow says
Irene,
Use the manual button and set to 0 or 1. Then do a quick release. Just don’t use too much water or broth.
If you want to steam, which I am not a big fan of, use as a steamer basket and one half to 1 cup liquid. But I think that you will find that the veggies cooked right in the pot will work better. Just be sure to quick release.
Let me know what you think.
Brenda says
Jill,
Are you saying to pressure cook veggies, don’t use any water-just put them in without any water?
Jill Nussinow says
No Brenda, I am not saying that. I am suggesting that you cook the vegetables in the liner with some (but not too much) liquid, rather than steaming them over water to get them cooked.
You always need liquid when cooking in the pressure cooker. Sometimes, though, the vegetables give off a lot of their own liquid which adds to what you have already put in.
I have cooked 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms quite successfully using on 3 to 4 tablespoons of liquid since they have a lot of their own.
Sorry to have confused you.
Brenda says
Thank you Jill! I can’t wait to try and taste the veggies cooked this way. I have a spaghetti squash that I’d like to cook in the Instant Pot. Can I just put the whole thing in with a little water? I would like to be able to shred it and use like pasta with a sauce.
Thank you