- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Messages
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- 139
I'll second the Lorna Sass book, I've found it to be very helpful.
A pressure cooker used to sterilize tools is called and autoclave. They are not interchangeable tools. [emoji6]
when your running a ghetto rigged operation it can be done, I've witnessed this working in mycology. But your right an autoclave is what would be used in more professional operations.
Really? Could I ask what you cooked in an autoclave?
Unless your ingredients are suitable for quick release (relatively rapid depressurization - anything that can foam up or burst will) or cold water release (awkward to handle, needs a tap you can fit your cooker under, safety seems to be disputed), there is still significant cooking happening during the cooldown, affecting timing calculation - you can't stop the cooking NOW. Also, how quickly things heat up is a bit stove-dependent, even with the same wattage thermal mass and thermal resistance of different hob types is different. And given we are talking a device that accelerates cooking, and how something as simple as diced spuds can go from good to mush in a few NON-accelerated minutes...
Also, you cannot really do anything where the combined result is low in water content (unless you can separate the water, as with simple boiled things) - we need the water to operate it!. Consistency cannot be optimized as you go - you can't thin or thicken or par-blend stuff in between.
If something burns to the bottom, you will only notice when the smell makes its way out with the steam.
Also, flavouring compounds that already suffer at 100°C (from thermal degradation not evaporation that is) will take an even bigger hit at 121°C.
Also, 15psi sound so harmless - it's 1 bar, a rural water hose can have 10 bar on it? ... until you consider the fact that you have something in there that will remember it should be a gas if pressure is lowered to atmospheric. Fiercely.
Yes magafesaMagafesa?
And btw, Hawkins has been on my things-to-try list for years, the principle certainly looks "safe by simplicity if not mishandled" to me.
Yes magafesa
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