A pressure cooker is an important part of our day to day life,in every kitchen pressure cooker is used 2 to 3 times everyday, we can cook anything in a pressure cooker, like pulses, rice, curries,soups, stir fried veggies, steamed vegetables...the list goes on! You can cook anything in a jiffy. It not only saves 50 to 70% of cooking time but it also preserves nutrients and flavors of the food. But a very common problem which everyone faces is cleaning of stubborn food particles which gets stuck inside the cooker, on the lid, on the safety valve, whistle and on the gasket.
Here I am sharing few cleaning tips for pressure cooker:
Cleaning tips:
- After each use before washing the lid, remove the gasket and whistle and wash each part properly with dish-washing liquid and rinse it.
- Safety valve is a very small and important part of a pressure cooker.To clean this tiny part gently scrub it with a soft toothbrush and rinse it under running water. (Keep one separate soft toothbrush in kitchen)
- After each use, immediately clean and dry the pressure cooker, if you leave it for a long period the food particles dry and it becomes difficult to clean.
- If, due to some reason you are not able to clean the pressure cooker immediately then fill the water and keep it aside.
- For cleaning, rinse the pressure cooker with water, squeeze out 2 to 3 drops of rustic art dishwash liquid on the scrubber and scrub the inner and outer surface to remove grease stains, and stuck foods from it.
- Now rinse the cooker under the running water.
- Now with a kitchen towel dry it thoroughly, this prevents water marks on the cooker.
Methods to clean scaly surface of cooker:
With regular use the inner base and the inner surface of cooker becomes scaly, so to refresh your cooker, every week clean your cooker with the following tips -
- Add a small lemon size ball of tamarind or lemon peel with a glass of water and allow the pressure to release twice , the base of the cooker will come out clean and the cooker will look refreshed.
- To remove scaling from the cooker take a few drops of Rustic Art Multi Purpose Cleaner on the scrub and scrub it.
- You can also use homemade bio enzymes to clear scaling, just take a few drops of bio enzyme on loofah and scrub the cooker.
What to do if cooker burns:
- Though we all cook food very carefully, sometimes accidentally food burns and leaves tough dark stains which are very difficult to remove.
- Pour water into the cooker, add 1 tbsp salt or 1 tsp baking soda or 1 tbsp vinegar, if you have homemade bio enzymes you can add that too, now put it on the gas top for 10 minutes on low flame.switch off the flame, let the cooker cool, discard water, now scrub with a scrubber
- You can also clean burnt cookers with tamarind pulp / lemon peels.
- Sprinkle salt on the burnt part and scrub it with tamarind pulp / lemon peels.
- You can use few drops of Rustic Art Multi Purpose Cleaner on the scrub and scrub the burnt vessel. Add a pinch of baking soda and soak the burnt vessel for few hours in case of stubborn burns.
- Now squeeze 2 to 3 drops of Rustic art dishwash liquid on the scrubber and clean the cooker.
Why do cooker bottom bulge:
- Avoid heating an empty cooker on high flame, when a dry cooker gets overheated at high temperature metal softens and this leads to bulging of the bottom.
- While cooking, always ensure that there is enough water in the cooker.
Maintenance & Safety:
- At regular intervals keep checking the gasket, handles, whistle, safety valve of the pressure cooker for any damages or loosening.
- If you see loose handles, immediately tighten the screws of the handles.
- If you see the gasket is loose, keep the gasket in the freezer for some time and then use it, though this is not a permanent solution it will work, make sure to change the gasket as early as possible.
Storing:
- Pressure cooker is used everyday and so it is not necessary to close the lid because it may trap smell and foul odour, it's better to detach the lid and keep it aside.
- If you are storing a pressure cooker for a long period then make sure every part is completely dried, if moisture is left it can promote bacterial growth.
You take care of your pressure cooker with love and in return it will take care of you and your loved ones and cook healthy, nutritious and tasty food for you with love.
