Why does nobody talk about how pressure cookers change vegetable texture?

I tried cooking beets in my pressure cooker last Tuesday instead of roasting them. They came out super soft but also kind of mushy and lost that earthy sweetness. I thought it would save time but the texture was totally different from what I expected. Has anyone else noticed this with root vegetables or am I doing something wrong?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese1776d ago

beets are actually one veg that benefits from pressure cooking if you hit 15 mins exactly and quick release, the earthy sweetness concentrates instead of leaching out like roasting does.

river1825d ago

Funny you mention that, my neighbor swears by pressure cooking beets but she also puts a cinnamon stick in there. Tried it once, tasted like a weird dessert. Totally random but now I can't eat beets without thinking about that. Your timing thing sounds way more reliable, I usually just end up with mush or rocks.

the_sarah5d ago

The cinnamon stick thing is wild, I bet that made them taste like chai tea or something. Reese makes a good point about the 15 minute mark for beets though, that timing is tricky. I tried it once with that exact method and they came out way better than my first mushy batch, the texture was actually firm but tender. The quick release is key too because letting them sit in the steam just keeps cooking them and turns them to paste. What temps do you usually go for with other root vegetables like carrots or potatoes?