Pressure Cooker

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching I’m sure many of us are planning menus, decorations, and much more.  Just the other day I was watching the Iron Chef Thanksgiving special and was shocked 1) when I realized Thanksgiving was just about a week away and 2) when I realized how many of those tools they used that we may not know much about.  For example, how much do we know about the pressure cooker?  We have a pressure cooker on display from the Virgil and Thelma Linam Collection in our South Gallery and that is what I’d like to look at this time.

A pressure cooker, in general, is a pot with an airtight lid that uses steam to build up pressure to cook food.  The pressure and steam cooks food much faster than ordinary cooking methods, nutrients are not boiled off, and the faster cooking saves energy.  Denis Papin, a French physicist, is credited with the invention of the pressure cooker according to fastcooking.ca.  In May of 1679, he demonstrated his “steam digestor” to the Royal Society in London, England by cooking bones.  Early models, according to a pressure cooker recipe website, missvickie.com, were cumbersome and dangerous because of the difficulty in controlling the steam and temperature.  Explosions were common until Papin developed a safety valve.  Commercial sauce-pan style pressure cookers didn’t debut in the United States until the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.  With the onset of World War II pressure cookers became extremely popular.  WWII was a time when food and fuel was rationed and shortages were commonplace making the pressure cooker the perfect tool.  Families oftentimes shared a pressure cooker between one another.  A pressure cooker company made the following statement in Life Magazine in 1943:  “The manufacturing facilities of the makers of Presto Cookers are now devoted to war production.  Once victory is won – there will be Presto Cookers for everybody.  Until then, if you own one, share it, won’t you?  It’s a good neighbor policy” (missvickie.com).  Post war society had such a demand for the cookers that companies went for quantity over quality which meant the safety features weren’t up to par and the cookers became dangerous once again.  Pressure cookers, today, however have multiple safety features and improved vent systems.

Moral of the story:  pressure cookers can save you time and money but be careful of older pressure cookers that may not have all the safety features.  Why not try looking for pressure cooker recipes to use this holiday season?  You may be pleasantly surprised.  Don’t forget to come down and see our pressure cooker on display in the South Gallery from the Virgil and Thelma Linam Collection.  And don’t miss all the tasty holiday treats from different countries at the Christmas Traditions from Around the World event here at the Museum on December 1^st.  Contact us for more details on this wonderful event!  575-392-6730