Recipe Book

Tough to tender in half the time.

Without pressure, vegetables and beans

can’t exceed 100°C

Cooking with high pressure increases temperature

above 100°C and accelerates softening

Some of our most diverse and commonly consumed foods

come from plants. Tubers, root vegetables and beans are

incredibly versatile in the kitchen but unlike meat, they

have strong cell walls that must be broken down to get

tender results.

Each cell is bound to its neighbour by molecular glue

which enables the plant to stand upright, retain water

and stave off infection. Cooking breaks down this glue

and softens the cells to a point where they can be easily

pushed apart by our teeth. But unlike meat cells where

a couple of degrees makes a big difference, plant cells

are less sensitive to heat and require much higher

temperatures to break down their tough exteriors.

But beans and root vegetables rarely exceed 100°C during

cooking because they are often submerged in water or

have naturally high water contents that prevent them

from reaching high cooking temperatures. Pressure

cooking can drastically cut the cooking times of these

foods by allowing the temperature to exceed boiling point

while keeping the food moist.

Tip:

Cooking with pressure is just cooking with temperatures

above 100°C. When cooking plant foods with tough cell

walls such as beans, potatoes and beetroot, select a high

pressure level to accelerate softening.

120°C

Legumes

& Veggies

100°C