I have a 15.5 qt All American (model 915) pressure cooker/canner. So far I've only used it to can stock but after reading a lot about how to make stock in a pressure cooker I'd also like to use it for this purpose.
I tested the pressure cooker stock making method using an old 5-qt T-fal pressure cooker I have. I made pork stock using the bone & skin from a 6 lb pork shoulder + raw pork scraps + mirepoix + 3-4 qts water. After pressure cooking for about 2 hrs I ended up with 1 qt of the most stiffly jelled stock I've ever made. Tasted great too. So now I'm sold on the method.
I make a lot of chicken stock on a regular basis. I buy bags of chicken backs/thighs/drumsticks on sale and simmer them on the stove top for 8-10 hrs in a 12-qt stock pot. The stock pot will hold about 10-12 lbs of chicken pieces plus the standard onion/celery/carrot trinity. I also add 1-2 tsp vinegar per quart of water at the beginning of cooking. After straining and degreasing I typically get about 5-6 quarts well-jelled flavorful stock.
If I could reduce cook time significantly I'd be delighted. The ability to increase the amount of stock I can make at one time would also be a plus.
From reading I know I need to make the stock at 15 psi pressure (I only need to can at 10 psi since I'm at sea level) but the All American can do that. But I still have questions, such as...
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how much water should I add (when using my stock pot on the stove top I add water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches)
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how full can I load the canner? (I'm assuming no more than 2/3s full max)
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do I still need to vent the canner/cooker for 10 minutes once it reaches pressure?
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once pressure is reached, how long should I cook it?
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chicken skin releases a lot of fat during stove-top cooking. Would this be a problem when pressure cooking? (I always include the chicken skin when making stock in a stock pot. I want the fat rendered from the skin as I use it in cooking.)
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Will I still get a clear stock even though I am not skimming the particles during the beginning of cooking?
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should I still add a small amount of vinegar to the water to help dissolve collagen & minerals from the bones? (I assume it can't hurt but am not sure if is necessary)
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is there any downside to adding whole spices (such as whole peppercorns, bay leaf, etc.) at the beginning of pressure cooking? (When doing a long simmer on the stove top in a stock pot I typically add any spices in the last hour of cooking)
PS - I did read many of the posts on the /r/PressureCooking subreddit but couldn't find much that addressed my concerns and my equipment.
PPS - yes, I know that the All American canner/cooker is made of aluminum. I personally have no problems using aluminum cookware. Please no Alzheimer warnings about using aluminum.
Hoping for responses from redditors who use the All American canner/cooker for making stock. Thanks in advance!
Submitted March 08, 2017 at 06:15PM by noBananas http://ift.tt/2mn6fAz
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