Christmas pudding is one of those quintessentially Christmas things – love it or hate it, it’s part of a Christmas feast and always will be.
You can cook it in a number of ways, and if you have been wondering how to cook Xmas pudding in a pressure cooker then you are in the right place. Read on!
How To Cook Christmas Pudding In A Pressure Cooker
Traditionally, a Christmas pudding was steamed and would take almost all day to cook – these days, we have a lot of useful gadgetry at our fingertips!
It may not be the way your Granny always did it, but these days it is very easy to cook a Christmas pudding in a pressure cooker.
- Sift together 25g plain flour with 1tsp mixed spice and add 50g each of currants, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel, brown sugar, suet, and breadcrumbs. Mix in 25g of chopped blanched almonds.
- Add a pinch of salt then mix together 1 egg, 1tbsp black treacle, grated rind of 1 lemon, 1/2tsp each of brandy and rum, then mix all the ingredients together.
- Once you have a soft clinging mixture (add a small amount of milk to soften everything), place the mixture into a greased 1 pint pudding basin, leaving at least 1 inch of head space.
- Cover the basin with a triple layer of greaseproof paper and tie it securely, then cover with foil.
- Place 1.25 litres of water to the pressure cooker, add the pudding inside, then close the lid and steam for 18 minutes. Bring up to 12lb pressure, and steam for 2 hours.
- Release the pressure and slowly open the lid, taking care not to scald your fingers. Allow the pudding to cool for a minute.
- Check the pudding is cooked, by inserting a clean skewer into the middle. If the skewer comes out still clean, it’s done – if not, return it to the cooker for a further 20 minutes, then check again.
- Once fully cooked, remove the greaseproof paper and tinfoil, then turn the pudding out of the dish and decorate how you like before serving.
For those who like visual instructions, check out this video showing you how to cook a Christmas pudding in a pressure cooker:
How Long Should I Steam A Christmas Pudding?
Making a Christmas pudding is not one of those tiny cooking tasks that takes five minutes – it takes a while, but once you’ve made it, you don’t have to make too much effort!
This being said, it will take a fairly long time to steam your Christmas pudding – almost as long as the turkey!
If you are steaming your pudding the traditional way; in a steamer over a pan of simmering water, it will take up to 8 hours to be thoroughly cooked.
It’s not the end of the world if you go over the time, but bear in mind that the longer it is steamed, the heavier and stickier it will become.
If you fancy trying a Christmas pudding in the pressure cooker this year, you only need to allow around 2 hours for it to cook.
Whichever method you prefer, make the most of the glorious smells floating around your kitchen, and enjoy the final product with brandy and cream!
How Long Does It Take To Steam A Suet Pudding In A Pressure Cooker?
If you use a pressure cooker to cook your Christmas pudding, you will likely be pleasantly surprised at how little time it takes to steam.
It will take roughly two hours to cook your Christmas pudding to perfection in a pressure cooker, but don’t let that deter you.
If you cook your pudding in a pressure cooker, you literally just have to leave it in there until it is cooked – no real effort has to be made (great for Christmas day!)
This is because the pressure cooker releases far more steam at much higher volumes than a traditional steaming method, so it won’t take nearly as long.
If you are worried, you can check your pudding partway through the cooking process – simply remove the covering and insert a skewer into the pud. If it comes out clean, you’re all done!
How Much Liquid Do You Need In A Pressure Cooker?
Put simply, the amount of liquid you will need in your pressure cooker will depend on what you are cooking in it, because the timing will vary.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that you never fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3rds full, as you will run out of space for the food!
Conversely, not adding enough liquid will very likely cause your food to burn – even though it is not directly touching a heat source.
Your best bet is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how much water to add; that way you know you are absolutely doing it right.
Here is a short but informative article, explaining a little of the science behind pressure cooking.
Is It Better To Steam Or Pressure Cook?
The answer to this, like most things in life, comes down to your lifestyle and what you yourself prefer.
- Steaming will generally take longer, as the pressure is reduced, so anything you steam will take longer to be ready.
- Pressure cooking is a much faster way of cooking, as the steam will be in much higher concentrations, so it can do the job faster.
With steaming, nutrients from the food can be released into the air, meaning that you may not get such a full-flavoured dish.
Pressure cooking tends to keep a seal around the food, as it is in a container, meaning that you lose less nutrients and flavour.
If you prefer steaming, then good for you. If you prefer pressure cooking, then good for you – it is all down to personal choice!
As you probably know, Christmas puddings are generally steamed to make them taste delicious and have that distinctive texture – but nowadays you can cook them in any number of cooking gadgets.
A pressure cooker is a great way to cook Christmas pudding; it’s simple and easy, and gives fantastic results just about every time. Get the brandy butter out ready!
