Infusing with a pressure cooker?

[cheri_j]

Can you infuse oils with a pressure cooker? I happened to be switching channels, heard the word infusion, stopped to watch QVC selling an electric pressure cooker and every other word was infusion. Got me to thinking....has anyone here infused oils using one?

 

[kazmi]

I haven't but it sounds like it would make infusions pretty quick.

 

[AngelMomma]

I don't think I would. I don't like to overheat the oils.

 

[dagmar88]

Oh no! The oil gets way too hot and the pan won't be able to handle the pressure.
The risk of exploding and causing severe burns is very, very high.

 

[Paintguru]

Oh no! The oil gets way too hot and the pan won't be able to handle the pressure.
The risk of exploding and causing severe burns is very, very high.

I'm not sure I understand the rational behind this comment. Pressure cookers work by increasing the local pressure of a liquid by trapping the steam up to a certain pressure point, at which time the pressure release valve activates and releases the excess pressure. However, they are most useful in increasing the boiling point of water based liquids (as they can't get much above 212F at standard atmospheric pressure). Oils don't have that problem...you basically heat them until they start to molecularly break down. A pressure cooker wouldn't help this, nor would could you really increase the local pressure because no steam is produced.

 

[dagmar88]

Just google "pressure cooker oil".

It should be in the manual too.

 

[Crombie]

Pressure Cooker Soap?

Has anyone ever tried to actually make soap using a pressure cooker? I googled it and only found this infusion thread. I think it would make a cool experiment, but I don't have a pressure cooker. Lye under pressure might not be the best idea but I love thinking outside the box.

 

[sassanellat]

You absolutely do NOT want to put strong acids or bases (like lye) in the pressure cooker! It's like a wimpy home autoclave made of similar materials, and you can just destroy an autoclave with hot pressurized sodium hydroxide. Every once in a while, some newbie does it at work and there is a multi-thousand dollar bill as a result. The released steam would be stunningly corrosive, especially to the eyes and lungs (and probably to most of the metal in your kitchen).

 

[DeeAnna]

Not to mention the fact that most home pressure cookers are aluminum.

This is one box to stay safely inside.

 

[cmzaha]

I actually do infuse my lavender, rosemary and... (won't mention in a pressure cooker using olive oil. The trick is it has to be water and oil not just oil. After it is done you strain and press the plant separate off the oil and water the best you can then freeze it. You will be able to remove the resulting buttery oil with a spoon. I find an oil separator helps too. Makes a very strong smelling oil this way