When it comes to cooking at high altitudes, which is anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above sea level, the preparation that food requires, changes quite drastically in time, temperature, and recipe. The reason for this is because the boiling temperature of the water is lower, the atmosphere is much drier, and the air has less oxygen and atmospheric pressure, meaning that cooking takes quite a bit longer.
So, why do pressure cookers work well at high altitudes then? They prevent you from having to wait an exorbitant amount of time to cook your food and they help your food retain moisture that would, otherwise, evaporate at high altitudes.
This isn’t all that they help with though, as they are an effective way to combat the atmospheric pressure, they save you time and energy, and they are good for use in hilly areas if you are hiking or camping out.
Why Are Pressure Cookers Recommended for Cooking at High Altitudes?
Regardless of where you are above sea level, the temperature required to boil water is always going to be lower than it is at sea level. You are looking at a difference of about four degrees Fahrenheit, as the boiling point is 208 degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level.
This means that any type of cooking that relies on heat transfer via water or liquid is going to proceed more slowly.
Now you would think that four degrees aren’t all that much but because of how chemical reactions work, those four degrees can double or triple the cooking time required because it takes the water a lot longer to reach maximum temperature (boiling point).
What Slows Down The Water’s Ability to Reach Boiling Point?
In order to achieve the bubbling that we know as boiling, the vapor pressure of the substance must equal that of the ambient pressure of the liquid. The ambient pressure of the liquid is going to be your atmospheric pressure levels. At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is lower resulting in a slower speed to boil.
Pressure Cookers Help Combat Lower Atmospheric Pressure & Dry, Thin Air
Instead of your food taking eight to twelve hours to cook, you can use a pressure cooker to get the same or better results within an hour or two. How? Because the pressure cooker is a sealed vessel, it creates a very moist, high-pressure environment that you cannot get in high altitude areas.
This, in turn, ensures that your food does not become undercooked, does not lose moisture as it’s not open to the dry air, and it combats the thin air and low atmospheric pressure by allowing your liquid to exceed its own boiling point.
It is important to note here that if you were to cook without a pressure cooker, to compensate for the lower boiling point of water, you would have to increase your cooking time as increasing the heat will not cook your food faster and will instead just evaporate the water quicker.
A pressure cooker is the only device that stops this from occurring without needing to increase the cooking time required.
How Is Cooking Affected When Using a Pressure Cooker at High Altitudes?
If your pressure cooker only has one pre-set weighted gauge, you will need to increase the cooking time to account for a lower cooking temperature. We make note of this in the below section.
If your pressure cooker has more than one weight, you may be able to adjust for the cooking time by using a higher weight alone. However, it is highly recommended that you simply adjust the cooking time as this is a sure bet on safely cooking your food.
In order to prevent any water evaporation, once you have reached the desired pressure within your pressure cooker, reduce your heat.
You will still want to maintain a steady pressure that is either at or slightly above the correct gauge pressure. The manufacturer’s manual will tell you what this is.
How Do I Adjust Pressure Cooker Recipes for High Altitude Cooking?
A common and easy mistake to make when using a pressure cooker at high altitudes is forgetting to adjust the time it takes to cook your food. Now the time you adjust will be dependent on where you are cooking your food as different elevations of altitude will require different cooking time adjustments, but the general rule of thumb is five percent every 1,000 feet after 2,000 feet above sea level.
The match works like this, if your standard cooking time calls for thirty minutes at high pressure, take that number and multiply it by your percentage increase. This will provide you with the number of minutes you need to add to the standard cooking time to adjust for high altitude. Here are a few examples.
- At 3,000 feet above sea level with a standard cooking time of 30 minutes, you have an equation that looks like this: 30 x 0.05% = 1.5 minutes. So, your new cooking time becomes 31.5 minutes.
- At 7,000 feet above sea level with a standard cooking time of 30 minutes, you have an equation that looks like this: 30 x 0.25% = 7.5 minutes. So, your new cooking time becomes 37.5 minutes.
- At 10,000 feet above sea level with a standard cooking time of 30 minutes, you have an equation that looks like this: 30 x 0.40% = 12 minutes. So, your new cooking time becomes 42 minutes.
Here is the list of altitudes and their increased cooking percentages:
- 3,000 (5%)
- 4,000 (10%)
- 5,000 (15%)
- 6,000 (20%)
- 7,000 (25%)
- 8,000 (30%)
- 9,000 (35%)
- 10,000 (40%)
- 11,000 (45%)
- 12,000 (50%)
High Altitude Does Affect Specific Foods Differently Too!
Another thing that individuals cooking at high altitude with a pressure cooker will need to take into account is the type of food they are cooking. Meat and poultry products have bone, connective tissue, and muscle all of which will have more water, more protein, and a higher combination of fat, minerals, and carbohydrates.
The leaner the meat you have, the more water content it contains. The higher the water content in your food, the more susceptible it is to drying out and may take one-fourth more cooking time at an altitude of 5,000 feet or higher.
It is highly recommended that you purchase an internal thermometer and bring it with you if you plan on cooking meat, poultry, and thin foods like hamburgers, pork chops, and chicken breast.
- Raw meat like pork, beef, and roasts should be cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Raw meat such as ground beef, pork, lamb should be cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whole turkeys or chicken should be cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For optimal safety, do not stuff your meat!
- Egg dishes should be cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is Pressure Cooking in Hilly Areas Safe?
Yes, it is safe to use a pressure cooker in hilly areas and is actually recommended because hilly areas often have very low atmospheric pressure. Similar to high altitude areas, a pressure cooker can cook your food at a constant pressure that is independent of the ambient air pressure (atmospheric air), meaning you can cook your food faster despite the lower boiling temperature of the water.