[azubah]

So no pressure cookers then? 

Am I the only one who uses a pressure cooker? My spuds do not fall apart. I cook them for 5 minutes on the top pressure. That saves gas. All the other veg goes in with them. One pan cooking. It is more gentle than boiling.

[madcat]

I did use the pressure cooker till I got an electric steamer off freecycle.  Now I use the steamer ... I think it is mostly 'cos I have a brain like a sieve - no, colender - and the steamer looks after itself.  I can't wander off as I have done with the pressure cooker and .... well, you can imagine the rest. 

But I have completely given up boiling things.

Does anyone know if I can blanch stuff for the freezer in the steamer?  That would be brilliant for smaller quantities.

[galen]

Just the question I wanted to ask, as it sounds like my Charlottes ! I put it down to over enthusiastic boiling and will try steaming them next time.

They still tasted very nice though 

Going back to my first response, after a bit of trial and error discovered steaming for 9 mins seems to do the trick. First year of growing potatoes (well, most things actually) they really do taste so much better than shop bought ones.

Incidently, roasted some of my other tatties (Kondor) on Sunday, they were wonderful as well 

[Paul Plots]

Pressure cookers are brilliantly quick... modern ones easy to use but you can't whip the lid off and stick a narrow knife in the spuds to check on progress as you can do with a steamer. Just a couple of minutes too long and you have veg just that bit too soft.. 

Not quite so popular the old (or new) pressure cooker these days - fewer in the shops, it seems.