How to Make a Food Steamer

Though picturesque, bamboo steamers take up a lot of cabinet space and have few uses beyond steaming.

You do not need to clutter your kitchen with bulky appliances or cookware. Even the most complex food steamers hold the food suspended above boiling water to allow the steam in the cooking chamber to heat the food through. If you do not have a specialty steamer, you do not need to skip steamed recipes. Using an empty tuna can and a colander or plate, you can turn any cooking pot with a lid into a food steamer.

Things You'll Need

• Cooking pot with lid
• 3 empty tuna cans or ramekins
• Heatproof colander, cooling rack or plate

Instructions

1. Place the empty tuna cans or ramekins with the open side facing down in the bottom of the cooking pot.

2. Add water to the pot so it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the tuna cans -- about 1 inch.

3. Suspend a heatproof colander, cooling rack or plate on top of the tuna cans.

4. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat.

5. Add the food to the colander, cooling rack or plate and cover the pot.

6. Steam the food for the required amount of time. Check the water every 15 minutes and add more boiling water to maintain a depth of 1 inch in the bottom of the cooking pot for extended steaming times.

References

• Cooking Light; Stove Top Steaming; Bruce Weinstein, et al
• Asia Online Recipes: Steaming With a Steamer
• Grand Times; Hot Tips on Steam Cooking; Jenny Stacey; 1999