UM Spends Nearly 46K on Pressure Cooker

The University of Montana has received a $45,800 grant from the Montana Pulse Advisory Committee to purchase an industrial pressure cooker.

The pressure cooker will make it possible to significantly increase purchases of Montana-grown pulse crops like lentils, dried peas and garbanzo beans.

“An industrial pressure cooker will drastically reduce the time and labor required to process these sustainable, nutritious superfoods, cutting the cooking time from several hours to less than 30 minutes,” UM Dining Director Mark LoParco said. “The space, time and labor that the pressure cooker will save will allow us to switch from purchasing canned, pre-cooked pulses, grown and processed outside of the state, to buying dried Montana-grown pulses and processing them right here on campus.”

The opportunity for UM to leverage their purchasing power in support of Montana pulse growers is substantial. With the new pressure cooker, UMD can purchase dried Montana-grown pulses instead, helping to support this growing industry while educating consumers on the health and environmental benefits of pulse crops.