i have a built in steamer oven in the new house.............i know how to use it to cook meat, fish, veg etc BUT how do i convert a traditional recipe into steam cooking ??

i want to do a traditional steamed jam sponge, all recipes say use basin and saucepan water for a couple of hours............do i need to use the same cooking times in a steamer oven or do i need to shorten it ?? i have read the instruction manual and tried the internet but to no avail............. any tips greatly appreciated

All the steam ovens that I have used have had variable cooking temperatures so I imagine that yours will also. If this is the case it's going to be simply a matter of working out the cooking temperature generated following the method used in your recipe (some form of catering thermometer should do the trick) then setting the oven to this heat. At a guess I'd say the temperature you want would be between 82 and 94 degrees but it's just a guess.

its not really the temp that is the issue its the timing.......but thanks

you won't need to adjust the cooking time provided that you are cooking at the same temperature. The only time you do shorten cooking times when steaming is when you use a pressure cooker and that is because the temperature is increased.

Hi
I regularly cook steam/suet puddings for my son in our built in steamer.
I use the same timings as for a pudding bowl over water ( the old system) and it seems to work.

do you cover them too??

Yes I cover them.

I double pleat clingfilm so there is a lot of space for it to rise.