How to cook kelp

If the elderly often eat kelp, it will be very helpful to their health. However, there is a disadvantage of kelp, that is, kelp is very tough, and it is difficult for the elderly with bad teeth to eat kelp. Therefore, for the consideration of the elderly and children, the kelp should be cooked until it is soft. Therefore, if you have children and elderly people at home, you should learn how to cook kelp until it is soft.

How to cook kelp to make it soft?

Kelp contains alginate and alginic acid. These substances are insoluble in water, but have extremely strong water absorption and swelling properties. Once they absorb water, a sticky colloid will appear on the surface of the kelp, which can prevent water from further penetrating. Therefore, it is difficult to soak the kelp. At the same time, most of the iodine contained in kelp is on the surface, and soaking it for too long will cause the iodine to be lost.

Ordinary people usually soak dried kelp in clean water before boiling it. In fact, this method is wrong. The kelp treated in this way will not taste soft no matter how it is stewed or for how long. So how can you make kelp soft when boiled? A few simple and easy-to-operate tips can make the kelp you cook soft easily. Just write them down.

1. Rice washing water method: Use rice washing water when soaking kelp. The kelp is easy to soak and clean, and it is also easy to soften when cooked.

2. The rule of moderation: When cooking kelp, you can pick up a piece with chopsticks and pinch it with your hand. If it is soft, immediately remove the remaining kelp, because kelp will become hard if cooked for too long.

3. Tips for adding alkali: Add a little (not too much) edible alkali or baking soda when cooking kelp, and it will become soft, tender and more delicious.

4. Tips for adding vinegar: Adding an appropriate amount of white vinegar when cooking kelp shreds can not only remove the unique fishy smell of kelp shreds, but also make the kelp easier to cook and soften, and the color will also look good. If you like a softer taste, you can extend the cooking time appropriately. If you put a few spinach leaves, the kelp will easily rot.

5. Tips for dry steaming: Unwrap the dried kelp and place it in a steamer and dry steam it for about half an hour, then soak it in clean water overnight. The kelp processed in this way is crispy and tender. It is soft and delicious whether stewed, fried or served cold.

6. Boiling water method: If the kelp knots are needed for making soup, you can blanch them in boiling water before cooking. After removing the fishy smell, the soup will taste more delicious.

When eating kelp, it should be cleaned, soaked in water according to the actual situation, and the water should be changed continuously. Generally, it should be soaked for more than 6 hours. If the kelp becomes not tough after being soaked in water, as if it has been boiled, it means it has gone bad and cannot be eaten.

There is no scientific basis for "cold soaking and cold cooking, hot soaking and hot cooking" of dried kelp

For a long time, there is a saying circulating in rural areas: dried kelp must be "cold soaked and cold boiled, hot soaked and hot boiled - those soaked in cold water must be put into cold water, and those soaked in hot water must be put into hot water", otherwise the kelp will be hard no matter how it is cooked. Is this really the case?

Experts believe that the statement that dried kelp must be "cold soaked and cold boiled, hot soaked and hot boiled" has no scientific basis. Generally, after soaking dried kelp, it won’t take long to cook whether it is put into a pot with cold or hot water.

How to choose kelp?

When choosing dried kelp, it is better to choose the one with "white frost". When people buy dried kelp, they often see a layer of white powder attached to the surface of the kelp. Many people mistakenly think that it is the salt that is precipitated when the kelp is dried, and some even think it is a phenomenon of mold and deterioration.

In fact, the layer of "white frost" on the surface of dried kelp is a substance called "mannitol". This substance is not only harmless, but can also lower blood pressure, promote diuresis and reduce swelling in medicine. It also has anti-cancer, antibacterial, alcohol-resolving and weight-loss effects. Therefore, when citizens choose dried kelp, they should choose those with "white frost". At the same time, they should also try to choose those that are drier, dark brown or brown-green in color, with relatively neat leaves and relatively uniform thickness.

It is best to open the kelp and take a look when purchasing. If there are small pieces of kelp mixed in it, it means that its quality is poor. If there are holes or large areas of damage, it is possible that it was infested by insects or mold during storage.

Please note that kelp contains a high amount of iodine and contains precious mannitol on its surface. Therefore, kelp should not be soaked, beaten, stirred, etc. in water for a long time, as this will easily cause nutrient loss. When cleaning kelp, you should also pay attention to the amount of soaking water should not be too much. Generally, the amount of water used for every 500 grams of kelp should not exceed 2500 ml.