Right, this is what you see after 5 days!
A Dried Sea Cucumber that had grown from a lean 7"inch to a now fat 11"inch!
Zhu Po Shen (猪婆参) - Sow Sea Cucumber, $$$
Sea Cucumber is often dried for preservation purposes and has to be rehydrated with boiling and soaking in water for several days for the Sea Cucumber to absorb the liquid back.
Rehydrating the Sea Cucumber can be tedious steps for some. I thus wish to share with you how my Mom prepares the Sea Cucumber, the easiest yet effective steps:
1. Wash pot for soaking the Sea Cucumber clean of any grease residue.
2. Rinse Sea Cucumber of its dust and soil.
3. Fill pot with water that covers the Sea Cucumber sufficiently (taking into consideration excess water needed for hydration). Soak for 1 day.
4. Day 2. Drain water away without touching the Sea Cucumber. Top up with fresh water and put to boil (true boil - 100 degree Celsius). Remove from heat and let it sit for the day.
5. Repeat Steps 4 for the next 3 days until it becomes soft to touch. Throughout the process, avoid use of greasy utensils, which includes our touching it with our hands. And make sure water always covers the Sea Cucumbers.
6. Day 5. Clean the Sea Cucumber of its layer of the softened intestine with your gentle fingers (as shown above) or scrubbing away with a small knife. Scrub its outer skin layer of any mud deposit too.
7. Now it is ready for use as an ingredient in a Soup or Stew. If you're saving the Sea Cucumber for another day's cooking, you may pack it in serving portion and store it in the icebox unit until then.
NOTE: Size of the Sea Cucumber determines the no. of days you need to soak it, smaller Sea Cucumber, such as the Bald sea cucumber softens earlier and over soaking makes it squashy! So exercise your discretion.
When buying dried Sea Cucumber, the seller could advise which are the ones that rehydrate better and yields a meatier portion. But those are often pricier, such as the Sow sea cucumber.
A Dried Sea Cucumber that had grown from a lean 7"inch to a now fat 11"inch!
Zhu Po Shen (猪婆参) - Sow Sea Cucumber, $$$
Sea Cucumber is often dried for preservation purposes and has to be rehydrated with boiling and soaking in water for several days for the Sea Cucumber to absorb the liquid back.
Rehydrating the Sea Cucumber can be tedious steps for some. I thus wish to share with you how my Mom prepares the Sea Cucumber, the easiest yet effective steps:
1. Wash pot for soaking the Sea Cucumber clean of any grease residue.
2. Rinse Sea Cucumber of its dust and soil.
3. Fill pot with water that covers the Sea Cucumber sufficiently (taking into consideration excess water needed for hydration). Soak for 1 day.
4. Day 2. Drain water away without touching the Sea Cucumber. Top up with fresh water and put to boil (true boil - 100 degree Celsius). Remove from heat and let it sit for the day.
5. Repeat Steps 4 for the next 3 days until it becomes soft to touch. Throughout the process, avoid use of greasy utensils, which includes our touching it with our hands. And make sure water always covers the Sea Cucumbers.
6. Day 5. Clean the Sea Cucumber of its layer of the softened intestine with your gentle fingers (as shown above) or scrubbing away with a small knife. Scrub its outer skin layer of any mud deposit too.
Tu Shen (秃参) - 'Bald' Sea Cucumber, $$
7. Now it is ready for use as an ingredient in a Soup or Stew. If you're saving the Sea Cucumber for another day's cooking, you may pack it in serving portion and store it in the icebox unit until then.
NOTE: Size of the Sea Cucumber determines the no. of days you need to soak it, smaller Sea Cucumber, such as the Bald sea cucumber softens earlier and over soaking makes it squashy! So exercise your discretion.
When buying dried Sea Cucumber, the seller could advise which are the ones that rehydrate better and yields a meatier portion. But those are often pricier, such as the Sow sea cucumber.
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