CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What is the food of sea cucumbers?

What is the food of sea cucumber

Sea cucumbers have very high requirements for the environment, especially temperature and cleanliness. Sea cucumbers mainly feed on seabed algae, which is a very green food!

Cooking fresh sea cucumbers and soaking dried sea cucumbers

Basic method of issuing

1. Soaking: After cleaning the surface of the sea cucumber, soak it in a clean, oil-free container with an appropriate amount of pure water (the water should cover the sea cucumber) for about 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times during this period until the sea cucumber becomes soft (the purpose of this step is to soak the sea cucumber until it is soft enough to clean the inside). It is best to use pure water (not tap water), so that the final soaked sea cucumber will be large, delicious, and easier to absorb nutrients.

2. Cleaning: Cut the sea cucumber from head to tail along the incision on the abdomen, cut off the sand mouth on the head and remove the sea cucumber teeth (white hard objects), clean the impurities and internal organs in the sea cucumber, and pick out the tendons attached to the inner wall of the sea cucumber.

If you remove the tendons and intestines, the sea cucumber will be larger. The white tendons and intestines in the sea cucumber are rich in nutrients and can be used to make soup after washing.

3. Boil in a pot: Put the cleaned sea cucumbers into a clean, oil-free pot and add an appropriate amount of purified water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for 30-40 minutes over low heat. After turning off the heat, do not open the lid and leave the sea cucumbers in the pot until they are naturally cool. Pick out the soft sea cucumbers and leave the hard ones or those with hard cores in the pot. Change to purified water and continue to cook until all are soft and cooked thoroughly. (The purpose of this step is to thoroughly cook the sea cucumbers. Some people like to cook them twice for the same effect).

4. Soak: Fill a clean, oil-free container with pure water and put the cooked sea cucumber in. Then place it in the refrigerator's fresh-keeping room and soak for about 24-48 hours, changing the water 3-4 times during this period, and then it is ready to eat.

5. The processed sea cucumbers should be soaked in pure water and the water should be changed frequently. The sea cucumbers should be eaten as soon as possible and should not be soaked for a long time or placed in the refrigerator's fresh-keeping room for a long time with water.

6. If you make a lot of food at one time and cannot eat it all at once, you should put it individually in fresh-keeping bags and place it in the freezer of the refrigerator. When needed, soak it in hot water and eat it.

Sea cucumber foaming method

The first thing to pay attention to is the temperature of the dried sea cucumber. We recommend an environment of 0-5 degrees.

The second is pure water instead of simple clean water, because sea cucumbers are very sensitive aquatic animals, and are very sensitive to acidity and alkalinity, so the pH value of water has a great influence on the foaming effect.

The third is the foaming time of the sea cucumber. The foaming time of different sea cucumber varieties varies from merchant to merchant, so consumers should follow the instructions provided with the sea cucumber or ask clearly when purchasing. Generally speaking, this time is 24 to 36 hours, and the water should be changed twice during this period until the sea cucumber is softened; at this time, we can take out the sea cucumber, cut it open longitudinally from the abdomen, and remove the front tooth-like object and several tendon-like objects in the abdomen.

The next step is the cooking process. The purpose of cooking is to destroy the intercellular connections between the sea cucumbers, which is more conducive to the expansion of the sea cucumbers. We need to add pure water to a non-oil pot with a lid and boil (here we emphasize that it is a non-oil pot. In fact, the entire sea cucumber foaming process cannot be stained with oil, because the sea cucumber will melt when it encounters oil, affecting the effect). Cook over medium heat for about 30-60 minutes, until you can gently pinch the sea cucumber with your fingers.

Our last step is to repeat the above process of foaming with pure water, and soak the sea cucumber again until the sea cucumber is foamed to about twice its original length and it is ready to be eaten.

Thermos bottle quick release method

1. Wash the dried sea cucumber and soak it in pure water for about 48 hours.

2. Put the softened dried sea cucumber into a thermos bottle and soak it in boiling water for about 12 hours.

3. Take out the sea cucumber, cut open its abdomen with scissors, remove the teeth and internal tendons and then eat it.

Advantages: fewer foaming steps, convenient.

Disadvantages: If the time is not managed well, the sea cucumber will easily become rotten. It is not recommended to use this method to soak small sea cucumbers.

Pressure cooker foaming method

1. Wash the dried sea cucumber and soak it in pure water for 48 hours

2. Put the softened sea cucumber into the pressure cooker and add water to cook for about 15 minutes.

3. Take out the cooked sea cucumber and cool it down with cold water

4. Use scissors to cut open the abdomen of the sea cucumber, remove the sand mouth and shorten the internal tendons.

5. Soak the sea cucumber in pure water for about 48 hours and it is ready to eat.

The foaming in a pressure cooker requires very precise timing, with the time when steam starts to come out of the pressure cooker as the standard. Otherwise, the sea cucumber will be easily overcooked, so this method is not recommended.

When foaming

1. The foamed sea cucumber is already cooked sea cucumber and can be eaten directly.

2. During the entire foaming process, the sea cucumber must not be stained with oil, cosmetics, hair, etc. Otherwise, the meat will melt and affect the foaming effect.

3. When foaming, it is best to use bottled purified water, followed by bottled mineral water, and tap water is the worst, because tap water contains the most minerals and impurities.

4. To maintain the water temperature at 0-5 degrees, it is recommended to place the sea cucumber in the refrigerator's fresh-keeping layer.

5. When foaming sea cucumbers, the cooking time over medium heat is for reference only. The standard for a well-cooked sea cucumber is that it can be easily pinched through with your fingers.

6. The length of time for soaking and boiling sea cucumbers determines the size and hardness of the sea cucumber foam, but it does not affect the nutrition. You can adjust the time appropriately according to your taste preferences. Generally, the foamed sea cucumber is about twice the length of the dry sea cucumber, with moderate hardness and taste. When foaming sea cucumbers, you should not blindly pursue large sizes. Sea cucumber foaming is a process of absorbing water and swelling. Moderate taste is preferred.

7. Due to individual differences, some parts of the foamed sea cucumbers are softer and some are harder, which is normal. If you want to pursue perfection, you can cook and soak the harder sea cucumbers for a longer time.

8. When foaming sea cucumbers, the color of the water is related to factors such as the color of the seaweed (green algae, red algae, etc.) eaten by the sea cucumbers.

Cooking Instructions

1. The dried sea cucumbers that have been swollen should be rinsed repeatedly to remove residual chemical components;

2. After the sea cucumber is well soaked, it is suitable for cooking methods such as braising, simmering with scallions, and stewing;

3. Precautions for storage: The soaked sea cucumbers cannot be stored for a long time, preferably no more than 3 days. During storage, soak them in cold water and change the water 2-3 times a day. Do not touch them with oil or put them in a refrigerator without ice. If they are stored as dry goods, it is best to put them in a sealed wooden box to prevent moisture.

Eating tips

A good way to eat sea cucumbers in summer is to eat them cold: blanch the soaked sea cucumbers in hot water first, then season them with soy sauce, mustard, sugar, etc. This way, the sea cucumbers will feel smoother and taste quite good.

It is recommended for the elderly and postoperative patients to cut the dried sea cucumber into small pieces in the morning and put it into rice porridge to cook it into a light sea cucumber porridge, which is nutritious and delicious, and suitable for the taste of the elderly and postoperative patients.

However, the best way to consume it is to eat it on an empty stomach in the morning, which is most conducive to the body's absorption of nutrients. It is best to eat another meal one hour after consumption.