1, blanching method

Cleaned toon in water blanching. Don't take too long when blanching, about a minute or so will do. We all know that the young shoots of the toon are usually bright red, and when the young shoots of the toon become green, they can be fished out.

In the process of blanching, a nitrite component contained in the toon is also boiled off, so that eating will not only be more delicious, but also eat will be more healthy.

2, quick-freezing method

will dry the toon organized into a handle (do not have to wash, so as not to damage the leaf stems, and later eat with the wash), bundled jacket preservation bag, tightly sealed, put into the refrigerator freezer, open the quick-freeze button, fast freezing and then return to normal operation, this method can be stored in the second year of toon market, storage period by the natural thawing and then cleaned can be eaten.

3, pickling storage toon method

This is one of the oldest rural storage toon method, but also a traditional processing method, for farmers without refrigerator conditions are most suitable. Salt pickling. Fresh parsnip is rinsed with water, dried, and every 100kg parsnip is added with 20kg of salt, i.e., the mass ratio of parsnip and salt is 5:1. Salt and parsnip are evenly placed in the tank in layers, one layer of salt and one layer of parsnip, the thickness of each layer of parsnip is about 10cm or so, until the tank is full.

Toon selection:

First, choose the most tender texture of the toon buds. Studies have found that the nitrate and nitrite content of parsnips varies by region, variety and growth period. Most importantly, the nitrate content of parsnips is low in the early stages of germination, and as the parsnip sprouts continue to grow, the nitrate content in them rises.

By mid-April and beyond, the nitrate levels in toon sprouts in most areas exceeded the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations standards. In other words, the more tender the sprouts are, the less nitrates they contain, and the less nitrites they will produce in future storage.

Second, choose the freshest toon sprouts. Measurements also showed that after mid-April, nitrate levels in toon sprouts remained low despite a rise in nitrates. Nitrate is a non-toxic ingredient and is even good for controlling blood pressure. So, if you eat fresh toon sprouts, it doesn't cause the problem of nitrite poisoning.

However, there is often a two- to three-day time lag between harvesting and eating parsnips. After harvesting, the process of storage at room temperature, a large number of nitrates will gradually be converted into nitrites, thus posing a safety hazard. In other words, it is safe to consume fresh parsnip sprouts picked from the tree immediately. If refrigerated in time after harvesting, it will also reduce the rate of nitrite conversion.

However, the nitrite content of the toon purchased from the market, which has already gone through the transportation and room temperature storage process, will be substantially elevated. The lower the freshness, the greater the risk of nitrites. If the leaves fall off at the touch of a button, it means nitrite levels are high.

Reference: People's Daily Online - What you must know to eat toon

Reference: People's Daily Online - How to eat toon safer