Why is kelp so hard and difficult to cook?
This is because the main component of kelp is alginate, which is not easy to hydrate, while alginate is easy to dissolve in alkali. Kelp tends to soften when there is alkali in the water. According to this feature, people can cook kelp with a little edible alkali to soften it. I remember when I was a child, my mother cooked kelp in this way. The reason why I like to eat kelp until now is because of my mother's taste and my memory of kelp when I was a child. When I was a child, kelp was delicious.
Now people have more good ways to clean and cook kelp, which is really passed down more and more. I will sort out and share my good methods of cleaning and cooking kelp, hoping to help my friends.
There are generally five kinds of cooking kelp, including quick method, compound method and scientific method, depending on which method you need.
The first method, cooking with edible alkali, is to wash the bought kelp with cold water first, and it is best to wash off the small sand and dust attached to it first. If you have time, you'd better clean it several times. Soak kelp in our rice washing water, it is easy to make hair, easy to clean and easy to soften when cooking. Pick it up when it is almost soaked, wash it again, add cold water, add edible alkali and boil it.
The second method, the most convenient vinegar cooking method, is to wash kelp several times with clear water before cooking, and then soak it in rice washing water or salt water. Add some vinegar to the water (old vinegar, white vinegar and fragrant vinegar can make kelp soft quickly) and soak it for about 1 hour before cooking, so that it can be boiled quickly. This method is simple and convenient, and it is very suitable for family use. Adding vinegar can also remove the fishy smell of kelp and make the color look better.
The third method, the most scientific spinach cooking method, has not been done by most families. In the past, families generally cooked kelp with edible alkali, but now they generally cook kelp with vinegar, so it is called the most scientific method and rarely used. This method can be popularized. After all, people nowadays pay attention to health and wellness. That is, after cleaning the kelp, you can put some spinach when cooking the kelp, because spinach contains oxalic acid, which can make the kelp soft and easy to boil. This method is better, but the disadvantage is that it may affect the taste. Taste it and you'll know how it tastes.
The fourth method, which is also the most complicated cooking method, feels less used, because it needs to be steamed before cooking, which means that kelp must be cleaned first, steamed in a steamer for 30 minutes, and then cooked for more than ten minutes. This method is more complicated, but it tastes better, because the steamed kelp is half-cooked, and the cooking time will not be too long. Those who like crispy kelp can try this method.
The fifth method, dry steaming, is to clean the kelp first, and then roll it into a ball or bundle, not too much at a time, which can reduce the steaming time. Put it on a steamer for about half an hour, pick it up, and then steam it with clear water for more than 2 hours. Treating kelp in this way is not only soft but also crisp, and it is crisp and delicious when used in cooking, cold salad and stew.
Taboos for eating kelp
1, don't eat kelp as a staple food, because kelp contains a certain amount of arsenic, and excessive intake of arsenic will cause poisoning.
2, kelp can not be soaked for a long time, because kelp soaking time is too long, the nutrients in kelp, such as water-soluble vitamins, inorganic salts and so on. It will also be soluble in water, and its nutritional value will be reduced.
3. Don't cook the processed kelp for too long. It will take about 20 minutes. Just pinch it with your hand.