Materials:Fresh amaranth stalks and a moderate amount of coarse salt.

Practice:

1. First, cut the fresh amaranth stalks into strips about an inch long, then soak them in cold water for 6-8 hours. After washing, drain the water.

2. The next step is pickling. The ratio of pickling is 6 pounds of amaranth stalks, add a handful of coarse salt, about 1 tael, mix well with your hands, cover and pickle for 12 hours, then drain.

3. Then put it into a ceramic jar, the mouth of which is made of several layers of light gauze or cotton and white cloth, tied with a thin rope.

4. After 3-4 days, remove the cloth and see if the amaranth stalks appear greener than the original and white flowers appear. The increase and rise of bubbles in the center is normal and can be ignored.

5. Put in 3 ounces of coarse salt and pour in cold water until the amaranth stalks are submerged, without stirring. Sprinkle a little salt over the top and seal the cloth as you originally sealed it. Wet the cloth each time you open it.

6. In about 3 days, the amaranth stalks will be soft and ready to eat. You can choose the softer ones inside first.

Tips

1. When buying amaranth stalks, make sure to choose the ones with tender texture so that the marinade will taste good.

2. The sealing gauze should be dampened with water, otherwise bugs will get in. It is best to choose gauze with good air permeability.

3. When you make amaranth stalks, if there are white flowers, you have basically succeeded. If there are other pickled flowers, then such amaranth stalks are inedible and poisonous.

4. Pouring water into the jar must be careful not to pour too full. Because the foamy liquid will rise during the fermentation process.

5. If the amaranth stalks made for the first time are consumed, the remaining brine can be made for the second time. And if properly preserved, making it dozens of times is not a problem. The longer it takes, the richer the flavor.

How to eat amaranth stalks

1. Steaming:After taking out the moldy amaranth stalks, you can steam them alone, or steam them together with some taro, pumpkin, and tofu, drizzled with a little rapeseed oil, for a great flavor.

2. making stinky tofu: the famous shaoxing snack stinky tofu, the most authentic traditional practice is the special tofu block, with moldy amaranth stalks old brine soaked, deep-fried, like ice candy gourds with bamboo sticks dipped in food.

Pickled amaranth stalks notes

Summer diet should be especially careful, a little carelessness can cause diarrhea, food poisoning and so on. So when you eat pickles, make sure you pickle them thoroughly before you eat them.