Yuba, as a member of the soybean product family, is loved by the public for its unique taste and rich nutritional value. However, in the process of cooking yuba, how to soak it quickly and effectively is often a problem for many home cooks.
Although the traditional water soaking method is simple and easy, it is easy to lead to problems such as too long soaking time and internal sandwich of yuba. Below, I will teach you a clever way to soak yuba to help you easily achieve the problem of soaking yuba quickly and softly, and without sandwiching.
Yuba is made of soybean milk, which is hard and tightly structured, and is soaked directly in water, which has a slower water penetration rate and often takes several hours to achieve the ideal soaking effect.
In this process, although the outside of the yuba has softened, there may still be a hard core inside, forming a pinch phenomenon, which affects the taste, digestion and absorption. In addition, long-term soaking may also cause yuba to absorb too much water and lose its due chewy taste.
I will share with you an efficient and hard-to-pinch method of soaking yuba - warm water and salt method.
1. Soak in warm water: Take a basin of warm water (about 40 °C, feel slightly warm), which can accelerate the penetration of water into the inside of yuba and shorten the soaking time than cold water. Cut the yuba into palatable pieces and spread them out in warm water to ensure that the yuba is completely submerged.
2. Add salt: Add an appropriate amount of salt to warm water (about 1 teaspoon of salt per 500ml of water) to reduce the surface tension of the water and further increase the speed of water infiltration into the yuba. At the same time, salt can also help remove the beany smell and enhance the taste of yuba.
3. Auxiliary massage: During the soaking process, gently turn the yuba every 5-10 minutes so that all parts of it are evenly exposed to warm salt water, which will help to soften the inside completely. For thicker sections, use your fingers to gently press to aid moisture penetration.
4. Observation and judgment: Under normal circumstances, using this method, the yuba can be soaked in place within 20-30 minutes. The judging criterion is that the color of the yuba becomes lighter, the texture is soft, and there is no obvious hard core when pinched by hand. Be careful not to soak too much, so as not to make the yuba too soft and lose its taste.
【Treatment and storage after soaking】
Drain and rinse: Take out the soaked yuba, rinse it briefly with clean water to remove excess salt, and then use kitchen paper towels to absorb excess water to avoid splashing oil while cooking.
Refrigerated storage: Unused soaked bean curd is recommended to be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator, which can generally be stored for 2-3 days. Before using it again, it can be taken out to warm up or slightly steamed to restore softness.
【Tips】
This trick bubbles the secret, and the problem of soaking yuba is solved. Say goodbye to the long wait of soaking in clear water, and easily realize that the yuba is soaked quickly and softly, and there is no clamping, so that you can enjoy the delicious taste of yuba while also experiencing the fun and efficiency of cooking.
Whether you're making cold bean curd salad, roasted pork with yuba, or yuba tofu soup, this technique will help you do more with less and improve the quality of your dishes. Give it a try!