The meat of abalone is tender and smooth, rich and delicious, and is deeply loved by consumers. In order to help consumers scientifically choose and eat abalone and its products, the following consumption tips are made.
What is abalone and its products?
Abalone belongs to the phylum Gastropoda of the phylum Mollusk. The main edible part is the abalone's gastropod muscles, which are rich in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. In addition to live abalone, there are also abalone products such as live frozen abalone, frozen boiled abalone, dried abalone and ready-to-eat abalone.
Live frozen abalone is made by cleaning fresh abalone and freezing it directly. Frozen boiled abalone is usually made by cleaning, shelling, dirty and tooth removal of fresh abalone, and then boiling and quick-freezing at low temperature. Dried abalone is made of fresh abalone, live frozen abalone or frozen boiled abalone as raw materials, and is processed by shelling, offal, tooth, black film, cleaning, salting or non-salting, boiling, drying, shaping and other processes. Ready-to-eat abalone is divided into canned abalone and frozen ready-to-eat abalone and other product forms, among which canned abalone is generally made of dried abalone as raw material, stewed at low temperature for a long time, and then sterilized at high temperature, which can be stored at room temperature;
Reasonable purchase
01
Live abalone
The main consideration is freshness, the shell should be complete (the edge can be slightly damaged), clean and mud-free, natural color, and obvious growth lines, gastropod muscles are light yellow or brown, elastic and strong adsorption, the surface layer has a gelatinous mucus, no spots, etc. If the abalone gastropod muscles are whitish, there is no reaction after touching, and it smells fishy, it means that the abalone is not vigorous enough and the freshness is insufficient, so it is not recommended to buy.
02
Abalone products
Look at the product label and logo. Whether the packaging is complete, whether there is product name, manufacturer, production date, shelf life, storage conditions, and clear origin and variety identification on the label. Do not buy abalone products with incomplete product information. In addition, dried abalone to choose a complete body shape, uniform size, dry surface is not slippery, usually light yellow or light yellow-brown, high-quality dried abalone is usually translucent, and shiny, with the extension of storage time, dried abalone color will produce a certain browning, is a normal phenomenon, choose the texture is hard and not soft, if the tissue is too soft, there is a peculiar smell, it is not recommended to buy.
Scientific food
Fresh abalone should be eaten as soon as possible after purchase, and it is not recommended to freeze it. Before eating, it is necessary to remove the shell, dirt, and wash it, and the abalone meat can be added to the prepared seasoning liquid for steaming, or it can be cooked with other ingredients as needed. According to the different size and specifications of abalone, the cooking time can be controlled at 2~5 minutes, and the time should not be too long, so as not to affect the taste. Live frozen abalone and frozen boiled abalone should be frozen and preserved, and the eating method is basically the same as that of fresh abalone. Ready-to-eat abalone should be stored in accordance with the conditions indicated on the label, canned abalone can be eaten ready-to-eat, frozen ready-to-eat abalone needs to be thawed and eaten, and both can also be eaten after cooking as needed.
Dried abalone should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place, and it is better to refrigerate in the refrigerator after sealing, and it needs to be soaked before eating. When soaking, take the dried abalone and put it in a clean container, add enough pure water, soak it in a refrigerated environment at 4 °C for 24~48 hours, change the water every 24 hours, and soak until the abalone becomes soft and hard. Dried abalone needs to be heated for a long time before the taste is soft and glutinous, in order to shorten the time, you can use a pressure cooker, the abalone after high pressure treatment can be directly cooked with broth, or sliced and dipped in seasonings to eat, or steamed with garlic vermicelli, and can also be braised in a red sauce.
Special care should be taken that consumers with shellfish allergies such as abalone should not consume it.
Source: Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology