Does kelp need to be boiled before frying

Kelp is a food that everyone is familiar with, and it has great benefits to the human body. Because kelp is rich in iodine, there are many ways to prepare kelp. Kelp can be fried, but there is a way to do it. Everyone's favorite taste should be different, so everyone has their own choice of preparation method. Does kelp need to be cooked before frying?

Many people worry that kelp is difficult to cook, so they soak it in water for a long time before cooking. In fact, this is wrong. Kelp should be steamed first and then soaked.

Kelp contains substances such as alginate and alginic acid. Once it absorbs water, a sticky colloid will appear on the surface of the kelp, preventing further penetration of water, making it difficult to cook thoroughly. In addition, the nutrients in kelp, such as water-soluble vitamins and minerals, will also dissolve in water. If soaked for a long time, the nutritional value will decrease.

The more recommended method of soaking is to steam it first and then soak it: put the kelp in a steamer, dry-steam it for half an hour, and then soak it in water for two or three hours. Or you can add a little alkaline flour or baking soda before steaming, so that the kelp glue can be easily dissolved by the alkaline substance and will become soft quickly when cooked.

Adding some vinegar to the water, or soaking it in rice water, can soften the kelp quickly; you can also add some spinach when cooking, because spinach contains a substance called oxalic acid, which can also soften the kelp quickly.

In addition, although the white substance on the surface of kelp contains more salt, it also contains mannitol which has diuretic and detoxifying effects. If it is washed first and then steamed, the nutrients will be wasted.

Kelp should be eaten as soon as possible after purchase. If you cannot finish eating it in one go, you should refrigerate the unpacked kelp in the refrigerator, otherwise its nutritional value will decrease and microorganisms will continue to multiply, all of which will cause the kelp to deteriorate.