Are there parasites in snails?

Snails are a common mollusk in our daily life and can be used as food. They are distributed in most parts of China and are loved by people because of their delicious meat. However, many people still say that there are parasites in snails and worry that eating them will affect their health. In fact, there are parasites in the meat of many animals, such as pork, fish, especially shrimp, and snails as well. It will be no problem if you control the temperature during the cooking process.

Are there parasites in snails?

The answer is yes, there are, and a lot of them. First of all, it is because of the growth environment of snails. The soil in the fields is a breeding ground for parasites. In addition, snails are parasitic animals, and their thick shells serve as a hard protective shell for parasites. Snails are not easy to clean thoroughly, so if they are not handled properly, the parasites may be eaten into the stomach.

How long does it take to boil snails to kill the parasites?

1. Most parasites are not sensitive to chemical reagents, but they are not resistant to dryness and high temperature. Boiling water can kill them in a few seconds. One hundred percent of the freshwater fish we normally eat are infested with parasites, but as long as they are thoroughly cooked, they are generally not infectious. This is the fundamental reason why we rarely get infected by parasites when eating freshwater fish.

2. From the perspective of epidemiology, the parasites in snails are generally schistosomiasis. Therefore, if they are not thoroughly sterilized, it is easy to cause schistosomiasis and cause certain harm to the human body. However, usually the snails can be fried and cooked in about 20 minutes to kill the parasite eggs inside, so they can no longer be transmitted to humans. Therefore, as long as the snails are fully cooked, they are fine and you can eat them with confidence. Never eat food that is not cooked or clean, as it is not good for your health.

3. Boiling for 10 minutes can kill them, so don't worry. Generally, most pathogens can be killed at 80 degrees for 10 minutes.

How to wash snails quickly and cleanly

Step 1: Put the purchased snails into a basin, wash them several times with clean water, then add clean water and enough salt, soak the snails in salt water. Due to the stimulation of salt, the snails will absorb and spit out water desperately.

Step 2: After 4 to 5 hours, change the water, add some salt, and continue soaking. See if the snails will spit out the mud and sand again. If the water is still dirty after a while, it means they have not spit out all the sand, so continue soaking. If the water is clear, it means you have vomited it all.

Step 3: Take out the snails and wash them with clean water, pour them into a box, add edible salt and appropriate amount of clean water, cover the lid, vibrate up and down continuously, leave it for three to five minutes, and wash it with clean water. You can repeat this step, but don't add salt, until the water becomes clear.

Step 4: Pour the snails into the boiling water pot, cook again until the water boils, and simmer for a while. You will see that most of the things on the top of the snails float up.

Removing parasites from snails

First, choose fresh ones. How to judge what are fresh snails? Smell them. If the snails have a bad smell, it means the water quality is not good, so don’t buy them.

Second, place it in a pot and let it sit. This is time to clean the snails. Put a drop of sesame oil or salt in a basin filled with water to let the snails spit out some unclean things. It is recommended to clean them for at least two hours.

Third, cut off the snail’s tail. Because it is quite hard, it is best to use pliers to cut it into one third. This will make it cleaner and more flavorful so that it is easier to suck out when eating. Of course, remember to clean it after cutting.

4. Cooking snails. Must be cooked! Here is a practical cooking recipe for you:

Step 1. Heat the pan and add 2 spoons of bean paste. Turn to low heat and stir-fry until the oil turns red. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, star anise, and galangal and stir-fry until fragrant.

Step 2: Turn up the heat, and when the oil is boiling, quickly add the snails and stir-fry.

Step 3: Add chopped pickled pepper, minced ginger, minced garlic, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, and stir-fry over high heat.

Step 4: Add the dried chili segments, stir-fry for 1 minute, then pour in a bowl of boiling water to cover the snails, and add 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Step 5. After simmering for 5 minutes, add scallion segments and shredded ginger, and simmer for 3 minutes.

Step 6: Collect the juice and serve.

Tips: Snails belong to the cold element, so people who have a cold, are menstruating or are pregnant should try not to eat them.