Rehydration method for Flower-waisted Sea Cucumber, Mexican Prickly Sea Cucumber, Rock Prickly Sea Cucumber, and Northern Ice Sea Cucumber:
1. Soak the sea cucumbers in clean water. The container should be large enough. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator for 2 days, changing the water daily.
2. Put the soaked sea cucumbers into boiling water and cook over low heat without a lid (Mexican Prickly Sea Cucumber 5-10 minutes, Flower-waisted Sea Cucumber 20 minutes, Rock Prickly Sea Cucumber 30-60 minutes, Northern Ice Sea Cucumber 5-10 minutes). Turn off the heat and let it cool naturally.
3. Use scissors to cut open the sea cucumber along the belly from head to tail. Remove the sand mouth from the head of the sea cucumber, use a steel wool pad to scrub off the greyish matter on the skin, and rinse out impurities from the belly.
4. Place the cleaned sea cucumbers into a clean container, add fresh water, and return to the refrigerator for 3-5 days until the sea cucumbers become soft, changing the water daily.
5. Properly rehydrated sea cucumbers should be soft, tender, and elastic. If they are not as soft as you prefer, you can return to step 2 and cook them again. The second cooking time can be slightly shorter.
Note: When rehydrating sea cucumbers, avoid contact with oil, salt, or skin care products. Do not rehydrate in direct sunlight.
Rehydration method for American Starfish Sea Cucumber and Alaskan Red Sea Cucumber:
1. Soak the sea cucumbers in clean water. The container should be large enough. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator for 2 days, changing the water daily.
2. Use scissors to cut open the sea cucumber along the belly from head to tail. Remove the sand mouth from the head of the sea cucumber, use a steel wool pad to scrub off the greyish matter on the skin, and rinse out impurities from the belly.
3. The internal tendons of the sea cucumber can be cut with scissors or pulled out by hand. This will allow the sea cucumber to rehydrate larger and softer.
4. Place the cleaned sea cucumbers into a clean container, add fresh water, and return to the refrigerator for 3-5 days until the sea cucumbers become soft, changing the water daily.
5. Properly rehydrated sea cucumbers should be soft, tender, and elastic. If they are not as soft as you prefer, you can continue soaking them. Premium grade sea cucumbers require 1-2 extra days of rehydration compared to regular A-grade sea cucumbers.
Note: When rehydrating sea cucumbers, avoid contact with oil, salt, or skin care products. Do not rehydrate in direct sunlight.