處理淡干海参的步驟
Handling dried sea cucumber

步驟一：回軟與清理

冷藏浸泡：將淡乾海参用純淨水沖洗一下，放入一個無油的乾淨容器中，倒入足量的純淨水（水量要完全沒過海参），蓋上蓋子，放入冰箱冷藏室（0-5°C）浸泡 72小時。建議每 24小時換一次純淨水。

Phase 1: Rehydration & Softening

1. Rinse: Rinse the dried sea cucumbers under running water to remove any surface dust or impurities.

2. Soak: Place them in a large, clean glass/ metal container. Fill with enough purified or filtered water.

3. Refrigerate: Place the container in the refrigerator (at 0–5°C). Soak for 72 hours.

4. Change water: Change the water every 24 hours. The sea cucumbers will get soften slightly and expand to about double their size.

步驟二：剖腹去牙

1. 72小時後，海参已經回軟。用無油的剪刀，從海参腹部的開口處將其整個剖開。你會在海参頭部發現一個白色、石灰質的環狀物，這就是海参的「沙嘴」（牙齒），把它摘除乾淨。海参肚子裡可能還有一些雜質，也一併用流動的純淨水沖洗乾淨。

2. 處理內筋：海参內壁上有幾條白色的筋，這是很有營養的部分，千萬不要去掉。

Phase 2: Cleaning & Gutting

After the initial soak, the sea cucumbers should be soft enough to cut.

1. Cut: Using scissors, make a lengthwise slit along the belly.

2. Remove organs: Scoop out the internal organs. You will also find a hard, white calcified "sand mouth" (teeth) located at the top. Remove those “teeth” as it will not soften.

步驟三：煮/蒸

1. 冷水下鍋：將處理好的海参放入一個無油的鍋中，加入足量的純淨水，大火煮開。

2. 小火慢煮：水開後，轉小火繼續煮 65-80分鐘。煮的時間會根據海参的規格、乾燥程度有所不同。

3. 判斷熟度：煮到位的海参狀態是：用筷子夾起海参的中間，海参的兩頭會因自身重量而微微自然下垂，且整個海参摸起來非常柔軟，沒有硬芯。

4. 自然冷卻：關火後，不要急著撈出，讓海参在鍋裡自然冷卻到室溫。

Phase 3: Boiling or Steaming

1. Clean pot: Place the cleaned sea cucumbers in a clean, oil-free pot. Cover with water.

2. Boil or Steam with high heat, then reduce to a low simmer. It takes 65-80 minutes.

步驟四：二次泡發

1. 繼續冷藏：將自然冷卻後的海参撈出，再次放入一個無油的乾淨容器中，倒入足量的純淨水，繼續放入冰箱冷藏室泡發。

2. 耐心等待：這次的泡發時間約為 48小時。期間建議每 24小時 換一次水。你會發現海参在這一步會變得非常大，體積可達乾海参的7-8倍甚至更多。

3. 分裝冷凍：泡發完成後，將海参撈出。如果不立即食用，可以用保鮮膜或保鮮袋將每根海参單獨包裹好，放入冰箱冷凍層保存。吃的時候，取出一根自然解凍或放入冷水中解凍即可。

Phase 4: Final Expansion

1. Cool down: Allow the boiled/steamed sea cucumbers to cool naturally to room temperature in the cooking water.

2. Ice bath: Transfer them to a container filled with ice-cold pure water.

3. Refrigerate: Place the container back in the refrigerator for another 48 hours. Change the water 1-2 times per day.

4. Result: They will continue to grow, swell, becoming thick, plump, and springy.

• Storage:
  Once fully processed, if you are not cooking them immediately, you can store them in a sealed container covered with fresh pure water. For longer storage, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them.

當5-6天繁複的過程完成後，你便可享用海参。用最簡單的烹調方法，如燉湯、釀入蝦膠/魚肉、鮑汁炆煮、佛跳牆、火煱，煮五谷類、粥或麫食，甚至蒸蛋，都不失為富營養的日常食譜。

The whole process needs 5-6 days to achieve. Once you handled it, u can use simple cooking methods for all kinds of nutritious recipes like stewed soup, hot pot, stir fry in abalone sauce with shrimp/fish paste, congee or even with cereals, noodles or steamed eggs. Don’t overcook as it may shrink a little in size for long time cooking.