How Long to Boil Sea Shrimp Until Done? Learn the Correct Boiling Method and How to Pick High-Quality Sea Shrimp

Everyone knows that when stir-frying green vegetables, if you don't get the timing right and stir-fry them for too long, the vegetables will turn yellow and lose their nutrients. And if shrimp are boiled for too long, it will not only affect the taste but also cause them to lose some of their nutrients. So how long do you boil sea shrimp until they are done? How do you pick high-quality sea shrimp?

How Long to Boil Sea Shrimp Until Done

Shrimp are a very soft and tender food, and cooking them for too long damages their nutritional value. Usually, for shrimp boiled in plain water, the heating time varies according to the size of the shrimp. After the water comes to a boil, add the shrimp. If the shrimp are relatively large, they need about 5 minutes; if they are relatively small, generally 2-3 minutes is enough. Once the shrimp turn red, that means they are already done.

How to Boil Sea Shrimp

Main ingredient: 500 sea shrimp

The ingredients needed to make water-boiled shrimp (20 photos) grams

Seasonings: 4 grams salt, 10 grams ginger, 20 grams vinegar

Cooking Method

1. Wash the shrimp clean;

2. Bring water to a boil, add a little salt and several slices of ginger, and bring the water to a rolling boil;

3. Then put the shrimp into the pot. After the water comes to a boil again, wait several tens of seconds, then lift the shrimp out with a slotted spoon and put them on a plate.

4. To eat the shrimp: add only a little vinegar, peel the shrimp, dip the shrimp meat in the vinegar once, and it is ready to eat.

Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot (just enough to cover the shrimp), put in half a scallion, several slices of ginger, several Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and an appropriate amount of MSG. Be sure to wait until the water boils before pouring in the shrimp, then wait until it comes to a boil again and the shrimp can be taken out and put into a large bowl or small basin. Remember to let the shrimp-boiling water cool before pouring it back over the shrimp; otherwise, boiling them too long or pouring out the water together with the shrimp will both cause the shrimp meat to become overcooked, dry, and poor in texture. After soaking for half an hour to absorb the flavor, you can enjoy a fresh, tender, and delicious dish.

How to Pick High-Quality Sea Shrimp

When wild sea shrimp and farmed shrimp are the same size and equally fresh, the price difference is very large. Some unscrupulous vendors often pass off farmed sea shrimp as wild sea shrimp. In fact, the two differ greatly in appearance, and with careful identification you won't buy the wrong ones: farmed sea shrimp have very long antennae, while wild sea shrimp have short antennae; the “shrimp rostrum” on the head of farmed sea shrimp is long, with sharp teeth and a relatively soft texture, while the “shrimp rostrum” on the head of wild sea shrimp is short, with blunt teeth and a hard texture.

When selecting, first pay attention to whether the shrimp shell is firm and glossy, and whether the shrimp head and shell are tightly attached to the shrimp body, hard and solid, with no peeling off. Fresh shrimp are very normal in both color and smell; in addition, pay attention to the firmness and elasticity of the shrimp meat. Inferior shrimp have dull shells, more black discoloration of the carapace, a reddened body color, and separation between the carapace and the shrimp body; the shrimp meat tissue is loose and soft, with an ammonia odor; for shrimp with heads, the thorax and abdomen separate, and the head and carapace turn red and black.

Generally, affected by the substrate of the breeding farm, the surface of sea shrimp is bluish-black, with clear and distinct pigment spots.