Some Interesting Facts to Cooking with Ice
It is a well known fact that ice cubes can do magical things when added to a beverage, but did you know that it can also be a great accessory to you in the kitchen? We’ve put together a few creative ways to use ice cubes to help preserve the freshness in the foods you eat.
Ice can help by keeping your proteins fresh before and after cooking
The next time you decide to make seafood, remove it from the packaging and place into a bowl of ice cubes and water to make sure the fish stays as fresh as possible before cooking. Once you’ve prepped the kitchen for cooking, remove it from the bowl and continue with your culinary preparation. This method helps speed up the cooking process because the seafood continues to remain tender and succulent for a longer amount of time.
Shrimp is another variety of seafood that can benefit from the use of ice cubes. They are known to cook very fast and tend to be chewy if not taken out in time. One way to halt the cooking process is to shock the shrimp by plunging them into a bowl of ice cubes.
Veggies get Crunchy with Ice Cubes
Raw vegetables, when soaked with ice cubes, get a little crispier due to the fact that moisture gets reabsorbed into the cells. Also, after you blanch veggies like spinach, for example, transfer them into a bowl of ice water to help restore their color and texture. The same goes for blanching tomatoes – , dropping them in a bowl of ice cubes helps you to peel the skin off very easily, which then allows for it to be blended to make a puree for a pasta sauce or similar.
Ice cubes help with desserts
In addition to using ice for refreshing smoothies, ice cubes can be used to cool down hot custard for use in desserts. The process involves taking the hot custard in a pan and placing it in a bowl of ice cubes. After, gradually stir to rapidly cool down the mixture. This ensures your custard is cooked perfectly.
Boiled eggs peel easier
Ever find the task of breaking & peeling boiled egg shells to be a cumbersome one? Well with ice cubes, you don’t have to worry anymore. Just take recently-boiled eggs and place them in a bowl of ice cubes to stop the cooking. Once that is done you will notice that the process of removing the shells now seems like a breeze, guaranteeing that you will never complain about making boiled eggs ever again.
Link to video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nId0VqfG_oI
Fluffiness is saved when reheating rice
Rice is a staple part of the diet for many regions around the world and is cooked in a plethora of ways depending on culture. However, one of the caveats of rice is that it tends to get hard and lose its fluffy texture and wonderful taste over time in the fridge. Using ice cubes when reheating rice provides a great solution. This is achieved by placing a couple of ice cubes on top of the rice before placing it in the microwave, so when heated these cubes melt into the rice. The rice absorbs the moisture, ensuring the grains are soft and tasty again to consume.
