How to preserve fresh lotus seeds without darkening and eating all year round

There are many ways to preserve lotus seeds to eat year-round and still be delicious. Housewives can follow these 4 ways to store lotus seeds until the next season is still fragrant and fragrant.
In the last days of May of the solar calendar, at local markets such as Ha Dong, Tan Da, Vo, Van Phuc (Ha Dong, Hanoi)… and village markets around Hanoi, many small traders started sell fresh lotus seeds.

“At this time, in addition to the fresh lotus seeds in Hue, which are in season, the ponds and lotus ponds in the countryside also begin to harvest seeds. If fresh lotus seeds in Hue cost 170,000-190,000 VND/kg, the original lotus seeds cost only 100,000-120,000 VND/kg. The lotus seeds from the countryside are as fragrant and fragrant as the Hue lotus seeds,” said Tran Thi Hanh, a small trader selling fresh lotus seeds at Vo market, Ha Dong. Because it is the fresh lotus seed at the beginning of the season, it is sold during the epidemic season, so this year, the price of fresh lotus seeds at the toad markets is quite soft, attracting many housewives to order. “At the beginning of the season, the price of fresh lotus seeds is still high. A little more lotus at the end of the tool, the price of lotus seeds will decrease to 80,000-90,000 VND/kg. That’s why many housewives buy fresh seeds from the countryside to make lotus tea, nut milk or leave sticky rice, cook tea to cool down,” said Hanh. Because many people like to eat, fresh lotus seeds at the beginning of the season are quite popular. Buyers buy at least 1kg, many buy 5-7kg and put them in the refrigerator to eat gradually. According to Ms. Hanh, there are many ways to preserve lotus seeds to eat year-round and still be delicious, but you can follow these 4 ways to store lotus seeds until the next season. Dried lotus seeds Hanh said, there is a simple way to store fresh lotus seeds to eat all year round, which is fresh lotus seeds that do not need to be washed after being purchased. Just peel off the shell, get the white lotus seed kernel. Use a toothpick to take the lotus heart. “Next, bring the lotus seeds to dry in the sun 3-5 times (or dry) until dry, then store them in a jar with a tight lid. From time to time, during use, you can bring lotus seeds to dry in the sun to avoid mold, “Ms. Hanh said. Frozen fresh lotus seeds When buying fresh lotus seeds, the housewife does not wash but peels off the seed shell, takes the white lotus seed kernel and uses a toothpick to get the lotus heart. After that, divide the purchased lotus seeds into small pieces, store them in plastic boxes, plastic bags or put them in vacuum bags and then put them in the freezer for later use. The easiest way is to freeze fresh lotus seeds in the freezer compartment As for the refrigerator, it can only be for about 10 days when the lotus begins to darken. Every time you take out the lotus seeds to use, take each box or bag, gradually defrost and cover with boiling water. Then cook normally. Lotus seeds are still pure white even when stored in the freezer. Steam fresh lotus seeds and put them in the freezer There is another way to preserve fresh lotus seeds that many housewives have recently suggested is to steam them and then freeze them to eat gradually. “Many housewives who buy their own lotus seeds think that if fresh lotus seeds are stored in the refrigerator for a few days, they will become dull, and the seeds will decrease in sweetness. As for fresh, but frozen, sometimes it is still mixed with rough seeds, not delicious. But if steamed, it’s 100% fleshy, white, fragrant, not dull, very convenient because when you need to eat tea, it cooks very quickly,” this person shared. Specifically, prepare a pot of water and steam the lotus seeds above, until the lotus is ripe. Do not stir while the lotus is still hot to avoid crushing the seeds. Wait for the lotus seeds to cool completely, then put them in a freezer box. This way can be stored for several months to a year. When you need to cook lotus leaf rice, lotus seed tea, longan tea, … just cook other ingredients and then add lotus and it will still be soft, fleshy, and fragrant like fresh lotus. More sophisticated, you can steam lotus seeds before freezing Soak in dilute salt water, then quickly bare and freeze According to Ms. Hanh, there is a way to store fresh lotus seeds to eat all year round, which is applied by many people, which is to buy fresh lotus seeds and wash them twice. Then, soak in diluted salt water for 10 minutes, then take out and wash again. Bring the water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt. Then put the lotus seeds in the ceiling for 3 minutes. Keep a basin of very cold ice water ready to take out the lotus, then put it in a bowl of ice water to soak for 10 minutes. At this time, remove the lotus seeds to a basket to freeze. Doing this, the whole year in the lotus seed cabinet does not darken. When cooked, it still has a fragrant lotus scent. The lotus seller affirms that preserving fresh lotus seeds by the above methods can keep lotuses all year round. There are opinions reflecting that fresh lotus seeds are frozen to freeze, but according to Ms. Hanh, whether or not the lotus is shy is due to the lotus variety and lotus soil, not the way it is preserved. “Even if the fresh lotus is frozen in the freezer, it’s okay, boiled it is still beautiful and delicious like a fresh lotus,” she shared. In addition, Ms. Hanh also noted, when buying fresh lotus seeds to store food all year round, housewives should buy old, round lotus seeds, do not choose long, cracked seeds. These lotus seeds are usually delicious, not shy, fragrant, very sweet and chewy.