Why shrimps after cooking turn out “rubber”: 4 reasons

Today, store shelves are bursting with a variety of seafood, but the technique of their preparation remains a mystery to many. Do not be surprised that the shrimp turned out "rubber" if they were prepared at random. Even such a seemingly simple product requires a special approach to cooking. We suggest finding out why crustaceans turn out to be tasteless after cooking and how to fix it.

4 reasons for shrimp rubberiness

The first experience in cooking seafood for many is unsuccessful. Therefore, do not be upset. It’s better to find out why the shrimp turned out to be rubber:

1. They took too long to prepare. This is the most common reason for the “rubber” consistency of shrimp meat. Many are used to reasoning that the longer the product is cooked, the softer and safer it is to eat. But this does not work with shrimp. Do not cook them for longer than 5 minutes.
2. The wrong cooking technique was used. Even if the crustaceans did not cook for long, but they were thrown into cold water, and after cooking they were not taken out immediately, they can become “rubber”. The thing is that the protein in shrimp meat is very quickly curtailed. He begins to cook already at a temperature of 40 degrees. For the same reason, shrimp left in boiling water are still boiled. As a result, we get a cooking time significantly exceeding the recommended norm.
3. You cooked a finished product. Most crustaceans are sold boiled. Fresh shrimp are gray, and the finished ones are pinkish or reddish. They do not need to be cooked at all. It is enough to defrost the seafood and place in brine (salted boiling water) for 30-60 seconds or heat in a pan with butter.
4. The product is spoiled. Old, repeatedly thawed and frozen shrimp can have a rubbery texture, unpleasant taste and aroma. Damage is indicated by a dark spot under the carapace in the region of the head, a straight tail, the presence of a large number of broken off antennae, different size of crustaceans in one container.

What to do with tough shrimp meat?

If the shrimp became "rubber", then returning their softness and tenderness will not work. However, this does not mean that the product needs to be thrown away. A non-picky person can eat them like that. And for serving seafood it is better to cook a dish.

What to do if the shrimp turned out rubber?

• Cut the meat into thin strips and make a salad.
• Stew them in cream or sour cream with herbs, garlic and seasoning to taste.
• Make the shrimp sauce and serve with spaghetti or rice.
• Fry the crustaceans (peeled) in a pan until golden brown and serve as an appetizer.

Shrimp Cooking Rules

Bad experience in the form of rubber shrimp meat is a useful lesson for the future. Before boiling crustaceans, you need to familiarize yourself with the nuances of cooking.

In fact, the recipe is quite simple:

1. Defrost the shrimp. Wash under running water.
2. Pour water into a saucepan and set on fire. The volume of water should be 3 times the volume of shrimp.
3. After boiling, throw salt and spices into the pan: dill, peppercorns, bay leaf. Next, shrimp in boiling water.
4. If the crustaceans are boiled and frozen, turn off the heat after 30 seconds and drop them into a colander. Fresh shrimp is cooked depending on size: small - 1 minute, medium - 2 minutes, large tiger and king - 3-5 minutes.

It is advisable to cook the shrimp in a shell, so that they are better saturated with the marine aroma and spices that are added to the brine.Among other things, a layer of chitin protects the meat from excess salt and helps it maintain its natural sweetness and tenderness.

With proper preparation, the shrimp meat is juicy, has a pleasant sweet taste and iodine aroma. Small shrimp are always more tender than large representatives. But it’s very important not to digest them. It is from a long stay in boiling water that the crustaceans most often become stiff, like rubber.