Working with Jellyfish

Jellyfish are very popular as appetizers and in appetizer salads throughout East and Southeast Asia. Japan is currently the largest consumer of jellyfish, but it is also popular in Korea, China and Thailand. From the high availability here, you can presume plenty are also consumed in Southern California. They have a firm, crunchy texture and readily absorb the flavors of dressings and dips. Preparation takes a little time but very little attention.

The photo to the left shows two of the forms sold here in Southern California. The Bell (right in photo) is usually called the "body", and the cluster of mouth tentacles (left in photo) is called the "head". The third form sold is shredded, which is usually mostly or entirely from the bell.

The bell in the photo was 7 inches across and about 0.06 inch thick. A batch of 6 had an average weight of 1.4 ounces each. The "heads" were up to 2-1/8 inches diameter and 2-1/2 inches long, with an average weight of 2.1 ounces. From the brown color around the edge of the bell, I believe it was from a Cannonball Jelly.

More on Jellyfish

Jellyfish are caught in nets, then immediately stripped of their tentacles and gonads. They are separated into "heads" and "bodies", processed with salt and sometimes alum, and compressed. If not processed this way, the jellyfish would spoil and turn to liquid in just a few hours. The process, which takes from 20 to 40 days, produces "dried jellyfish", a firm, stable product. It is not actually dry, but heavily brined, and is only 7% to 10% of the original weight.

Jellyfish bells are most often made into salads, like the one in the photo to the left - see our recipe Jellyfish & Cucumber Salad "Heads" are often simply sliced and served as an appetizer with a dish of Chingkiang Black Vinegar for dipping.

Buying:

A few markets carry tubs of jellyfish heads and bells already de-salted. The specimens in the photo top left were purchased from the tubs of an Asian market in Los Angeles (Alhambra) for 2016 US $3.59 per pound (sale price, usually $3.99).

Yield:

Preparation:

1. Rinse off free salt, then soak jellyfish in cold water in the fridge overnight, changing the water twice. If you are in a hurry, you can sufficiently de-salt jellyfish in about an hour by soaking at room temperature in four or five changes of cool water. Never use hot water.
2. Wring out the jellyfish, then cut into strips or slices as need for your recipe.
3. Place the jellyfish in a saucepan and pour in the amount of cold water needed to just completely cover. Strain out the jellyfish, returning the water to the saucepan.
4. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit uncovered until it cools to about 190°F/90°C (about 2 minutes).
5. Wring out the jellyfish again, and stir it into the hot water for just 30 seconds. Strain it out and immediately refresh in cold water. We are conditioning the jellyfish here, not cooking it. You will find the pieces are now smaller, but thicker, and much firmer and more crunchy.
6. Wring out the jellyfish again and use in your recipe. Serve soon after preparing. Don't let it sit around, because it will continue to lose water.

Cooking: