Many people avoid eating nopales because when cooked they release a slime that they find unpleasant. However, there are easy tricks to help you avoid this problem and thus be able to benefit from this food rich in water and minerals.
De-sliming is the technique used to remove the slime from nopal without cooking or grilling them. To de-slim, simply place the cut nopales into strips in a deep container (they can also be cubed), add two tablespoons of coarse salt (it may seem like a lot of salt, but it's the right amount), mix, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Stir at least once during this time. You will notice how a liquid starts to release; this is the slime we want to get rid of. Once the time is up, drain and rinse the nopales under cold running water; you’ll need to be patient as a lot of slime will come out; remove all excess salt. This method of de-sliming nopales is ideal for making salads; just remember that the nopal already has salt, and even though it won’t taste salty, it’s important to be moderate when mixing with other ingredients.
To de-slim boiled nopales, place the nopales in a small pot with enough warm water, add the baking soda and mix; cook over low heat until the water begins to bubble moderately. It is very important that during this step you do not stop stirring the nopales, as otherwise, the baking soda will react very quickly and could cause the liquid to overflow from the pot. Once the medium bubbles appear, cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat, drain and rinse under cold running water until the excess slime is gone. This method of removing the slime from nopales is ideal for stews or side dishes. You will love the color that results from cooking them with baking soda!
Nutritional Information
* * Information per 100g serving, percentage of daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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