Noodle Cooking

[jzhang172]

Hi there! I was recently eating my mom's noodles and when I asked her how she cooked it, she said she bathed them in cold water for a while, then boiled it.

My question is, what happens when you put noodles in cold water and then hot water later? What's the difference between that and just putting it in hot water ?

The noodles were chinese thin dried noodles, not sure if it would make a difference if it was a different type of noodle.

 

[pacanis]

Gee, I wish you had asked your mom. I'd love to hear the reason, too.

 

[salt and pepper]

Keeps them from sticking?

 

[jzhang172]

haha, I'd ask to, but I wanna hear what other people say because my mom has some wierd theories about stuff that are not right sometimes

 

[jzhang172]

Keeps them from sticking?

I don't think so, since heating them in boiling water, then dousing them in cold water after does that

 

[pacanis]

Leach starch?

 

[Rocklobster]

Same principle as rinsing or washing rice. It gets lots of starch out of it so when you put it directly in soup it doesn't affect the broth as much.vI cook noodles to al dente, rinse them and then add to the soup. Keeps the broth clearer. Not sure if it makes a big difference in texture, though.

 

[taxlady]

haha, I'd ask to, but I wanna hear what other people say because my mom has some wierd theories about stuff that are not right sometimes

My mum was like that.

If your mum is anything like mine was, it would be worth asking. Some of those weird theories were pretty funny.

Welcome to DC.

 

[Kayelle]

haha, I'd ask to, but I wanna hear what other people say because my mom has some wierd theories about stuff that are not right sometimes

Mom is always right.

Seriously, I bet she does it because her mother did it that way, and she never questioned her mother.

 

[Rocklobster]

My mum was like that.

If your mum is anything like mine was, it would be worth asking. Some of those weird theories were pretty funny.

Welcome to DC.

Like the recipe for baked ham. One girl always used to cut her ham in two. When asked why, she said "that's the way my mother always used to do it" When she asked her mother, she said"that's the way my mother used to do it" When she asked her grandmother she said" Back in the old days, the oven I had was too small to fit a whole ham in so I had to cut it in half".

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Hi there! I was recently eating my mom's noodles and when I asked her how she cooked it, she said she bathed them in cold water for a while, then boiled it...........The noodles were chinese thin dried noodles, not sure if it would make a difference if it was a different type of noodle.

I've never done that for egg noodles. When I use cellophane noodles in soup I always soak the noodles in hot water to soften them. That way they take no time at all to cook once in the pot of soup. They've always been just right when I've done them that way.

And good luck figuring out your Mom. It's our job to confuse our kids until long after we're gone. (Thanks Mom, I still don't know why you did some stuff a certain way.

 

[jzhang172]

THANKS FOR ALL THE INPUT everybody! My noodles ended up sucking newbie at cooking still, but I got my answer at least lol

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Better luck next time jz. And remember, we were ALL "newbies" once upon a time. Keep plugging at it and things will start to fall into place nicely. Don't be a stranger around these parts either. We are all still learning and just love to share what we've learned in hopes it will help someone else. You will have your tips to share too, so don't worry.

 

[CraigC]

What kind of noodles are they? Flour, rice, bean thread (glass noodles)?

 

[cave76]

Like the recipe for baked ham. One girl always used to cut her ham in two. When asked why, she said "that's the way my mother always used to do it" When she asked her mother, she said"that's the way my mother used to do it" When she asked her grandmother she said" Back in the old days, the oven I had was too small to fit a whole ham in so I had to cut it in half".

Off topic but I used to clean house (when in college) for a woman who kept her toilet paper in a cabinet in the kitchen!!

Not in the utility closet near the bathroom. Not in the bathroom. Not anywhere I could find. I finally asked her and then asked her ---why? Because that's where her mother kept them!

Sheesh!

 

[jzhang172]

What kind of noodles are they? Flour, rice, bean thread (glass noodles)?

They were rice noodles

 

[CarolPa]

Hi there! I was recently eating my mom's noodles and when I asked her how she cooked it, she said she bathed them in cold water for a while, then boiled it.

My question is, what happens when you put noodles in cold water and then hot water later? What's the difference between that and just putting it in hot water ?

The noodles were chinese thin dried noodles, not sure if it would make a difference if it was a different type of noodle.

I looked this up, and this site says something about soaking them in lukewarm water before boiling them.

4 Ways to Cook Rice Noodles - wikiHow

 

[Steve Kroll]

Unlike flour based noodles, rice noodles are very fragile. If you throw them directly into a pot of boiling water on the stove, the boiling action will cause them to break apart and turn to mush. Instead, you soak them to soften them up before cooking. Then you can finish them by boiling (usually just a few minutes), or stir frying.