FoodBanter.com - Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

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Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi at home, especially maki. I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every
Sunday to be able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My problem though, is that by Wednesday at the latest,
the rolls that I haven't touched yet are getting pretty stale ... primarily, the rice has hardened.

I generally make (not sure what it would be called other) than futomaki with crab sticks (is there a name for those?),
avocado, kappa, gourd strips (what's the name for those?) and scallion and carrot shreds ... kind of mix them all up
(so each roll has between 2 and three of the "extras" beyond the crab sticks.

I generally cut them right after I make them and then refrigerate them (in the warmest part of the refrigerator). I've tried
wrapping them in plastic/saran wrap, putting those in airtight containers, or putting them in airtight containers without
first wrapping them, etc ... as many combinations as you could think of. Results are pretty much always the same ... come
Wednesday morning, they're definitely not "right" :-).

Any suggestions?

And another topic ... when I make my rice, using my Mr. Rice cooker (simple, no bells or whistles), some of the rice along
the sides or bottom of the pot turns brown. Doesn't seem to matter if I take it out right after it's done cooking, or if I
let it sit and stay warm for any period of time. Doesn't seem to matter if I use less water, or more. Doesn't seem to
matter if I rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking or not. It's small enough of a portion that I just eat it and it
doesn't taste at all bad, but still (dot dot dot).

Any suggestions on that one?

Arigato ... Phil

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

Phil wrote:

> As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi at home,
> especially maki.

Not me, on both counts. I never make my own sushi, and I almost never eat
maki. But that's me, and I don't want to impose my own tastes on anyone
else. If you like maki and you like to make it, both are fine.

> I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every Sunday to be
> able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My problem
> though, is that by Wednesday at the latest, the rolls that I haven't
> touched yet are getting pretty stale ... primarily, the rice has
> hardened.

If you're happy with them on Monday and Tuesday, consider yourself lucky.
Sushi is meant to be eaten when it's made and even keeping it a single day
is never a good idea. I think most of the folks here would agree my me that
making it a week in advance is a terrible idea, and there's no way to solve
your problem.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

Hello, Ken!
You wrote on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:49:34 -0700:

??>> As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi
??>> at home, especially maki.

KB> Not me, on both counts. I never make my own sushi, and I
KB> almost never eat maki. But that's me, and I don't want to
KB> impose my own tastes on anyone else. If you like maki and
KB> you like to make it, both are fine.

??>> I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every Sunday to be
??>> able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My
??>> problem though, is that by Wednesday at the latest, the
??>> rolls that I haven't touched yet are getting pretty stale
??>> ... primarily, the rice has hardened.

KB> If you're happy with them on Monday and Tuesday, consider
KB> yourself lucky. Sushi is meant to be eaten when it's made
KB> and even keeping it a single day is never a good idea. I
KB> think most of the folks here would agree my me that making
KB> it a week in advance is a terrible idea, and there's no way
KB> to solve your problem.

I suppose I've said it enough but I'm with Ken! One of my
reasons, in addition to the "quality" of the ingredients in
Supermarket sushi is that it is "made fresh daily'. But to each
their own :-)

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

James Silverton wrote:

> Hello, Ken!
> You wrote on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:49:34 -0700:
>
>>> As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi
>>> at home, especially maki.
>
>> Not me, on both counts. I never make my own sushi, and I
>> almost never eat maki. But that's me, and I don't want to
>> impose my own tastes on anyone else. If you like maki and
>> you like to make it, both are fine.
>
>>> I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every Sunday to be
>>> able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My
>>> problem though, is that by Wednesday at the latest, the
>>> rolls that I haven't touched yet are getting pretty stale
>>> ... primarily, the rice has hardened.
>
>> If you're happy with them on Monday and Tuesday, consider
>> yourself lucky. Sushi is meant to be eaten when it's made
>> and even keeping it a single day is never a good idea. I
>> think most of the folks here would agree my me that making
>> it a week in advance is a terrible idea, and there's no way
>> to solve your problem.
>
> I suppose I've said it enough but I'm with Ken! One of my
> reasons, in addition to the "quality" of the ingredients in
> Supermarket sushi is that it is "made fresh daily'. But to each
> their own :-)

Yes, and even supermarket sushi is a big step down from sushi bar sushi.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

Hi Phil, I've got two suggestions for your maki. First, you may
have to consider making new rolls sometime during the week
(Tuesday comes to mind lol) but I understand your spare time comes
on Sunday. Secondly, you say you cut them right away, consider
leaving the maki whole and storing them in something to keep them
away from the rest of the frig's odors. When you want some for
work, cut it up that morning. I can't imagine the rice drying
anywhere except on the ends that way.

Please excuse me, but before Phil (and anyone else) has to hear
reasons why it's better to eat sushi out, that , IMHO, topic would
be OT for this thread. - Buddy

Phil wrote:
> As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi at home, especially maki. I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every
> Sunday to be able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My problem though, is that by Wednesday at the latest,
> the rolls that I haven't touched yet are getting pretty stale ... primarily, the rice has hardened.
>
> I generally make (not sure what it would be called other) than futomaki with crab sticks (is there a name for those?),
> avocado, kappa, gourd strips (what's the name for those?) and scallion and carrot shreds ... kind of mix them all up
> (so each roll has between 2 and three of the "extras" beyond the crab sticks.
>
> I generally cut them right after I make them and then refrigerate them (in the warmest part of the refrigerator). I've tried
> wrapping them in plastic/saran wrap, putting those in airtight containers, or putting them in airtight containers without
> first wrapping them, etc ... as many combinations as you could think of. Results are pretty much always the same ... come
> Wednesday morning, they're definitely not "right" :-).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
> And another topic ... when I make my rice, using my Mr. Rice cooker (simple, no bells or whistles), some of the rice along
> the sides or bottom of the pot turns brown. Doesn't seem to matter if I take it out right after it's done cooking, or if I
> let it sit and stay warm for any period of time. Doesn't seem to matter if I use less water, or more. Doesn't seem to
> matter if I rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking or not. It's small enough of a portion that I just eat it and it
> doesn't taste at all bad, but still (dot dot dot).
>
> Any suggestions on that one?
>
> Arigato ... Phil

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

"Phil" > wrote in message
...
> As I suspect many of you do, I enjoy making my own sushi at home,
especially maki. I generally make 6 or 7 rolls every
> Sunday to be able to take some to work during the week for lunches. My
problem though, is that by Wednesday at the latest,
> the rolls that I haven't touched yet are getting pretty stale ...
primarily, the rice has hardened.
>

Yes, sushi (all forms) are designed to be consumed imediately upon making,
or at least within a short amount of time.
One day, even if wrapped will result in the rice drying out.
If you have a maki, the nori with become moist and chewy.
If you are able to enjoy your maki the next day then you are ahead of the
game.
I don't think you should even expect to be able to enjoy it beyond that.

> I generally make (not sure what it would be called other) than futomaki
with crab sticks (is there a name for those?),

Yes, they are called kanikama. "Kani" meaning crab, amd "Kama" from Kamaboko
a fish cake.
In France they call it surimi, which actually in Japanese connotes the
ground up paste made from fish or
a fish "meatball".

> avocado, kappa, gourd strips (what's the name for those?)

You got me there.

>and scallion and carrot shreds ... kind of mix them all up
> (so each roll has between 2 and three of the "extras" beyond the crab
sticks.
>
> I generally cut them right after I make them and then refrigerate them (in
the warmest part of the refrigerator). I've tried
> wrapping them in plastic/saran wrap, putting those in airtight containers,
or putting them in airtight containers without
> first wrapping them, etc ... as many combinations as you could think of.
Results are pretty much always the same ... come
> Wednesday morning, they're definitely not "right" :-).
>
> Any suggestions?

For one thing keep the maki as one roll and cut it up when you are going to
eat it.
As for suggestions, I think that unless you are prepared to make a fresh
maki every morning,
maybe you may want to vary your lunch menu.
In Japan where taking a lunch to work or school (the "Bento") is common
practice, nobody but nobody
makes makizushi to go. Even if made in the morning the nori is going to be
soggy by lunchtime.
Perhaps you may be interested in trying Onigiri (musubi)?

> And another topic ... when I make my rice, using my Mr. Rice cooker
(simple, no bells or whistles), some of the rice along
> the sides or bottom of the pot turns brown. Doesn't seem to matter if I
take it out right after it's done cooking, or if I
> let it sit and stay warm for any period of time. Doesn't seem to matter
if I use less water, or more. Doesn't seem to
> matter if I rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking or not. It's small
enough of a portion that I just eat it and it
> doesn't taste at all bad, but still (dot dot dot).
>
> Any suggestions on that one?
>

That's called Okoge (from the verb Kogeru to burn). The last time I made
okoge was probably the last time
I made rice in a pot on the stove. I'm rather surprised to hear that you are
getting okoge using an electric rice cooker.
If you are confident in your quanity of water to rice, and you are seeing
okoge immeduately when the rice is cooked,
I would have to question the rice cooker.

Musashi

> Arigato ... Phil

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

The gourd you might be thinking of is the Japanese "pumpkin" or Kabacho.

I love this grilled over high heat - it is better than acorn or
butternut squash in that it has more complex texture and higher sugar
content. When I first had it there were no places to buy it in my city
- now, most Asian markets stock them - although the quality varies quite
a bit.

Is bitter gourd ever used in sushi?

Thanks,

Rick

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh

"Rick Nelson" > wrote in message
...
> The gourd you might be thinking of is the Japanese "pumpkin" or Kabacho.
>
> I love this grilled over high heat - it is better than acorn or
> butternut squash in that it has more complex texture and higher sugar
> content. When I first had it there were no places to buy it in my city
> - now, most Asian markets stock them - although the quality varies quite
> a bit.
>
> Is bitter gourd ever used in sushi?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rick

I eat Kabocha on a fairly regular basis. Mostly nikomi, with shoyu, mirin,.
sake, and sugar.
Sometimes with ground pork as ankake. Also quite good as Tenpura.
But I have never seen Kabocha used in any form of sushi.

"Bitter Gourd"..is this the same as bitter melon?
If so I grew bitter melon (nigauri or goya) this summer and enjoyed
the okinawan "goya chanpuru" several times.
Have never seen in used in any form of sushi.

Musashi

Keeping sushi (maki) fresh