271
process. Because in salting, water is removed from sea cucumbers by osmotic dehydration (Khan 2012). Salt removes water from the body of sea cucumbers, making
it heavier after cooking and drying, thus making more money on sale. It is reported
that the salting process provides a good appearance to dried sea cucumbers (Purcell
2014). Coarse salt should be used in salting sea cucumbers, because it has a porous
structure and slowly penetrates the sea cucumber tissue. Fine particles can damage
the skin of sea cucumber (Chong et al. 2015).
There are two general methods for salting of sea cucumbers, wet salting, and dry
salting.
4.3.4.2 Boiling of Sea Cucumber
One of the pre-treatments applied to sea cucumbers after harvesting is cooking. This
process is carried out with water and salt. Cooking process is applied to sea cucumbers before drying. If cooking is done under unfavourable conditions, sea cucumber
skin may be damaged, and the appearance quality may decrease. Cooking time
affects the softening and breakdown of muscle fibres (Duan et al. 2010).
Eviscerated sea cucumbers are transferred to the boiling sea water one by one
and heated for 45 min with stirring until each piece has attained elasticity like a rubber ball. During the process, scum, mud, and slime are removed and the pan is
refilled with clean sea water and reheated (Gurmani and Krishnamurthy 1994).
4.3.4.3 Drying of Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers and are either consumed raw, dried, or boiled in many tropical and
subtropical countries. Dried sea cucumber is known as bêche-de-mer (BDM) and it
is consumed as a delicacy and for its perceived medicinal value. There is high
demand for BDM and sea cucumber products in south-east Asian countries and at
least 15,000 tonnes of BDM are traded annually in South East Asia.
Bêche-de-mer processing is done by boiling, cleaning, smoke drying and sun
drying before storage. The cooking time is 15–25 min at 50 °C. If cooked at 100 °C,
the skin will be damaged. This time is 10–15 min for even thin species. Sea cucumbers are cooled depending on the species after the first cooking, and then their viscera are removed. Valuable species are cut from the dorsal side while low or
medium-value species are cut from the anal side and sliced (Ram 2017).
Drying Methods
While drying of seafood, various dryers such as vacuum-assisted solar dryers, cabin
or tunnel dryers are used; sun drying, solar cabinet and tunnel drying methods are
used for sea cucumber (Ram 2017). New drying technology is needed for sea
cucumber to obtain better quality dried sea cucumber.
4.3 Sea Cucumbers
process. Because in salting, water is removed from sea cucumbers by osmotic dehydration (Khan 2012). Salt removes water from the body of sea cucumbers, making
it heavier after cooking and drying, thus making more money on sale. It is reported
that the salting process provides a good appearance to dried sea cucumbers (Purcell
2014). Coarse salt should be used in salting sea cucumbers, because it has a porous
structure and slowly penetrates the sea cucumber tissue. Fine particles can damage
the skin of sea cucumber (Chong et al. 2015).
There are two general methods for salting of sea cucumbers, wet salting, and dry
salting.
4.3.4.2 Boiling of Sea Cucumber
One of the pre-treatments applied to sea cucumbers after harvesting is cooking. This
process is carried out with water and salt. Cooking process is applied to sea cucumbers before drying. If cooking is done under unfavourable conditions, sea cucumber
skin may be damaged, and the appearance quality may decrease. Cooking time
affects the softening and breakdown of muscle fibres (Duan et al. 2010).
Eviscerated sea cucumbers are transferred to the boiling sea water one by one
and heated for 45 min with stirring until each piece has attained elasticity like a rubber ball. During the process, scum, mud, and slime are removed and the pan is
refilled with clean sea water and reheated (Gurmani and Krishnamurthy 1994).
4.3.4.3 Drying of Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers and are either consumed raw, dried, or boiled in many tropical and
subtropical countries. Dried sea cucumber is known as bêche-de-mer (BDM) and it
is consumed as a delicacy and for its perceived medicinal value. There is high
demand for BDM and sea cucumber products in south-east Asian countries and at
least 15,000 tonnes of BDM are traded annually in South East Asia.
Bêche-de-mer processing is done by boiling, cleaning, smoke drying and sun
drying before storage. The cooking time is 15–25 min at 50 °C. If cooked at 100 °C,
the skin will be damaged. This time is 10–15 min for even thin species. Sea cucumbers are cooled depending on the species after the first cooking, and then their viscera are removed. Valuable species are cut from the dorsal side while low or
medium-value species are cut from the anal side and sliced (Ram 2017).
Drying Methods
While drying of seafood, various dryers such as vacuum-assisted solar dryers, cabin
or tunnel dryers are used; sun drying, solar cabinet and tunnel drying methods are
used for sea cucumber (Ram 2017). New drying technology is needed for sea
cucumber to obtain better quality dried sea cucumber.
4.3 Sea Cucumbers