How to clean apple snails
Recently, apple snails have become one of the hot topics on the Internet, especially regarding their safety when eaten and how to clean them. As an alien species, the apple snail is widely distributed in waters in many parts of my country due to its strong reproductive capacity and strong adaptability. However, apple snails may carry parasites and must be thoroughly washed and handled before consumption. This article will introduce in detail the cleaning method of apple snails, and attach relevant data for reference.
1. Basic information about the apple snail
Pomacea canaliculata is a freshwater snail native to South America. Due to its delicious meat, snails were once introduced as edible snails, but they are now classified as invasive species because they reproduce too quickly and may carry parasites. Here are some basic characteristics of apple snails:
| Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | The snail shell is spherical and mostly yellowish brown or dark brown in color. |
| size | The diameter of the adult snail shell can reach 5-7 cm. |
| habitat | Freshwater waters, such as rice fields, ponds, rivers, etc. |
| reproductive capacity | Reproduction is fast, each female snail can lay thousands of eggs per year |
2. Potential risks of apple snails
Apple snails may carry parasites such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which may lead to parasitic infection if not thoroughly washed and cooked. The following are possible health risks posed by apple snails:
| Risk type | Specific performance |
|---|---|
| parasitic infection | Angiostrongylus cantonensis can invade the human central nervous system and cause symptoms such as meningitis |
| bacterial contamination | Spirochaetes may carry pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella |
| heavy metal accumulation | Apple snails may accumulate heavy metals in the water, and long-term consumption is harmful to health |
3. Cleaning steps for apple snails
To ensure safe consumption, apple snails must be thoroughly washed before cooking. The following are detailed cleaning steps:
| steps | How to operate |
|---|---|
| 1. Preliminary rinse | Rinse the surface of the snail with clean water to remove sediment and impurities |
| 2. Soak and spit out sand | Put the apple snail into clean water, add a little salt or cooking oil, and soak it for 2-3 hours to encourage it to spit out the sediment in the body. |
| 3. Brush the shell | Use a stiff brush or toothbrush to carefully scrub the surface of the shell, especially the gaps. |
| 4. Remove the internal organs | Use a toothpick or tweezers to pick out the viscera (usually black or dark) from the snail meat. |
| 5. Rinse again | Rinse the snail meat repeatedly with running water to ensure that there is no residual sediment or impurities. |
4. Precautions for cooking
After cleaning, the snails need to be fully cooked before they can be eaten. Here are some things to keep in mind when cooking:
| Things to note | Description |
|---|---|
| high temperature cooking | It must be boiled or stir-fried at high temperature to ensure that the core temperature reaches 100°C and lasts for more than 5 minutes. |
| avoid raw food | Do not eat snails raw or partially cooked |
| Pair with seasonings | You can add ginger, garlic, cooking wine and other seasonings to remove fishy odor and sterilize it. |
5. Alternative suggestions
Since apple snails pose a high food safety risk, it is recommended to choose other safer edible snails, such as field snails or stone snails. The following is a comparison of several common edible snails:
| snails | security | Taste |
|---|---|---|
| Apple snail | High risk, requires strict handling | The meat is tougher |
| snail | Medium risk, requires adequate cooking | Meat is fresh and tender |
| stone snail | Low risk, safer | Delicate meat |
Conclusion
Although apple snails are edible, they pose high health risks. If eating, be sure to wash and cook thoroughly as described above. From a food safety perspective, it is recommended to choose other safer snails instead. At the same time, apple snails, as an invasive species, pose a threat to the ecological environment and should be avoided from being released randomly.
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