(I'm soloing tonight, so any formatting errors, etc, are all mine, mine, I tell you! Muahahahahaha!)
We all know how to boil water, right? Put water in the pot, put the pot over heat, and voila! Boiling water. Easy peasy and not completely right, so read these descriptions of Top Comments, then we'll go get ourselves into hot water.
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People have been boiling water ever since we discovered how to capture water in a boilable container and suspend it over fire.
We've been refining the boiling of water ever since.
When I was young and inexperienced, I, too, thought boiling water was simply a matter of filling a pot and putting it over heat (those were pre-microwave days...). I have since learned better.
My epiphany over how to properly boil water came as I was studying to become a Tea Master. They take their water boiling very seriously, and I have learned that the temperature of the water can be very critical to a number of cooking processes.
Let's talk about how to tell what the temperature of the water is without using a thermometer. Along the way, we'll talk a bit about how to use the water at each temperature.
When you first put the water on to heat, it's anywhere from 40*F to 70*F (typical tap water temperature depending on the time of year). It's really best to start with water on the cooler end of the spectrum because the process of heating the water alters the properties of the water, the oxygenation which contributes to the flavor of the final product.
(I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, my camera is a little auto-focus and it doesn't focus well. I totally blame the camera for the out-of-focus qualities.)
This is particularly true when preparing delicate white or yellow teas, because the "boiling water" temperature for these teas must be between 160*F and 170*F (70-75*C) or you'll burn the tender teas and get a bitter brew. Starting with cold, sweet water and allowing it to heat to the stage called "shrimp eyes" - tiny bubbles that cling to the bottom of the pot and pop down there without ever rising, keeps the most oxygen in the water and allows these delicate teas to reveal their full depth of flavor. This is called the first boil, or seiden.
Lots of foods also benefit from this temperature besides white and yellow teas. Delicate fish, berries and very ripe stone fruits, organ meats, and tender leafy vegetables cook well at this temperature, and you get the best flavor from white and yellow teas.
The next stage of boiling water is known as "fish eyes" because the bubbles at the bottom of the pot are larger, yet still cling to the bottom, with an occasional brave bubble breaking free to pop as it rises. These bubbles never break the surface of the water. The temperature on a thermometer should read between 170*-180*F (75*-80*C). It is also called brodeln, second boil, and poaching. This is the temperature at which most fish are poached, along with eggs, fruits, organ meats and tender baby vegetables. This is the perfect temperature for steeping green teas. You can get 2 and sometimes 3 steepings from 1 teaspoon of green tea at this temperature. Most people I talk to say they want to like green tea for its antioxidant qualities but complain that it's too bitter. That's because they are probably drinking burnt tea. If the water used was hotter than 180*F, the leaves will burn before the flavor is extracted, leaving a bitter brew.
Then we get to the "dancing pearls" stage of boilng. The water temperature is between 180* and 195*F (80*-90*C). The bubbles are large and break from the bottom of the pot in a stream that looks a lot like strings of pearls dancing in the water to burst at the surface. This is when most people think the water is just beginning to boil. It is the perfect temperature in which to steep oolongs. You can get between 3 and 8 steepings of 1 teaspoon of oolong from water at this temperature. It's also the temperature at which we boil eggs so they cook without becoming overcooked and rubbery. Other names for this stage of boiling is called wallen or simmer. Lots of foods are cooked at this temperature. Some are initially cooked hotter, then the temperature is lowered to this for a longer cooking time. This is the temperature for long, slow cooking of food, particularly broths and stocks, in order to extract the greatest flavor.
The next stage of boiling is called "stormy seas", when the temperature is 195*-210*F (90*-95*C). There are still bubbles, but they are very large, rise rapidly and burst on the surface of the water, no longer delicate strings of pearls popping on the surface of the water, but more like a sea that's choppy. Root vegetables and meats are cooked at this temperature, and is what most people consider an actual boil. It's also called schaeumen, because it will foam when food is in the water. This is the temperature when impurities rise to the surface of the water to be skimmed off (especially if you're brewing beers or wines and are cooking the wort or heating honey for mead). This is the perfect temperature for steeping black teas, extracting the full robustness of the tea and providing maximum aroma. You can get as many as 5 steepings from 1 teaspoon of black tea when using this temperature.
The last useful temperature is called "raging torrent" or "full rolling boil". The water is at 212*F (100*C). The water no longer produces any discernable bubbles at all, it's all churning and the entire surface is like a sailor's nightmare. The fermented Pu-erh teas love water this hot, because it extracts the best flavor from them. As you sip the tea, you add more of the raging torrent water to the tea leaves to extract more tea. With Pu-erhs, you can get as many as 20 steepings of flavorful tea from 1 teaspoon of tea leaves. It's a dark, umami tea that begs for people to sit and talk and sip pot after pot of tea. It's a very social tea.
This is also the temperature most people this is a real boil, and often they will cook things at this temperature. When you are going to simmer things for a long time, this is the temperature you raise it to before lowering the temperature for the long haul. I bring my long grain rice water to this temperature, then turn off the heat, cover the rice and let it sit for 20 minutes. I get perfect rice everytime without having to use a rice cooker. This is the temperature at which I cook my oats and cream of wheat and polenta cornmeal - bring it to this temperature, then reduce the heat until its cooked.
The next stage is called "dead water" because it's useless for brewing tea. It's s till good water, just not for brewing teas. The temperature is over 212*F (100*C) and is usually used in pressure cookers to cook the food quickly.
Here's a handy-dandy chart of boiling water temperatures:
White or Yellow Teas: 70* – 75*C (160* – 170*F) (Shrimp eyes, seiden, first boil)
Green Teas: 75* – 80*C (170* – 180*F) (fish eyes, brodeln, second boil, poach)
Oolongs: 80* – 90*C (180* – 195*F) (dancing pearls, wallen, simmer)
Black Teas: 90* – 100*C (195* – 210*F) (stormy seas, schaeumen, boil)
Pu-Erhs: 100*C (212*F) Full, rolling boil (raging torrent, tosen, full or rolling boil)
Dead Water - 105*C+ (213*F+)
Now, we'll jump out of the pot and right into the Top Comments submitted by Kossacks, Comment Mojo and the lovely Picture Quilt:
Top Comments from around the Kos-o-sphere on 5/28/12
From Clem Yeobright:
A noobie's FIRST commenthits the nail on the head! (I think I'm gonna like this person!)
From Steveningen:
First up is this thoughtful comment from Lujane.
Next, rogerdaddy gives us this lovely comment.
And finally, DaveinBremerton rounds it out with this personal story.
We have some truly amazing people here and these comments prove it.
From ozsea1
Brevity is the soul of wit and this comment is a fine example. Oh, and great content too !
We don't normally accept self-nominations, but I was going to nominate this comment anyway, and I'm letting ozsea1's comments regarding it stand - it's sooooo cute when people get that excited.
By the weight of MoJo, I do hereby shamelessly promote my comment from yesterday's still-on-the-wrecklist diary about the heathcare industry by Deep Harm. Yes, I do admit it was the first comment under the tipjar. But Lordy! 233 tips for my comment? I did a double-take when I saw that number this morning and remember to breathe !
Happy Memorial Day!
TOP MOJO
May 27, 2012
(excluding Tip Jars and first comments)
Got mik!
1) Having worked in the healthcare reimbursement by ozsea1 — 238
2) I was walking in Washington, DC by Lujane — 136
3) This diary deserves more attention by Stuart Heady — 106
4) I waited to send it until by dhcallahan — 106
5) I just read your diary to my wife and seven by rogerdaddy — 101
6) Sometimes all they have is us by DaveinBremerton — 101
7) Yes, this is a phenomenal diary! by nyceve — 99
8) The Law Abiding Homeless Man..... by snapples — 99
9) A non-religious private school. by dhcallahan — 82
10) Well, I personally by Youffraita — 81
11) Once I Built a Railroad.... by Gooserock — 73
12) One Key Problem: People Won't Question Costs by Stuart Heady — 73
13) I worked on the largest healthcare contract, by john07801 — 71
14) Is This a Private or Religious School? If it's a by Gooserock — 71
15) It's kinda difficult for people to... by markthshark — 69
16) Yesterday was my Mom's by whoknu — 68
17) the wages of 50% of Americans are so low by MartyM — 65
18) For those who don't know by Christian Dem in NC — 59
19) Seriously, I'm Known Internationally and by Gooserock — 57
20) Good idea to keep this info by maggiejean — 53
21) You still have enough to feed your by doc2 — 53
22) American Dream is for corporate persons only by Lefty Coaster — 52
23) If she's the owner of the company by Cali Scribe — 50
24) Good point by fordcomm — 50
25) I will remember your ancestors with reverence by Mike Kahlow — 49
26) They might not be "free" of it internally, but, by GreenMother — 49
27) dis mah sekrit... by kishik — 49
28) ai haz nyce profyl tooz? by Debbie in ME — 49
29) sekritarmy's leaders are frustrated. by kerflooey — 49
30) Surprisingly, most hospital doctors by DrPlacebo — 48
31) wez sharrin profyls? by Debbie in ME — 48
TOP PHOTOS
May 26, 2012
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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