Gingko Nuts (白果 / 银杏) is a popular ingredient used in many asian dishes and desserts. Preparing gingko for cooking is an important technique to learn, as doing it properly will save so much time and effort. Let’s learn how to do this!
Add in washed gingko nuts. Stir to mix and allow to boil for 5 minutes. This will make the gingko flesh firmer. Then drain and remove from pan and leave to cool.
Then use a nut cracker to break the gingko shell. Look for the sharp corners and line on the gingko nuts. Gently press using the nut cracker to break the shell. Remove the shell once done. Repeat for all the gingko nuts.
Remove Brown Membrane of Gingko Nuts:
Bring water to boil again and add the shelled gingko nuts. Blanch the gingko nuts for about 5 minutes. Stir to even out the heat. Drain the gingko nuts and transfer into a bowl of cold water.
Peel to remove the paper-thin brown skin membrane with your fingers. Repeat for all the blanched gingko nuts.
Use a toothpick to remove the centre bitter core of gingko nuts. You can also cut the gingko nuts in halves from the bottom and remove the centre core. And we are done.
Store the gingko nuts in a clean and airtight container. You can freeze the shelled gingko nuts for later use. Can keep for up to one month.
Be sure to rinse and boil for a minute before use to remove the bitter taste.