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Pressure Cooking Bobas for Tea

 
Subject: Pressure Cooker Boba for milk tea
From: Andrea
Date: 9/3/2019, 4:34 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

On 9/2/2019 5:35 PM, Andrea wrote: 

Happy Labor Day, Uncle!

Andrea here with a new request.

Probably almost 20 years ago, I acquired a pressure cooker. 
I wasn’t afraid to cook with it.

Anyway, at some point I figured that I could make a big batch of tapioca 
milk tea and serve 15-20 people for less than the price of one at my 
local tea shop (the ones in Houston Chinatown are less expensive than 
the shops in my neighborhood, but still).  I know I used to cook the 
pearls in my pressure cooker, but I can’t remember how I did it. I 
might have used rock sugar.  I think I let it come to pressure and then 
they got all nice and sweet and chewy as the depressurized. I still have 
my old pressure cooker and would like to make it again. I don’t think I 
got the method from the internet (not super widespread use then). I think 
someone verbally told me, but I can’t remember who (so I can’t ask).

Any hints?

 Thanks,
 Andrea

Hi Andrea,

The choice these days for cooking bobas seems to be the "Instant Pot" pressure cooker. I found a lot about using those, and very little about using old-style pressure cookers to cook bobas. However, I did find the below on this site: Bubble Tea

There are some boba tea recipes on that site, as well.

Phaed

Cooking Your Tapioca Pearls

Measurements:
For approximately 5-6 servings (5-6 16 oz. Drinks)

1 cup of Tapioca Pearls
7 cups of water

Procedures:

Step 1
Boil water at a High temperature in a pot.(or put water in pressure cooker)
Step 2
Add Tapioca Pearls in boiling water with the cover off(unless using pressure cooker) 
for better visibility.
Step 3
Boil for approximately 45 minutes or cook for 30 minutes when using a pressure cooker.
Step 4
It's normal to see "Tapioca Pearls" floating in the water.
Step 5
Stir occasionally to prevent Pearls from sticking together. 
(unless using a pressure cooker)
Step 6
Turn off the heat after elapsed time and let the pot settle at room temperature for 
60 minutes with lid on.
Step 7
Rinse the "Tapioca Pearls" in warm water and drain the water into a large bowl. 
Add "Sugar Syrup" or alternatively "Honey Syrup". Make sure to evenly stir the 
Tapioca Pearls in either solution. Tapioca Pearls have the tendency to stick to 
each other.
Step 8
Tapioca Pearls are ready for serving with the many Bubble Tea drinks.