Mochi is a soft, delicious Japanese dessert made with rice flour. When Mochi gets hard, it becomes hard to eat. We’ll show you how to soften Mochi to prevent these unpleasant hard scenarios. Mochi has become very popular for its cute round shape and unique soft and chewy consistency. You can usually Mochi stuffed with fillings such as ice cream, strawberries, chocolate, or nut pastes. However, you can also find Mochi as a stand-alone snack without any filling.
How to properly store Mochi to keep it soft?
First things first, how do you keep Mochi soft and prevent it from First things first, how do you keep Mochi soft and prevent it from becoming hard? Mochi’s can become hard very quickly. The “secret” to keep Mochi soft is proper storage. Without its softness, a Mochi isn’t a mochi.
Wrap Mochi in a plastic bag
The best way to store fresh Mochi is to wrap it in a plastic bag and freeze it. It can easily harden if kept in the fridge or at room temperature. Fresh and homemade Mochi is better when consumed right away, but store-bought Mochi usually can last longer.
How long does it take for Mochi to get hard?
If fresh Mochi is not stored in the freezer, it will remain soft for 24 hours. After 24 hours, Mochi will harden so much that it won’t be enjoyable to eat. However, if you store it in the freezer, you can keep it soft for up to two weeks. On the other hand, store-bought Mochi can last up to three months at room temperature and almost a year if it’s kept in the freezer. Just remember to check the expiration date in the package.
How to soften hard mochi?
If you forget to store your Mochi properly, it will probably get hard and become unpleasant to eat. Please don’t lose hope; you can still eat yourIf your mochi gets hard, don’t throw it away just yet. We can save your mochi by softening it. Here are four easy ways to soften your Mochi.
1. Steaming to Soften Mochi
Your Mochi gets hard because it lost its moisture. To soften it, you want to introduce some moisture back into it again. A great way to do that is through steaming.
- Fill a bowl with boiling water in a steaming plate.
- Put your hard mochi on a plate and place it over the bowl with water.
- Steam the mochi for 5 to 7 minutes until it reaches your desired softness
Tip: Mochi is a very deliMochi is a very delicate dessert; that’s why we don’t steam it over a hot pot where the water is still boiling. We want to soften the Mochi, not cook it or melt it accidentally.
2. Microwave your Mochi to soften it
If steaming seems too much effort for you, you can also try microwaving your Mochi to soften it.
- Slightly moisten your mochi with water and put it on a plate.
- Place the mochi in the microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds.
- Remove the mochi from the microwave and check its softness. If it is still hard, microwave the mochi for another 30 seconds.
- Repeat until you have the desired softness.
Tip: Be extra careful when microwaving your Mochi. If your microwave’s heat is too high, your Mochi can quickly melt. Using this method is also not suggested when your Mochi has a cream filling. The filling and the Mochi have different heating times. Your Mochi can explode inside the microwave if the temperature of the cream rises too quickly.
3. Boil your Mochi – The best way to soften mochi
If you are looking for a soft and chewy texture in your Mochi, this is the way to go. Boiling your Mochi takes a little bit more effort than microwaving or steaming it but gives you the softest result.
- Start by putting water into a pan.
- While the water is still cold, place your hard mochi in the water.
- Start heating the water until it comes to a boil
- Stir the water and monitor it until the mochi gets to your desired consistency.
- If the mochi is too wet, place it on a piece of paper towel to soak up the extra water.
Tip: We want to introduce the Mochi in cold water because we want to soften it evenly, if we put it straight away in boiling water the outer surface will melt and the center of the Mochi will stay cold and hard.
4. Bake your Mochi
Last resort to softening Mochi, bake it. Baking your dry Mochi is a good way to eat it instead of throwing it away. Keep in mind that its texture will be different than the initial soft Mochi you had.
- To bake your Mochi, start by preheating your oven to 350F for 10 minutes.
- When your oven is hot, put parchment paper in a baking tray and carefully place your Mochi.
- Leave it in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes and make sure you are watching it the whole time so that it doesn’t burn or melt.
Tip: When you take it out of the oven your Mochi should be light brown and crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.
FAQ:
Can I use all these methods if I have an ice cream filling mochi?
The best method to soften an ice cream filling mochi is to steam it. It is the gentlest method since your Mochi is not heated directly. Before you steam it, make sure that your Mochi comes straight out of the freezer. If the Mochii is warmed before steaming, it can melt the ice cream.
Can I deep fry my Mochi?
Mochi is mainly rice flour dough and, just like any other dough, can be deep-fried. However, there are special recipes to make deep-fried Mochi. Store-bought Mochi is not meant to be deep-fried so if you do it to soften it, you will get different results based on your initial product.