Leftover Boba stored in the fridge will most likely change its texture and the pearls will turn firm and compact. Either it is stored in an airtight container (for uncooked Boba), a plastic wrap, or in a bubble tea container, the Boba will absolutely become hard when placed or in a fridge or freeze in a freezer.
But worry no more as we will teach you how to restore its original appearance, so you can make out of the money you spent and enjoy your tea-based drink as if it’s freshly prepared.
For the benefit of others who don’t know what boba is, we will have a short assessment about this kind of food, the ingredients it is made of, and how it is prepared.
WHAT IS BOBA?
Boba is actually made from tapioca starch (known as cassava starch), and is often called tapioca pearls. These boba pearls are small in size and are typically boiled and simmered in a brown sugar (sometimes white sugar) turning its texture to a dark black color with a sweet flavor.
Sugar syrup and fruit-flavored syrups such as lychee and strawberry will help enhance the tasteless flavor of boba. This is also the reason why boba is perfect to be paired with different kinds of drinks.
Due to the fact that boba or tapioca pearls are made of starches, its texture is usually soft when warm. Thus, the softness of the tapioca pearls vanishes when they become cold.
Where and How Boba Pearls Are Used?
Boba pearls are often used in bubble tea, also known as tapioca tea, pearl tea, or boba tea. Most bubble tea shops used boba in their trendy drinks such as slushies, smoothies and even coffees.
So now that you already have a little background about boba, let’s move on to the main topic which is on how to revive the hard boba pearls and make them tender again.
WAYS TO REHEAT AND SOFTEN BOBA PEARLS AGAIN?
In order to soften boba or tapioca pearls, we are going to steam the hard boba. Yes, steaming will definitely help soften the boba again.
1. STEAM BOBA
Steaming will reintroduce heat and moisture to hard boba. And in just a matter of a few minutes, your boba will become soft again.
These procedures will then require you to use a steamer. Here’s how:
- Separate Boba or tapioca pearls from your drink. Add water to the steamer and bring to a boil.
- Place the old Boba on a bowl or plate. Then put it on the steaming rack or steaming tray.
- Steam for a couple of minutes until the Boba turn warm, soft and tender.
- Wait for another couple of minutes until the Boba or tapioca pearls cool down. Then put them back in your favorite drink and enjoy!
And guess what? Steaming is not the only way to revive Boba’s grain. Check out the next option.
BOIL HARD BOBA IN SYRUP
One of the best ways to soften boba is by boiling it in syrup. Since most boba drinks are made by boiling the tapioca starch in a sugar syrup, you can use this method to soften boba again.
1. Separate the boba or tapioca pearls from your drink.
2. In a saucepan, make a simple syrup using sugar and water. Boil the brown or white sugar in the water for a few minutes or until the syrup thickens.
3. Add the boba to the syrup and slowly stir until the boba becomes soft again. Once done, put the pearls back in your drink.
And if by any chance the first two methods are undoable in your end for whatever reasons, a good substitute is to use hot water and a microwave to revive boba.
USE HOT WATER TO SOFTEN BOBA AGAIN
After you get your Boba drink out from the fridge, separate the cooked boba pearls from your drink and put them in boiling hot water. So how is it done? Here’s what you need to do:
- If you opt to use a microwave, do not directly microwave the boba as you can’t control the heat of this equipment. Instead, heat the water in the microwave, and then immerse the pearls until softened.
- If the microwave is not available, you can boil water in a pot. Then submerge the boba in the boiling water and wait until it becomes warm and soft.
Another option that you may try to quickly soften the boba again is to use the method known as Poke Hole. In this technique, you will drain the majority of the liquid into a different container, leaving enough liquid to cover the pearls. Put the liquid back into the fridge and microwave balls for at least 1 minute.
So in order for you to determine if the balls are already soft, you need to test one while it is still sizzling hot. This is the reason why the method is not advisable to use.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Boba balls get hard quickly, about a few hours after they are cooked and put in the drinks. Once the balls get cold, the more they become hard. They become hard so fast since they are made from tapioca flour or starches.
Keep the balls warm as much as possible to retain its softness. When ordering a drink, ask to put less ice or not to add too much cold water so that the Boba balls will not cool down so quickly. Thus, preventing them from becoming hard and firm.
There are different varieties of Boba that are being served in most tea shops and cafes. These are the clear Boba, black Boba, mini Boba, popping Boba, and flavored Boba.