(5 / 5)
Your rolls are falling apart
You did everything right. You cleared the time, picked the best ingredients, cooked the perfect sushi rice. The whole nine yards. But in the final act of cutting the sushi roll it simply breaks apart in your hands. Why is it happening, how to fix a broken sushi roll and most importantly how to avoid sushi rolls from falling apart?
First of all, it’s not your fault
Just kidding, it most likely totally is. Rolls fall apart for to main reasons:
- The nori is in bad shape. The packaging was left open for too long and it soaked up moisture. This is easy to fix by toasting the nori on open fire or in an oven until the seaweed is dry and crisp.
- The most common reason for rolls breaking apart is using too little nori for too much sushi rice and fillings. It happens to everyone. This will be our main topic today.
How to fix a broken roll
The key here is early detection. The first step is preparation: Cut a narrow strip of nori and keep it next to your sushi working station. This is a good practice if you sushi rolls tend to break often. 
If your roll falls apart – act quickly and place a strip of nori where the sushi roll breaks. To make the fix stick, apply a tiny bit of water on the nori fix and press it to the roll using the sushi mat. Catastrophe avoided! The sushi roll below was fixed that way – you couldn’t possibly tell it ever fell apart.
How to prevent sushi rolls from breaking
In order to prevent your sushi rice from breaking apart in the first place – make sure to use the right nori size for the right amount of sushi rice and fillings.
For example, when making a maki roll, try to use little rice and only filling if you plan to use half a nori. If you plan to use more rice and/or fillings inside the roll, better use a full nori sheet, or at leas 2/3s.
When rolling inside-out sushi, you can use more rice and more fillings while using just half a nori if you like.
Hope this helps you keep it together. Please use the comments below if you have any questions. ideas etc.
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2 Responses to Why do my sushi rolls fall apart?
Prepare the rice as close as possible to making your sushi. It is not meant to be kept in the fridge.
Don’t use any other vinegar but rice vinegar. It won’t taste as good.
The working temperature for the rice is room temperature, while some prefer ‘body temperature’.
If you are making sushi rice for the first time, use only half the vinegar mixture. Mix. Taste. And decide if you want to add the rest.
Soak the rice in water for at least 20 minutes before cooking. That helps soften the rice grain kernel.
Use our calculator to decide exactly how much rice to make. It’s a shame make more than you really needed.
The average dinner would enjoy having 2 rolls in one sitting. Sometimes more. Absolutely no judgment.
Don’t forget to get creative. This is your sushi. Own it!
The vinegar mixture is only added after the rice has cooked.
Prepare the rice as close as possible to making your sushi. It is not meant to be kept in the fridge.
Don’t use any other vinegar but rice vinegar. It won’t taste as good.
The working temperature for the rice is room temperature, while some prefer ‘body temperature’.
If you are making sushi rice for the first time, use only half the vinegar mixture. Mix. Taste. And decide if you want to add the rest.
Soak the rice in water for at least 20 minutes before cooking. That helps soften the rice grain kernel.
Use our calculator to decide exactly how much rice to make. It’s a shame make more than you really needed.
The average dinner would enjoy having 2 rolls in one sitting. Sometimes more. Absolutely no judgment.
Don’t forget to get creative. This is your sushi. Own it!
The vinegar mixture is only added after the rice has cooked.
Emily TJanuary 14, 2021 at 10:00 pm#
my issues is not home made sushi roles falling apart but ones i buy from this to go teriyaki grill place food is good but they always fall apart every time
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