You can double-check with the seller on how long to soak the nest. Some bird nests are no longer raw and have been “pre-cooked” and do not require any soaking at all. In that case, you can follow the instructions on their package. Some only need to be soaked for a shorter period, less than one hour. In general, most bird’s nest needs to be soaked for at least 4-5 hours to soften
After soaking, the nests would swell up and soften. Drain off the soaking liquid. If you see any impurities, dark spots, etc, use a tweezer to remove it and give it a quick rinse. Shred the soften nest into pieces
You will need a large pot, 4 small ceramic or non-reactive heat-proof bowls, or use one large bowl if using instant pot
Double boiling with Instant Pot:
Place the rehydrated nests, red dates if using, and rock sugar into bowl(s). Fill up the water to about 70% full. Don't fill it up all the way as the nests will grow in size as they cook. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil
Place a trivet inside the pot. Put the bowls on top of trivet. Fill up the pot with water. The water should come to about halfway of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with aluminum foil. Put a trivet inside the inner pot of Instant Pot. Place the bowl on top.
Close the lid and turn the pressure release valve to sealing. Press "steamer" function and set it to 20 minutes and then natural release.This function use low pressure to prevent overcooking.
Unlock the lid and add goji berries. The residual heat will soften the goji berries
Double boiling on the stove:
Place the rehydrated nests, red dates if using, into bowl(s). Fill up the water to about 70% full. Don't fill it up all the way as the nests will grow in size as they cook. Cover the bowls with aluminum foil
Use a large deep pot, deep enough that you can put your ceramic pot inside and still able to close the lid. This is a double boiling set-up
Place a trivet inside the pot. Put the bowls on top of trivet. Fill up the pot with water. The water should come to about halfway of the bowl.
Bring the water in the pot to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to let the water gently simmer for 45 minutes
After 45 minutes, turn off the heat, uncover the lid and add goji berries into the soup. Cover the lid of the ceramic pot. The residual heat will soften the berries
To serve:
Serve as is at room temperature or it can be chilled in the fridge and served cold