How to Prevent Tapioca from Hardening

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 13, 2022 References Tested

Tapioca pearls are used to make the ever-popular Taiwanese drink called boba tea, or bubble tea. It’s a lightly sweetened drink made with tea and milk poured over round, soft, chewy pearls of tapioca. The chewiness of these pearls is key to what makes the drink so well-liked; hard, crunchy boba would ruin the experience! You can keep the pearls soft by storing them in simple syrup; just make sure to use them within a few days before they start to naturally harden.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Storing Tapioca Pearls

1
Cook your tapioca pearls according to the instructions on the package. In general, you’ll use about 6–8 cups (1,400–1,900 mL) of water for 1 cup (150 grams) of dry tapioca pearls. Using enough water is important because the pearls will absorb tons of water while they cook; not using enough could cause them to turn gummy and stick together.^{[1]
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- The tapioca normally cooks in boiling water for 15 minutes before you remove the pot from the heat. Then, you usually need to let the pearls sit in the water for an additional 15 minutes.
- The instructions might differ depending on the size of the pearls or whether or not you’re using quick-cooking tapioca. Always check the instructions to make sure you’re preparing it properly.
2
Make a simple syrup while the tapioca pearls are cooking. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 mL) of water and 1 cup (198 grams) of white sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook until all the sugar has dissolved, then remove the pan from the heat.^{[2]
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- If you like vanilla, you could add 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract to the simple syrup once it has been removed from the heat. This will infuse the tapioca pearls with a light vanilla flavor.
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3
Drain the tapioca to remove the excess water. Place a colander in the sink and carefully pour the cooked tapioca into it. Try to pour so that the pot is facing away from you to protect your face and arms from the hot steam. Once the tapioca is in the colander, give it a good shake to jostle off any remaining water.^{[3]
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- Always be careful when working with hot water. Wear oven mitts when you pick up the pot if it’s still hot to the touch, and pour slowly so you’re less likely to get splashed.
4
Transfer the cooked tapioca into a glass jar or bowl. Don’t wait and let the tapioca sit in the colander; it could start to stick together, which isn’t what you want. Simply pour the pearls into the container. Make sure it’s large enough to leave about 1–2 inches (25–51 mm) of headspace at the top.^{[4]
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- Make sure the container you’re using is clean before you put the tapioca into it. You don’t want any cross-contamination happening to your boba!
5
Cover the tapioca pearls with the simple syrup you made earlier. The simple syrup will help keep the pearls soft until you’re ready to use them, stop the pearls from sticking together, and infuse them with a lovely, sweet flavor. After you pour the simple syrup in, give the bowl a quick stir with a spoon to make sure all the pearls are covered.^{[5]
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- The tapioca pearls should be completely submerged in the syrup. If you need more, make another batch to add to the container.
6
Store the tapioca in the fridge and use it within 1-2 days. After a few days, the tapioca will start to harden and the consistency won’t be as chewy as you’d like. You may be able to use it on the third day still, but test a pearl before making your drink to ensure it’s still chewy.^{[6]
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- If your container has a lid, use it. If not, cover the container with plastic wrap. This should help the tapioca dry out less quickly.
- Uncooked, dry tapioca can be stored in your cupboard for 12 months.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Keeping Tapioca Soft in Boba Tea

1
Make a strong cup of your favorite tea. The beauty of boba is that you can tailor it to whatever flavor you prefer. You could make green tea, black tea, jasmine tea, mint tea, oolong tea, or even matcha tea. Bring 1 cup (240 mL) of water to a boil and add 1-2 teabags of your preferred tea. Let it steep for about 15 minutes before removing the teabags.^{[8]
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- Remember that you’ll be adding ice, boba, and perhaps some milk to your tea, so you want it to be extra strong.
- If you want to enjoy boba tea regularly, you could make an entire pitcher of tea and keep it in the fridge so that you always have some ready to go.
2
Let the tea cool before assembling your boba. You could either leave your tea on the counter and let it cool to room temperature, or you could put it in the fridge to help it cool even faster. Avoid adding ice to it at this stage as that would dilute the tea, and you’ll already be adding ice to it later on.^{[9]
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- Not all boba tea is served with ice, so if you want a cold drink but don’t want to add ice, put your tea in the fridge for a few hours.
3
Add 1/2 cup (75 grams) of boba to the bottom of a clean glass. This amount can be adjusted based on how much tapioca you prefer in your tea. Feel free to add a little more or less as you desire. Use a spoon to transfer the boba so that you get a little bit of the simple syrup along with it.^{[10]
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- Depending on how sweet you like your tea, you can always add more simple syrup, too.
4
Stir together the tea and milk in a separate glass. You can use milk, creamer, sweetened condensed milk, almond milk, soy milk, or any other kind of milk that you like. Like with the boba, you can use as much or as little milk as you prefer.^{[11]
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- You can always add more milk to your tea after it is all assembled if you want to.
- If you want chilled boba but don’t want to put ice in your drink, shake the tea and milk in a cocktail mixer with a few ice cubes before straining the liquid over the tapioca pearls.^{[12]
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5
Pour the liquid over the tapioca pearls and then add ice if you want. Sometimes if the tapioca pearls get too cold or come into direct contact with the ice before other liquid has been added, they can start to harden. Adding the ice last should help keep the boba soft and chewy.^{[13]
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- It’s common to see boba tea served both with and without ice. If you skip the ice, just make sure to chill your tea in the fridge beforehand so it’s as cool as possible.
6
Enjoy your boba tea with a large straw. Once your tea is assembled, you can add more milk or sweetener if you prefer. Some people even top their tea with fresh or frozen fruit to make it more like a dessert drink. Use a wide straw so you can suck up the tapioca pearls and enjoy them as you drink.^{[14]
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- You can purchase wide straws online if you can’t find them at your local grocery store. Some Asian supermarkets may also carry them.