Dried Sea Cucumber Sizes and Soaking

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Dried sea cucumber is sold by the pound, and the number on the bag tells you how many pieces make up that pound. A bag marked 13 to 16 pieces holds big sea cucumbers. A bag marked 40 pieces holds small ones. Once you have picked a size, soaking takes about five days at home, mostly in the fridge. This guide explains the sizes we carry at Fosetter, where they come from, and the soaking steps we print on our own packages.

What does "pieces per pound" mean on a bag of dried sea cucumber?

It is a count. The packer weighs one pound (454 g) of dried sea cucumber and counts how many pieces are in it. Fewer pieces means each piece is larger. Chinese-speaking customers know the same idea as 頭數, the number of "heads" per catty, and it works the same way. The smaller the number, the bigger the sea cucumber.

A quick way to compare bags is to divide 454 g by the count. In a 13 to 16 piece bag, each dried piece weighs roughly 28 to 35 g. In a 40 piece bag, each piece is closer to 11 g. A range such as "18 to 22" simply means the count in your bag will fall somewhere in that range, because no two sea cucumbers dry to exactly the same weight.

Which size should you buy?

Size mostly changes the price and how the dish looks. Large pieces suit dishes where the sea cucumber is served whole, such as a braise. Smaller pieces cost less per pound and are easy to dice into soup, congee or stir-fries, where nobody sees the shape. Mixed bags put different sizes together and are a good choice for everyday cooking.

Size is not the only thing that matters. Perennia, Nova Scotia's agri-food development agency, lists the quality points for this sea cucumber as piece size, thickness of the body wall, shape, colour, skin appearance, freshness and moisture content. When you hold a bag, look for pieces that are evenly dried, thick, and without damaged or pitted skin.

Where do Fosetter's sea cucumbers come from?

Most of what we sell is wild Canadian sea cucumber from Gaspésie, processed and packaged in Quebec. Quebec's sea cucumber fishery is fairly young. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says it began in 2008 on the north shore of the Gaspé Peninsula and targets the orange-footed sea cucumber, Cucumaria frondosa. One of our products comes from the Atlantic off Nova Scotia, where the fishery targets the same species. We also carry two sizes of wild sea cucumber from the Caribbean, caught and processed in that region.

Product	Origin	Pieces per pound
NATIVE ULTRA Canada Wild Sea Cucumber 13-16 pieces	Gaspésie, Quebec	13 to 16
Caribbean Wild Sea Cucumber	Caribbean	about 16
NATIVE ULTRA Canada Wild Sea Cucumber 18-22 pieces	Gaspésie, Quebec	18 to 22
Arctica Food Best Select	Gaspésie, Quebec	about 20
Arctica Food Classic	Gaspésie, Quebec	about 25
PanaC Natural Mixed	Gaspésie, Quebec	about 25, mixed sizes
Arctica Food Value Pack	Gaspésie, Quebec	about 30
Caribbean Wild Sea Cucumber	Caribbean	about 40
NATIVE ULTRA Butterfly-Cut	Atlantic, off Nova Scotia	not counted, split pieces

"Butterfly-cut" means the sea cucumber was split open and cleaned before drying. Perennia describes two common cuts for this species, the dressed cut (also called football or cocoon cut), where the body stays whole, and the split or butterfly cut. A split piece is already open, which makes it easy to slice once soaked.

You can see every size on our wild sea cucumber page.

How do you soak dried sea cucumber?

These are the steps printed on our packages. Plan on about five days from dry to ready.

Put the dried sea cucumbers in a container with about five times their volume of cold water. Cover it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. Change the water every day.
Pour off the water and add fresh water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool down on its own.
Change to fresh water again and put the sea cucumbers back in the fridge for one more day. They are now ready to cook.

Keep the container and your hands clean and free of oil the whole time. Hong Kong and Shanghai cooking guides give the same warning, and the Shanghai one adds salt and vinegar to the list of things to keep away from soaking sea cucumber.

Why do other soaking guides give different times?

Because sea cucumbers differ so much in species, size and how they were dried, every guide gives its own numbers. Some soak for 24 to 48 hours and boil for only 10 to 20 minutes. Others soak for 3 to 6 days, or boil for close to an hour. Most do agree on three things. Soak cold in the fridge, change the water daily, and keep oil away. Most also expect the sea cucumber to grow to about three times its dried size.

For the sea cucumbers we sell, follow the steps on our package. They were written for these products. If a large piece still feels hard in the middle after the last day, give it more time in cold water and check it again, and ask us if you are unsure.

How should you store dried sea cucumber before soaking?

Keep the bag sealed in a cool, dry place. Perennia notes that dried sea cucumber stored in a humid place can absorb moisture from the air and risks growing mould.

Quick answers

Is a lower piece count better? A lower count means larger pieces. Whether that is better depends on the dish you are making and your budget.

How long does soaking take? About five days with our package steps. That is three days of soaking, a day to boil and cool, and one more day in the fridge.

Can I soak it at room temperature to save time? The guides we checked all soak in the fridge, and so do we.

Where can I see the sizes in person? At our shop at 78 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest in Montreal's Chinatown. We also ship within Canada.

How to Choose and Soak Dried Sea Cucumber (What "Pieces per Pound" Means)