Caviar, how to remove bitterness from caviar. Why is red caviar bitter?
Red caviar is a real delicacy. Each bright orange bead contains a huge supply of nutrients and vitamins. However, all the pleasure from enjoying caviar can be ruined by the bitterness that it often suffers from. Today we will talk about why caviar is bitter and how to restore its excellent taste.
At the very beginning, it should be said that sometimes a little bitter red caviar is quite normal. Yes, don't be surprised! For example, the freshest pink salmon caviar is bitter, but only a little, while coho salmon caviar may seem too bitter. However, bitterness in caviar is not always given by nature.
Why else can caviar taste bitter?
1. The product is of poor quality. This is the most obvious reason why caviar is bitter. At the same time, a low-quality product also means the use of preservatives for long-term storage. It has been proven that the bitter taste of caviar may indicate the presence of urotropine, which is prohibited for use as a food additive in Europe, in a jar of the delicacy.
2. During caviar harvesting technologies were not followed. For example, it may be that when cutting the fish, the gall bladder was damaged, which “rewarded” the caviar with bitterness.
3. Failure to comply with transportation and storage rules can also cause red caviar to become bitter. In particular, if the caviar was frozen, then the appearance of bitterness is not at all surprising. Keeping caviar in the open air for a long time also does not have the best effect on the taste characteristics of the product. Therefore, if you do not want the tasty and healthy orange beads standing in a jar on a shelf in the refrigerator to go rancid, follow the rules for storing red caviar.
How to rid red caviar of bitterness
Above we presented the main reasons why caviar is bitter. If the taste of a delicacy is spoiled by bitterness, and you are sure that the reason lies neither in the type of caviar, nor in the fact that its expiration date has expired, then you can try to disguise the bitterness. There are several proven methods.
1. The simplest and fastest - washing caviar under running water. This method will only help if you don’t like only the taste, but if the caviar also has a bitter smell, then washing is unlikely to help. It is worth noting that some housewives claim that if you use soap, the situation can be corrected, although after such water procedures the benefits of the product are called into question.
2. You can slightly dampen the bitterness by adding a little vegetable oil to the caviar.
3. If none of the methods helps, then bitter red caviar can be combined with another caviar that has a more attractive taste.
Now you have learned the reasons why red caviar is bitter. You may know others that were not mentioned above. We and other visitors to our portal will be grateful if you add your knowledge to the text by leaving a comment below. You can also share your ways of returning caviar to its former excellent taste.
When you hear the word “caviar,” you involuntarily recall footage from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession.” Remember? “Black, red and overseas caviar - eggplant!!!” Now times have changed, and we now eat the overseas product of grated zucchini from large bowls. But black and red caviar became a sign of a great holiday. After all, the prices for it are such that you will only allow yourself to open a jar on New Year’s Day. It’s all the more disappointing if the product is of poor quality. To avoid getting into trouble, read this short guide to the world of caviar. We will tell you how to choose jars and what should be indicated on the label. The focus of our attention will be sockeye salmon caviar. It is especially loved and revered abroad, although it is not particularly popular among domestic consumers. But in vain. We will try to debunk the black myth that sockeye salmon is an outcast in the glorious
Red and black
It's no secret that caviar is a fish egg, from which, after fertilization with the male's milk, a fry is born. Consequently, this grain contains many nutrients and beneficial minerals necessary for the development of a new organism. Moreover, all fish lay eggs (with the exception of viviparous fish): perch, pike and even roach. All types of this product are beneficial. But only some are tasty. Only sturgeon caviar is recognized as a delicacy, and here, in passing, it is necessary to debunk myth No. 1. They say that black caviar is better. After all, the cost is significantly higher than the red one. In fact, pricing depends on the rarity of sturgeon fish - stellate sturgeon, beluga, sterlet. Much more common are salmon, from which red caviar is obtained: sockeye salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, and masu salmon. But some species of this family are also included in the Red Book. Therefore, Chinook salmon and salmon caviar are very difficult to find on sale, and they cost as much as black caviar.
How to choose a delicacy
How not to get lost among the numerous offers of red caviar producers? First of all, let's carefully study the text of the label. The blend is good in wine, but not in caviar. The jar should indicate which fish it was extracted from. We will answer the question of which is better - pink salmon or sockeye salmon caviar - later. Now let’s just indicate the criteria for a quality product. Glass jars are preferable to metal jars. After all, this is how we can consider the content. The eggs should be of equal size, not stuck together, mostly whole, and of uniform color. A bright ruby color may be evidence of counterfeit (exception: sockeye salmon and chinook salmon caviar). The usual color is orange fading to pale red. The production date of the product is of utmost importance. If the label indicates the autumn or winter months, the caviar is obtained from frozen fish.
“Grainy” or “pressed”?
In these terms lies the difference in processing methods. In the body of a female fish, caviar is enclosed in a pouch - a sac. When it is cut, the grains are ground through a grate and then placed in brine, where they lie for about ten days. Then the necessary preservatives are added to them and sealed in vacuum jars. This produces grainy caviar. But once you open such a jar, you need to eat the contents within one or two days. Granular eggs are drier and subject to weathering. The pressed method of processing is when the entire joint is lowered into brine. It is cut before pasteurization. Thus, no matter what kind of caviar you have in your hands - chum salmon or sockeye salmon - if it is pressed, it retains more useful liquid. The “amniotic fluid” has passed into the grains, and they have a longer shelf life. This also affects the gastronomic parameters of the product - pressed is less salty.
Size matters?
If we are talking about black caviar, the larger the grains, the better the quality of the product. In red it's the other way around. Small grains are valued more by gourmets. And now the time has come to answer the question that worries many: “Which is better - pink salmon or sockeye salmon caviar?” The largest grains of Chinook salmon are as much as eight millimeters in diameter. Ketovaya is slightly smaller - seven, for which it is popularly nicknamed “royal”. The eggs of pink salmon and coho salmon are approximately the same size - four millimeters. And sockeye salmon caviar is very small - only 3 mm in diameter. In our country, these grains of dark red, even ruby color, are valued less. The fact is that sockeye salmon caviar, the photo of which looks very appetizing, has a pronounced bitter taste. But abroad, this quality is considered not a minus, but a piquant feature. But the neutral taste of dark orange grains obtained from pink salmon is considered too ordinary there.
Sockeye salmon caviar: properties
The benefits of this product can hardly be overestimated. Red caviar contains no carbohydrates at all, and there is little fat in it - only 13.8 g per hundred grams of product. And those that exist are very beneficial for the body - the notorious Omega-3. Red caviar is also rich in vitamins A, C and D. Therefore, its consumption has a beneficial effect on vision and strengthens the immune system. It is given to children who are prone to rickets, patients who have undergone surgery, and weakened people. Don't forget about the essential amino acids - aspartic, glutamic, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and lysine. Phosphorus, potassium and iodine take care of the nervous system and strengthen the musculoskeletal system. Special mention should be made of nicotinic acid - it gives sockeye salmon caviar a characteristic note of bitterness. And there are so many B vitamins in this delicious product that it is used not only as food, but also as part of creams and masks in cosmetology.
Damage to calves
It should be said that this product is quite high in calories. Sockeye salmon caviar is very satiating - and this fact should be taken into account by those who are on a diet. Its nutritional value is 251 kcal per hundred grams of product. Speaking about the negative properties of red caviar, and sockeye salmon in particular, we need to make a small reservation. It is not the product itself that is harmful, but the “accompanying products.” After all, the grains are kept in brine, which means that the delicacy should not be abused by people suffering from edema and kidney disease. Preservatives also play a significant role. You can’t do without them - after all, during sterilization, delicate caviar will turn into porridge. Vacuum packed without preservatives, the product can only be stored for about three months. GOST (18173-2004) allows only two substances for red caviar. These are E200 and E239 (urotropine).
How to serve
Sockeye salmon caviar is too small, so it won’t look impressive on regular sofas. It is best used to decorate fish salads and as a filling for pancakes or stuffed eggs. Tartlets - shortcrust pastry baskets - look beautiful with it. You can serve this product as a stand-alone snack. In this case, a vase with crushed ice is placed on the table, and on it is a small crystal caviar bowl with a silver coffee spoon. This delicacy and symbol of the Soviet holiday is served at the very beginning of the meal.
What goes with it?
Contrary to popular belief, vodka is not the most desirable traveling companion for caviar. Cognac also dulls the sensitivity of the receptors on the tip of our tongue, and this prevents us from experiencing the delicate taste of caviar. The best accompaniment for this delicacy would be dry white wine or champagne. Non-drinkers can be offered mineral water or black tea. But coffee and juices can interrupt the delicate taste. There are many fish salads that contain red caviar. Sockeye salmon, with its bitterness, goes well with seafood and shrimp. This caviar can be used to make sushi.
Red caviar is an incredibly tasty and healthy delicacy, always a welcome “guest” of any holiday table. Real high-quality caviar should have a pleasant smell, be thick and consist of fairly large eggs that do not stick together, identical in size and color. But what to do if eating this delicacy leaves behind an unpleasant aftertaste of bitterness? Is it possible to somehow save the product, because it is certainly a shame to throw it away. In fact, the answer to this question depends on the reasons that caused the bitterness of the caviar. In general, first things first.
Natural bitterness
First of all, it should be noted that the bitterness of red caviar does not always indicate its low quality. For example, a certain bitterness is inherent in salmon caviar, and this is a completely normal phenomenon associated with the specific characteristics of the fish. What can be recommended to eliminate the unpleasant taste in this case? Do not use red caviar as a snack as such (do not stuff tartlets with it or make sandwiches with it), but prepare some dish that contains vegetable oil along with this product. The oil will make the taste of caviar softer and brighten it up somewhat, or even, one might say, overcome the existing bitterness.
Acquired bitterness
The bitter taste of red caviar may be a consequence of improper cutting of the fish, in which the contents of the cut gall bladder completely saturates the entire fish. It is also possible that red caviar producers, in their desire to increase the shelf life of the product, used various preservatives (which, as a rule, are not stated on the packaging), which give the product a bitter taste. In addition, the caviar may have been exposed to strong sun for a long time, resulting in rancidity (oxidation) of the fats. What can be done in these situations?
Since the vast majority of bittering substances are easily soluble, you should try simply rinsing the product. It’s worth noting right away that it is strictly not recommended to wash caviar with cold fresh water, as this will cause it to lose its taste and become hard. You should not use very hot water for this purpose, under the influence of which the caviar will turn white, since under the influence of hot temperatures the protein located inside the eggs will coagulate. For rinsing you can use:
- Milk (pasteurized or fresh boiled). Wash the bitter red caviar in milk, the temperature of which should not exceed 40°C, for 10 minutes. Drain the milk through a fine sieve. Leave the caviar in the strainer for 10-15 minutes so that the remaining milk drains from it.
- Tea leaves. It is necessary to brew a strong dressing, cool it to 35°C and pour it over the eggs. Gently rinse for 5-7 minutes. Strain the brewed strong tea through cheesecloth and let the water drain.
- Warm boiled water. The procedure is carried out in a similar way.
When nothing can be done...
The bitter taste of red caviar may be due to the expiration date of this product. You need to take a close look at the canned food, and if it really is long past its expiration date, then you should throw the product away immediately. Here, unfortunately, no methods or means will help.
Red caviar is one of the most delicious delicacies on any table. In addition, this delicacy is also very healthy. Regular consumption of caviar reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Red caviar has the unique property of slowing down the aging process in the body. However, this product is not cheap and perishable: if red caviar is not stored properly, it will soon lose its appetizing appearance.
Choose your recipe
Instructions
To restore the appearance of caviar, wash it in water. To do this, place the caviar in a container with warm (20-25 degrees) boiled water, you can even leave it in the water for 20 minutes, then spoon the caviar onto cheesecloth to drain off excess water. This method will also help remove excess salt.
If the caviar has acquired an unpleasant aftertaste, is too bitter and looks unappetizing, but has not yet spoiled, tea leaves will help correct the situation. To do this, prepare 1 liter of weak tea leaves. Place caviar in a container with tea leaves for 2-3 minutes, then place the caviar on a sieve or cheesecloth to drain excess water.
Well, if the appearance of caviar really confuses you, then milk will come to the rescue. Pour 1 liter of warm (20-25 degrees) boiled milk into a deep container and place the caviar there for 2-3 minutes. Then carefully spoon the caviar onto cheesecloth or a sieve. However, this method can negatively affect the taste of red caviar.
note
“Red salmon caviar” is the caviar of salmon fish such as pink salmon, chum salmon, chinook salmon, and sockeye salmon. It varies in color, size and taste, depending on the breed of fish. Pink salmon caviar is the most popular in Russia. Bright orange color, medium-sized grains. Chum salmon caviar is orange-red in color, with the largest grains. Sockeye salmon caviar is a medium-sized, rich red grain.
Helpful advice
It is best not to store red caviar for a long time; you should not leave it for later. As the paraphrased proverb goes: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can eat today.” In any case, red caviar should be stored in the refrigerator in a glass or enamel container with a tightly closed lid.
Red caviar should be thick, crumbly and consist of eggs of the correct shape and the same size. The eggs should burst on the teeth. Good red caviar should not taste bitter or smell like fat or rancid oil, but should have a faint smell of fresh fish.
I wasn’t going to give a review about caviar (so I threw away the top part of the jar’s design. The jar opened with a ring, and on the lid there was a beautiful paper tab with the inscription “Lukomorye” and all other information.
Why did you decide to write about caviar? Yes, because after trying it, my husband almost threw it away.
Now, in order: we bought caviar at Perekrestok a month before New Year’s Eve.
And so they opened it for the holiday.
My husband was upset that it was very small. Then, having tasted it, we felt a bitterness. And both my husband and I. He said that he wouldn’t eat it anymore because he was afraid.
A couple of days passed, the NG sandwiches still lay there. I didn’t dare throw it away, but it was scary to eat. It looks like we bought it in a normal store, but it’s bitter, and the color is suspiciously bright...
I went online to look for reviews about this caviar. I didn’t find anything specific about this one, but I learned a lot of interesting and useful things.
So, my new knowledge:
1 It turns out that it is important to know what kind of fish the caviar is in the jar. Mine turned out to be sockeye salmon caviar
and it is always small, bright red and bitter:
Sockeye salmon also pleases consumers with its tasty and healthy caviar. It is as small as coho salmon, and its color is very similar. Externally, sockeye salmon and coho salmon caviar are easily confused, but there is one important difference. Sockeye salmon caviar is slightly bitter, which gives it a special piquancy. In Russia, caviar of this type of salmon is valued somewhat less compared to pink salmon and chum salmon, but this does not mean its low quality. The interesting taste makes sockeye salmon caviar more popular among Europeans, who can be called true gourmets.
As you can see from the footnote, if you don’t want small caviar, don’t take sockeye and coho salmon caviar! And bitterness turns out to be the norm in my case!
2 Now about E, which of course is annoying:
E200 (sorbic acid):
Additive E200 is one of the most common preservatives in the food industry due to its safety for the human body.
E211 (sodium benzoate), also known as sodium benzoate:
In people with hypersensitive skin, as well as in people suffering from hives or asthma, the preservative E211 can cause exacerbation of diseases and an allergic reaction.
As already mentioned, sodium benzoate is registered in Europe and the world as a food additive E211 and is widely used in the food industry as a preservative and color enhancer for meat and fish products, sweet carbonated drinks, ketchups, margarines, fruit and berry products, soy sauces , mayonnaise and delicacies containing mayonnaise, preserves, etc.
The E211 additive is approved for use in food products in Russia, Ukraine and many other countries, however, due to its unsafe nature for human health, the use of the E211 preservative has been reduced in recent years.
The second additive spoils the whole picture completely, but it’s a very popular additive in our country, I see the inscription “sodium benzoate” everywhere (So the presence of it in caviar, which we don’t eat in kilograms, is probably not as scary as in, for example, sodas.
And you know, when I told my husband my new knowledge about caviar, it went very well))) I say, what about the bitterness? And he replies that when he found out that this was normal, she even stopped spoiling the taste too much!
In short, we finished it with an appetite that would have come sooner if we knew these nuances)
