Frozen fish: some interesting facts

Most often in grocery stores you can see frozen fish. If it refers to sturgeon or salmon species, then it is saved one by one. The average and small fish are placed in special forms of 12 kilograms. If we talk about Baltic herring, sprat or tullet, then for its transportation and storage, briquettes weighing not more than one kilogram are used.

If the frozen fish is of good quality, then it has an attractive appearance and excellent taste. Its body is dense and does not change its shape after defrosting, the abdomen is not swollen. It is characterized by bright red gills, convex and light eyes (if carcasses are not separated). In addition, fresh produce drowns quickly when placed in water.

How to choose the right fish?

It should immediately be noted that there is a difference between the concept of "frozen" and "freshly frozen" fish. So, freshly frozen is called fish, which is exposed to low temperatures or in a live form, or immediately after evisceration and separation of the head. In this case, special refrigerators are used.

It must be remembered that such fish can be stored for no more than 3 days at a temperature of 0 ° C or up to 15 days at -5 ° C. If in the store that sells similar products, there is no corresponding refrigeration room, then all the goods must be sold within 24 hours.

Frozen fish is cooled at a lower temperature, which may be -18 ° C. At the same time, the moisture in the tissues of the carcass freezes. When thawing, this fish can become somewhat soft and watery. In addition, its nutritional value is reduced compared to fresh produce.

It should also be mentioned that for better storage, the fish can be covered with ice icing. It is designed to protect against drying, should be transparent and thin. If you notice a thick layer of ice, and the carcass itself is snow-white, then it's better to refuse the purchase, since most of the money you will pay for the water, and not for fish meat.

To date, the best semi-finished product is fillet, which is characterized by considerable demand among customers, since it can be used without pre-treatment.

It should be noted that frozen fish can be offered in the form of minced meat. It can be of two kinds. The first grade is made only from fillets, the second consists of ground with the bones and skin of carcasses. It should be noted that minced meat is produced from a wide variety of fish species and is frozen directly on ships at a temperature of at least -30 ° C.

In cooking, there are many recipes for cooking a wide variety of fish dishes. Qualitative frozen fish has almost the same taste as fresh, but it is necessary to be able to prepare it correctly. An important point, which you should not forget, is its defrosting.

It must be remembered that frozen fish can not tolerate warm water, since it becomes flabby and tasteless. If you plan to cook fillets, it is desirable to thaw in the air, which prevents a significant loss of nutrients and vitamins.