Fish
Fish is a food product of particularly high nutritional value, characterized by a balanced content of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. Proteins contained in fish meat are particularly useful for the human body, therefore, fish proteins are well absorbed by the body. Fish contains iodine, phosphorus, fluorine, vitamins A and D. Phosphorus, a trace element, is part of the human skull and plays a major role in the development of the central nervous system and the formation of a person as a whole.
Fluoride is also a very useful and necessary trace element. Its deficiency causes caries and the breakdown of bone tissue. This substance protects human from atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Also, it is necessary for the correct exchange of carbohydrates in the body.
Fish contains vitamins A and D. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining good and sharp vision. Also for skin and mucous membrane.
Vitamin D, which is contained in fish oil and black caviar, protects children from rickets, is useful and necessary for adults as well.
Caviar
Transport of salmon fish is carried out only in a live condition, by special transport. Upon arrival at the destination, the live fish are stunned by hitting the head with a wooden hammer, and the gills are cut off. Wash in running water. Then the belly is cut in half, from head to tail, the fish is gutted and the gonads are taken. The fish meat is taken for processing, and the gonads are cut and sieved. Sifted spawn is sorted. Dry salt is added to the container, as well as boiled brine, through which the spawn is salted.Then caviar is then pressed, cooled and packed into cans and barrels. Finally, the product is packaged, labeled/marked and stored. In the conditions of Georgia, red caviar is mainly taken from trout, first of all, they are milked, when we take out this caviar, i.e. raw , not even a single drop of water can get into it, because such caviar hardens after cooking, then we weigh the caviar, during cooking we get the same number of kg of brine. We use (10% solution) how many kg of caviar we have. We should boil the water at 80-85 degrees and put the caviar in the brine, leave it for 8 to 10 minutes (during this time, the broken balls and mucus that came out during the extraction are removed). For about 12 hours and finally packaging.
Technology of fish hot smoking
Before smoking fish, large fish are cut, gutted and cut lengthwise into one or more fillets. Medium-sized fish are only gutted, and small ones are simply salted. Salting is done by rubbing salt well into the fish. In the case of fatty fish, salted fish with a thick layer should be wrapped in parchment paper to prevent the fat from oxidizing. Then the fish is arranged layer by layer in an enamel dish, covered with parchment paper, weight is placed on top and the lid of the dish is covered. Fish should be in salt from 1 to 2-3 days, depending on its size. As a result, the meat becomes dense and can be eaten even without cooking.
After that, the fish is dried for 1 hour. At this time, the brine is removed from the fish and it is dehydrated, resulting in a salt content of 1.5-2%. Then, to protect the fish from insects, they wrap it in gauze and hang it.
After such treatment, the fish is washed, and then smoked. In order for the fish to be smoked evenly, it needs to be placed in a pan, in this case, the result will be of high quality. The final readiness of the product is determined by the external condition of the fish, the color transitioning from golden to teal and dry skin. To check the readiness of the product, the chamber can be opened only for a very short time, so as not to ignite the sawdust due to the penetration of oxygen into it. Smoked fish should be completely and evenly smoked, the meat should easily come off the bone. In case of improper color, it is treated with fat, which adds shine to it. Hot smoked fish can be stored for 3-4 days without refrigeration, and in the refrigerator - up to 1 month.
Cold smoking
During the cold smoking process, which lasts for 120 hours at a temperature of 40°C, the fish is significantly dried (dehydrated). As a result, two conservation factors work - osmoanabiosis (under the influence of salt) and xeroanabiosis (dehydration). That is why the product of cold smoking is much more stable (it can be stored at 5-10° for one month, and from 00 to -5°C for two months).
Alive fish
Live commodity fish is a raw material with the highest nutritional value for the preparation of ready-to-eat food products. Live fish is consumed both "alive" ("sushi"), as well as boiled, fried and simultaneously cooked in its own juice by the "blitz method" - smoked.
Live fish are introduced into the trade network mainly from fishing ponds, lakes, reservoirs, rivers. Because sea fish are much less durable, they are delivered to the market in a dormant or frozen state (mackerel, mullet, flounder, etc.).
Live fish are transported in special (isothermal) tanks. The duration of transportation in warm weather is no more than 10 hours; Characteristics of live fish are: mobility; The surface of the skin should be clean, with a color characteristic of the species and a thin layer of mucus; without signs of mechanical injuries and diseases; Lakhs are red in color; Eyes bright and clear; with the characteristic smell of live fish.
Frozen fish
Freezing fish, as the most progressive method of preservation in the fish industry, 80% of the total volume of food products production comes from frozen fish. Freezing fish is a very complex technological process. Freezing is the process of partial or complete freezing of the water in the food product. The most important thing in freezing technology is the speed of the process itself, because the faster the fish is frozen, the faster microbiological and enzymatic processes are blocked.
Dried fish
Drying of fish of defined salinity gives a semi-finished or finished product with high taste and nutritional value. Some salt-dried fish are salted and then boiled before consumption (sturgeon, catfish), and hot-dried fish are consumed without additional cooking operations (shamaya). Sun-dried fish is consumed as food without additional preparation.
