Trout is rarely present in the daily diet of modern consumers due to its high price. However, this tasty, nutritious fish rich in fatty acids is able to stabilize blood cholesterol levels, improve the functioning of the brain and nervous system, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and prevent cancer. Trout is not only worth the money spent on it, it will bring incredible pleasure, becoming a decoration of any table. How to choose the right, real trout?
Instructions
Step 1
Trout belongs to the salmon family. This is a very beautiful fish, it has a dark back, golden sides and a golden belly. The body of the trout is long, and the fins have multi-colored specks. Trout is divided by type into sea, freshwater, rainbow and brook trout. Sea trout is most often the largest, and the smallest fish is brook, it grows only up to half a meter. By the way, brook trout is the most delicious and healthy, because it is found exclusively in clean mountain rivers. However, you can also find rainbow trout on store shelves, because, due to its ability to grow quickly, it is it that is bred on fish farms.
Step 2
To give the fish a presentable look and for weight gain of farmed trout, growth hormones, antibiotics and even dyes are added to the feed (canthaxanthin is a food additive that is partially banned in Europe). Doctors do not recommend cooking farmed trout more than once a month. Natural trout can only be distinguished by the paler color of the meat. In addition, trout weighing 6 kg or more are also likely to be raised in an artificial reservoir. The average size of fish supplied from fish farms is 3-4 kg, but there are specimens of 7-10 kg each.
Step 3
Trout can be bought both fresh and frozen, whole or in steaks. As a rule, the most inexpensive is gutted fresh fish of medium size (1.5 to 2 kg).
Step 4
Trout, whether frozen, fresh, salted or smoked, is most often sold in vacuum packaging. Of course, vacuum packaging increases the shelf life of fish, prevents the access of air, bacteria and microbes, and preserves the properties of the product and nutritional value. However, the shelf life of fish in such a package should not exceed 1 month if it is fresh, 2 months if it is smoked, and 6 months if it is frozen. It is not allowed to store trout (and any other fish) in a vacuum package outside the refrigerator.
Step 5
Consider the packaging carefully. The tightness should not be broken, there should be no juice and air bubbles in it, the film is tightly pressed against the trout. The deadline for the realization breaks through right on the film. If the label is missing or there is a sticker with an expiration date, refrain from such a purchase.
Step 6
Particular attention should be paid to the appearance of the trout: the eyes are bulging, with a black pupil and a glassy, not cloudy cornea, the scales are shiny. Whitish coating or mucus on the surface of the fish will indicate staleness of the product. Expired vacuum packed fish can cause severe poisoning.
Step 7
Salted trout loses color, looks paler than fresh. Note the streaks in the salted fish. White rather than hot pink will indicate the absence of dyes in the fish.
Step 8
Read carefully the composition of the fish indicated on the label. For example, some manufacturers use ripeners or acids to dissolve all the bones in fish, and polyphosphates are injected to add weight. Trout fillets treated with food additives will exhibit artificial shine, bright unnatural color, graininess and a slightly bloated appearance. Phosphates leach protein from fish meat, so the nutritional value and benefits of trout drops several times.
