In Russia, properly salted pike caviar was considered a real delicacy and was appreciated along with red and black caviar. Amber-colored crumbly eggs were served as a snack, and festive pancakes were made with them. Today you can buy this caviar on the market, but if you are lucky and managed to get fresh pike caviar, you can salt it yourself.
Preparing caviar for salting at home
To prepare delicious salted pike caviar at home, you will need:
- 300 g of pike caviar;
- 1.5 liters of bottled water;
- finely ground salt.
If you do not have fine salt available, grind regular table salt in a coffee grinder.
Also prepare a large high-rimmed bowl, a can or tall basin, a colander, a piece of cheesecloth, a tablespoon, and a fork. You will also need to position yourself so that there is a faucet with cold running water nearby.
Yastiki - whole bags containing caviar, put in a bowl and gently, prying with a fork, tear the films of these caviar bags, but do not remove them. Boil bottled water and pour boiling water into a bowl. Stir the caviar vigorously in boiling water using a fork. Do the movements as if whipping with a whisk and the films will begin to wrap around the teeth of the fork, remove and discard them. The eggs should separate in the process and turn a pale yellow color.
Gently drain hot water and pour cold tap water into a bowl and drain. Do this several times until the water in the bowl is cold and clear. Stir the caviar again with a fork, removing the remnants of the films. If there is any suspension in the water, the caviar must still be washed.
Filtration of caviar before salting
Pour the caviar and water into a can or small bowl with high sides. Due to the difference in weight, the eggs fall to the bottom faster, and the suspension remains in the upper layers of water. Drain the water and repeat the operation several times, stirring the contents of the can with a fork, so that the suspension - the remains of small vessels feeding the eggs - is completely removed.
Drain the caviar from the can into a colander lined with gauze folded in several layers. When the bulk of the liquid has drained, collect the gauze with a bag and, lightly stroking it from top to bottom, remove the remaining water. Transfer the caviar to a bowl.
Before eating, ready-made caviar must be kept in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
How to salt pike caviar
To eat the caviar within a few days, season it with salt to taste and place it in a clean jar with a linen lid. In the case when there is a lot of caviar and you are going to store it for some time, you need to put a little more salt. In this case, the caviar may foam slightly, this is normal. Stir it with salt, arrange in jars, leaving some free space, and refrigerate. You can pour some olive oil on top. Pike caviar can be stored in a closed jar for up to 2 months.
