When there is no problem with the assortment of products, there is a problem of choice. Fortunately, when choosing herring, you can evaluate its quality literally by eye, although this does not always apply to the degree of salinity of the fish. Several telltale signs will help you make the right choice.
What to look for when buying a herring
The question of choice will be significantly difficult if you buy herring in banks. In this case, carefully read the label, pay attention to the type and shelf life of the product. The grade must be of the highest quality, and the shelf life is still valid. If you like lightly salted herring, you should choose preserves. Their shelf life is short precisely because fish is low in salt and other preservatives.
It is much easier to choose loose herring. Here you can evaluate its quality without any problems. Of course, the features of the choice depend on the type of herring, it can be Iwashi, Atlantic or, for example, the Black Sea. The common characteristic they all have is their appearance. The fish must be whole, not deformed and undamaged. Carcass color, if the herring is not smoked, silvery, without rusty spots. There should be no white plaque on the skin, which forms if salt containing foreign impurities was used for salting.
One of the external signs of light salinity is the color of the eyes - they are red in fresh salted herring.
Press your finger on the side of the herring, it should be firm and the indentation from the finger should not remain on it. The one with a thicker back will be tastier than its less well-fed neighbors. A fat belly is a sign of caviar or milk. What exactly can be determined by the roundness of the mouth. Herring females have a round mouth, while males have a slightly elongated and narrow mouth. Gourmets prefer males, their meat is fatter and, therefore, tastier.
If possible, look under the gill covers. The color of the gills should be dark red, they themselves are elastic and dense in structure, they should not emit any smell of the gills, except for the aroma of spices, if the herring is spicy salting. The dark brown color of the gills may indicate that the fish has expired or that it has not been stored properly. The eyes of the fish should not be cloudy, unless it is with caviar - in this case, it is less greasy and not so tasty, since it expended its vitality on the production of eggs.
If the fish is very salty, fillet it and soak it in milk or black tea for several hours.
How to keep a herring at home
Cut the slab and cut into pieces 1, 5-2 cm wide, put them in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Prepare the brine - boil a glass of any beer on the stove, adding bay leaves, a little salt and black peppercorns. Cool the brine and pour it over the herring, you can pour a little vegetable oil on top. Put the jar in the refrigerator and try to eat the herring within the next week.
