With the arrival of summer, fish falls into the category of the most dangerous foods. It is made dangerous by sellers who do not want to get rid of fish spoiled in the heat and pass it off as smoked. Both the look and the aroma of such a product are very attractive. So the buyer is faced with the question of how to recognize spoiled fish.
Trust the sense of smell
Nowadays, you can often fall for the bait of producers who "smoke" fish with liquid smoke. Both the external resemblance and the aroma of such fish with smoked fish are very great. The catch is that liquid smoke does not preserve the product, but only serves as a colorant and flavoring agent. And often spoiled fish undergoes just such a treatment. Unlike real smoked fish, which has a delicate aroma of wood smoke, this fish smells like chemistry or has a pungent smoke smell. If the smell is absent, then it is likely that it has disappeared, and the shelf life of the fish has long expired.
Thorough inspection
Naturally processed fish can have a depressed cellular pattern. Then all doubts should be dispelled. Chemically treated fish may have a rough feel and uneven coloration.
Shelf life
A clear sign of expired shelf life will be the presence of dents and scratches on the skin of the fish. Light stripes on the sides of the fish indicate improper smoking technology.
The shelf life of hot smoked fish in the refrigerator is 5 days, it can be stored in a vacuum package for 2 months. Cold smoked fish can be stored for up to two weeks, in the freezer for a month, and for three months in a vacuum package.
Types of smoking
There are two types of smoking - cold and hot. With hot smoking, fish is processed at an increasing temperature from 50 to 80 degrees for 6-8 hours. Hot smoked fish has a denser consistency and a pronounced smoked taste. With high-quality processing, fish meat is easily separated from the bones.
With cold smoking, fish processing takes place at a temperature of 20 to 32 degrees, it lasts from a day to three weeks. This fish is softer and softer. A normal phenomenon is traces of white bloom on the surface, this is from excess salt during processing.
Smoking proof
Both whole fish and chopped fish must bear proof that they were hung while smoking, and not just doused with liquid smoke. That is, traces of ropes, indentations, or the ropes themselves should remain on the skin of the fish. The ropes must certainly be pressed into the fish skin.
