Fish is an essential part of the human diet. It contains a lot of proteins, vitamins and minerals, and relatively few calories. The main thing when choosing fish is not to be mistaken with the degree of its freshness. After all, as the hero of Bulgakov said, there is only one freshness - the first, it is also the last. There are several ways to check the quality of fish.
Instructions
Step 1
Examine the appearance of the fish. If it has a natural color, firm and elastic, with shiny and moist scales, and its skin is not damaged, you can safely take it. Fish that has been frozen and thawed several times looks dull and has a darkened cover. The nutritional value of such a product is much lower. An old fish has a curved tail. And if the surface of the fish is sticky, too pale, and the scales are dry and brittle, then you have a stale product in front of you.
Step 2
Sniff the fish. If it is fresh, the smell will be light, and slightly stronger if the gill strip is raised. But the rich fishy smell suggests that she has been waiting for buyers for a long time.
Step 3
Look at the fish eyes. If they are cloudy, dry, crumbly, you have a spoiled product in front of you. Fresh fish have bright, prominent and transparent eyes.
Step 4
Pay attention to the gills, lift them up. In fresh fish, they are bright red, bright pink or grayish red (in frozen) color. The gills should not be black or dark red, unless they are sturgeon, beluga, sterlet or other sturgeon. They have dark gills with a reddish tint. Darkening, stains, mucus on the gills do not speak in favor of the freshness of the fish. In addition, the gill plates should not stick together.
Step 5
Feel the fish. Her belly should be moderately soft, not swollen, and the back more firm, but not too much, otherwise you are dealing with old fish. On the belly of fresh fish, there are no dents from the fingers (unless, of course, extra effort is made).
Step 6
Take the fish by the head and tail and bend. The carcass will bend gently without breaking if fresh.
Step 7
You can determine the freshness of a fish by dipping it into water. A substandard one will emerge, and a fresh one will sink.
