When choosing smoked fish, special care must be taken. The smoked smell can mask the initial poor condition of the raw materials, which can cause food poisoning, for example, causing botulism.
It is necessary
smoked fish
Instructions
Step 1
Be sure to sniff smoked fish before purchasing. If you feel the slightest hint of chemical fragrances, it’s better to skip the purchase right away. Smoked fish of high quality processing gives off a smell of wood smoke, while it should not be pungent, but delicate. If the fish does not smell at all, this is also a cause for concern, most likely, the smell has disappeared and the products are stale.
Step 2
Examine the skin of the fish. If on it you saw a peculiar pattern of depressed cells from the smoke net - this is a good sign, because it means that the processing of raw materials was of high quality and as natural as possible. The size of these cells does not matter. If the surface is rough to the touch, the color is uneven, most likely, the fish has been treated with chemicals and is not worth buying.
Step 3
Pay attention to damage to the fish skins: scratches, dents, etc. If all this takes place, then, it is obvious - the expired shelf life of the fish. There should be no light stripes on the sides of the fish, as they signal a violation of the technology of the smoking process. Such fish may be insufficiently smoked and pose a threat of infection.
Step 4
If you buy hot smoked fish, then take into account the fact that it should be easily separated from the seeds. Cold smoked fish, on the contrary, should be dense, dryish and low-fat. Do not panic if traces of white bloom appear on its surface; according to the rules, a large amount of salt is added to it.
Step 5
Pay attention to the expiration date of the product. In vacuum packaging, cold-smoked fish can be stored for no more than 90 days, hot-smoked - no more than 60 days. In an ordinary refrigerator, unpacked fish are stored for 14 and 6 days, respectively.
