How to properly salt pink salmon caviar at home

Pink salmon caviar is nutritious, healthy and has an unusual taste that even the most sophisticated connoisseur will enjoy.

Buying this delicacy in a store can cost a pretty penny, as it is a fairly expensive product. It’s cheaper to buy whole fish and cook it yourself. But few people know how to do it correctly.

In this article we will answer the question of how to pickle pink salmon caviar at home. Let's look at the basic recipes for preparing pink salmon caviar. We'll tell you how to remove the shell, what salting options exist, how to save the situation if you over-salted it, and how to store the resulting product.

Salting options

A few simple rules on how to pickle pink salmon caviar so that it turns out delicious.

When purchasing pink salmon, you should clarify how many times and under what conditions the fish was frozen and stored. If you can’t find out, then take already chilled fish. It is suitable for quick salting, about 15-20 minutes. Frozen fish requires a longer period of time for salting.

Choose finely ground salt. It should not contain iodine or other additives.

Remove the caviar very carefully. There is a high risk of damage to the gallbladder. Damage to the gallbladder can ruin the taste.

When defrosting, use the refrigerator. It is not recommended to defrost caviar in a microwave oven or in warm water.

If during the cleaning or salting process you find damaged or burst eggs, try to carefully remove them. They can spoil the taste of the final product or cause the eggs to stick together.

Below we will look at the most popular and fastest ways to pickle pink salmon caviar. There are three methods for salting pink salmon caviar:

• wet. Leave to marinate in table salt brine. After the marinating procedure is completed, it is additionally salted for 3 to 5 hours;
• dry, without using brine. The salting process takes about 10 hours;
• accelerated. Leave to marinate for 5-7 hours. The shelf life of such a product is not very long.

Follow the step-by-step instructions below and you can delight your family and friends with a delicious snack. Cooking times do not include preliminary preparation. By the time of salting, the caviar must be cleared of its core.

How to pickle pink salmon caviar - 4 simple and tasty recipes

Salmon fish caviar is a valuable delicacy. Sometimes a surprise in the form of treasured eggs can be found in uncut pink salmon, and then the happy owner of the treasured delicacy is faced with the question of how to salt pink salmon caviar.

The delicacy is considered royal. Red grains can decorate a festive table, elevating it to the rank of aristocratic grains. Choosing a fresh, already salted delicacy is an art, so it is better to salt pink salmon caviar at home. You can take eggs from frozen or fresh fish - if the fish is fresh, then the likelihood of unsuccessful salting is reduced to zero.

Caviar is good in tartlets, spread on a sandwich with butter, and as a filling for pancakes. Salting does not require any special skills, but a few tricks and subtleties will allow you to achieve an incomparable taste and avoid bitterness that is inappropriate in this dish.

1. If the fish is frozen, then you need to remove the caviar from it and let it defrost at room temperature.
2. The bitterness of the caviar is added by the egg - a transparent film that contains the eggs. Its absence in a dish is an indicator of high quality. But the yastyk adds bitterness. Therefore, removal is not so much an aesthetic matter as a gastronomic one. It can be removed manually or as follows. A tablespoon of salt dissolves in 1 liter of water. The solution is boiled, then cooled to 40°. Caviar is dropped into it and stirred with a whisk or fork. As a result, the joint should remain on the cutlery.
3. For pickling, it is better to use only coarse salt.
4. Salt the caviar in a glass container.

Total cooking time: from 2 to 8 hours depending on the salting method.

With butter

Olive oil will give the eggs shine and an appetizing appearance. This recipe is very simple. With it you can prepare a dish in one night.

Cooking time – 12-14 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 200 grams.
• Salt – 300 grams.
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp.

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 29, fats – 15, carbohydrates – 0, calories – 250 kcal.

Cooking method:

1. Place the product in a glass jar, add salt and olive oil and close the lid.
2. Place the refrigerator in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
3. The product is ready to use.

Without water

This method refers to dry methods of salting water, since it eliminates the use of brine. When salted without water, the taste is rich, and the method is quite simple and quick to implement. We recommend preparing a container of water in advance, since the fish will be salted under pressure.

Cooking time – 6-7 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 250 grams.
• Salt – 0.5 tbsp.
• Sugar – 0.5 tbsp.

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 29, fats – 10, carbohydrates – 4.5, calories – 230 kcal.

Cooking method:

1. Place the caviar in a bowl.
2. Add sugar and salt.
3. Stir gently.
4. Cover with a lid or plate.
5. Place a jar or glass of water on top.
6. Place in the refrigerator for approximately 5 hours.

In Japanese

Salted pink salmon caviar in Japanese style with soy sauce is suitable for those who crave Japanese cuisine. It will acquire a noble dark color and retain its original taste.

Cooking time: 13-14 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 100 grams
• Soy sauce – 3 tbsp.
• Sake – 2 tbsp.

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 17, fats – 5, carbohydrates – 3, calorie content – ​​150 kcal

Cooking method:

1. Mix soy sauce and sake together.
2. Heat the mixture until it thickens.
3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. Place the caviar in a jar or plastic container.
5. Pour in the cooled mixture.
6. Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

You can serve the resulting caviar as a decoration for a fish dish or salad, or as part of your favorite sandwiches.

Important: the list of ingredients does not include salt. Since soy sauce itself is quite salty, only it will be enough for pickling.

How to identify pink salmon with caviar

In principle, it is not difficult to buy pink salmon with caviar; the female is very different from the male. But due to the fact that you buy the fish frozen, it is sometimes difficult to determine. But with an accuracy of 90% you will make the right choice.

Looking at the two heads, you can see the differences. You have found?

On the left is a female, on the right is a male.

The female's nose is more humpbacked, while the male's is sharper than a saber. That's all the difference.

Well, of course, buy whole fish, without any cuts. Even if the belly is intact, but there is a small incision, a small wound, it is better to refrain from such a purchase and choose pink salmon for a friend.

I described in a previous article how unscrupulous sellers check fish carcasses for the presence of caviar. You can look here.

Follow this advice and red caviar is guaranteed to you.

If caviar is found when cutting pink salmon, you should not throw it away. By properly salting the find, you can get a real delicacy. Already salted caviar can be used for sandwiches or preparing original salads.

But when salting, certain subtleties should be taken into account, otherwise the product can easily be spoiled. The calorie content of the finished dish, depending on the recipe, is on average 220 kcal.

With lemon juice and herbs

Using lemon juice and herbs will give the caviar an unusual and rich taste and will delight your taste buds.

Cooking time: 3-4 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 500 grams.
• Salt – 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil – 120 ml.
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• Ground white pepper – 0.5 tsp.
• Greens - to taste

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 20, fats – 7, carbohydrates – 0.6, calorie content – ​​150 kcal.
Method of preparation:

1. Place the caviar in a deep container.
2. Add salt and ground white pepper.
3. Mix gently and thoroughly.
4. Add vegetable oil and juice of one lemon.
5. Stir again and cover with a plate or lid.
6. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

To serve, we recommend using a beautiful plate and garnishing with finely chopped herbs on top.

According to GOST

The caviar that we most often find in stores meets certain standards and GOSTs. And you shouldn’t think that you can only get it through industrial salting. According to GOST, pink salmon caviar can be prepared independently at home.

Cooking time – 4-5 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 500 grams
• Water – 1 liter.
• Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Peeled potatoes – 2 pcs.
• Salt - to taste

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 30, fats – 12, carbohydrates – 0, calories – 230 kcal

Cooking method:

Note:

There is no recommendation in this recipe for how much salt to use. The floating potato will serve as a guide to the amount of salt. As soon as it rises, you need to stop pouring salt.

1. Pour water into a saucepan, put on fire and bring to a boil.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the potatoes.
3. Start salting the water until the potatoes float to the surface.
4. Remove the potatoes from the water and add caviar instead.
5. Leave for 15-20 minutes.
6. Strain the water with eggs through a colander or sieve.
7. Transfer the caviar to a dry paper towel and leave for 3-4 hours to dry.
8. Take a jar or plastic container. Transfer the dried caviar into a container and pour in vegetable oil.
9. Mix thoroughly but gently.

The product is ready to use.

Salting pink salmon caviar for long-term storage

Caviar can be stored not only for a couple of days, but also for a longer time if you salt it correctly. You need to take a more concentrated solution of salt and water, then the eggs will be salted better.

Compound:

• 3 liters of water;
• 500 g caviar;
• kg table salt;
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil.

How to cook:

Place water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat after boiling. Add salt to boiling water and stir until it completely dissolves.

Place the caviar in warm salted water and leave for 20 minutes. If you like the product saltier, then increase the time to half an hour.

Then take a plastic sieve and drain the brine. Do not shake the sieve to avoid damaging the grains. When all the water has drained, place the caviar on a paper towel. Leave it for a couple of hours to dry.

When the eggs are slightly dry from moisture, transfer them to a storage container, add oils for a glossy shine and place the jar in the refrigerator. You can try the product as soon as it has cooled a little.

On a note!

The saltier the caviar, the longer it will last.

In natural cream

Pink salmon caviar and cream are simply made to be combined together. And this is a very unusual and one might even say royal way of serving, which will delight your guests and make any gatherings pleasant and elegant. The prepared dish can be used as an independent snack or as a sauce for sandwiches.

Cooking time: 3-4 hours.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 200 grams
• Natural cream, fat content not less than 20% - 5 tbsp. l.
• Ground black or white pepper - 1 pinch
• Onion – 1 pc.
• Salt – 1 tsp.

Per 100 grams of product: proteins – 20, fats – 13.2, carbohydrates – 1.1, calorie content – ​​200 kcal
. Method of preparation:

Peel the onion and chop finely.

Advice!

If you don’t like the onion taste, you can always discard the onion.

1. Add caviar, salt and pepper to the onion. Mix.
2. Add cream. Mix everything thoroughly again.
3. Cover with a plate or lid.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
5. Before serving, we recommend stirring the mixture again. Transfer to serving containers.

Important! There is no need to put an additional press on top.

Our original dish with an unusual taste is ready to be served.

Frying caviar correctly

Pink salmon caviar can be fried in its original form, or you can fry cutlets, pancakes and other interesting and tasty dishes. But we will still consider in this recipe the preparation of fried caviar in a frying pan with vegetable oil. This dish is very tasty and takes little time. Begin.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes.

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.

Number of servings: 2-3.

Required Products:

• Caviar – 400 grams
• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Sour cream – 2 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil – 50 grams.
• Flour or breadcrumbs – 150 grams.
• Pepper, salt - to taste

Cooking method:

1. We leave the caviar in a protective film. Rinse under running cold water, removing mucus, using a sieve or colander.
2. Leave for a while to allow the remaining water to drain.
3. At the same time, prepare the batter. Mix eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, 50 grams of flour in a deep bowl.
4. Beat the mixture until smooth.
5. Dip each piece of caviar in a protective film in batter on all sides.
6. Then roll in flour or breadcrumbs.
7. Preheat the frying pan well. Pour in vegetable oil.
8. Place the breaded caviar into the frying pan and fry on each side until golden brown. Approximately 5-7 minutes on each side.

Important!

If the pieces are too large, you can cut them into smaller pieces.

The dish is ready to eat. Fried pieces can be eaten as an independent dish, or served with a side dish. We recommend taking mashed potatoes, rice or vegetables as a side dish.

Methods for cleaning pink salmon caviar from film

Before you start peeling caviar from the film, you need to know how to properly defrost a fish product. It is important here to prevent a sharp temperature change, otherwise the eggs will simply burst. In order to maintain their integrity, you need to transfer the fish from the freezer to the top shelf of the refrigerator, where the pink salmon will defrost at temperatures up to 6 degrees for eight hours.

There are a lot of options for cleaning caviar; some housewives manage to do it in one way: clean the caviar and rinse it immediately.

You can separate the caviar from the film using a sieve. You need to take inventory with cells that will be larger than the caviar itself. Place the product on a sieve and, with light pressure, begin to let the caviar pass through. As a result, the film will catch on the sieve, and the caviar will end up in the bowl.

Regular gauze will also help remove the film from the delicacy. To do this, place the fish product and its contents on cheesecloth, wrap it and immerse it in boiling water for two minutes. Remove and immediately transfer to a bowl of cool water. After this, the film can be easily separated from the grains.

A mixer is another simple method for cleaning caviar. Place a bowl of grains in any container, take a mixer with snake attachments and start beating at low speed. During the beating process, the film will wrap around the beaters. All that remains is to select the remaining roe by hand, place the caviar on a sieve and rinse under cold water.

What to do if you oversalt

If during the salting process or when you taste it, you suddenly realize that it is too salty. Then you can try to wash off the excess salt.

1. Transfer the over-salted product to a deep plate or pan.
2. Take warm water, approximately 35-40 degrees Celsius.
3. The volume of water should be twice the volume of caviar.
4. Stir the eggs for 4-5 minutes. This time is enough for the salt to dissolve.
5. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a sieve and leave for another 10-15 minutes to allow the remaining water to drain.
6. The caviar will be less salty.

How to store salted caviar

Caviar is unique in its content of minerals beneficial to humans. By eating it, you can reduce allergic manifestations. By improving blood circulation, the risk of blood clots is reduced. The production of enzymes and nutrients in the upper layers of the skin is activated. The surface of the skin improves and acquires a pleasant appearance.

The average caloric content ranges from 220 to 270 kcal per 100 grams of product. Protein content from 30 to 35%, fat from 10 to 18%. It is recommended to use to improve brain activity and visual functions. In many cases, caviar is consumed after a number of illnesses.

Having caviar at home is useful. But the question also arises of how to properly store it at home so that it retains its beneficial properties.

To preserve the quality of caviar, I use special preservatives in production. But it is impossible to use preservatives at home. The average shelf life of caviar at home is two days. You can extend the shelf life by using olive oil. Place the caviar in a glass container. The eggs should lie tightly adjacent to each other. Pour in three tbsp. l. olive oil.

Important! Glass containers are best suited for storage.

Close the jar tightly with the lid. Place in the refrigerator. If you decide to open your supplies, remember that they must be consumed within 2 days. It is no longer possible to freeze the product again.

In case of long-term storage for one and a half to two months, purchase small containers made of plastic. Divide the entire volume into containers. Close the lid. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then move the containers to the freezer.

Important! Freezing leads to the loss of its valuable qualities. Therefore, try to freeze only in a desperate situation. If there is a lot of caviar, share it with friends or relatives. It will be much healthier than storing it in the freezer.

The best temperature for storing salted caviar is in the range from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius.

First of all, give preference to fresh frozen fish. Female caviar is better suited for salting. The female differs from the male in her nose and teeth. The female's nose is wide and rounded. The teeth do not protrude, but are hidden in the oral cavity.

How to salt frozen fish roe

If you start cutting frozen fish, then the caviar inside will also be frozen. You can salt it, the taste will not differ at all from the product bought in the store, and you will save a lot of money.

Compound:

• 200-250 g frozen pink salmon caviar;
• 3 tbsp. salt;
• 500 ml water;
• tbsp olive oil.

How to cook:

It is difficult to peel frozen fish eggs by hand, so either wait until they melt or put them in hot water for 7-8 minutes. Remove the film from the eggs; it will come off well after warm water.

Heat the water and add the specified amount of salt to it. Dip the caviar into the brine and leave to settle for 25-30 minutes. Place the grains in a colander to drain the brine. There is no need to rinse them with clean water.

Transfer the salted product into a jar and pour in olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil at home, take regular vegetable oil.

Attention!

Do not defrost caviar in the microwave or in very hot water, it will cook.

How to make sure you get high-quality fresh frozen fish

The fish's eyes should be clear and fresh.

It should not have an unpleasant odor.

Pink salmon should have red and dense gills.

How to properly cut pink salmon.

If you come across very frozen fish, give it time to thaw. We usually wonder how long to defrost red fish? On average you will need 3 to 4 hours.

Rip open the fish's belly from the head to the anus. To cut the fish, use a sharp knife, but do not plunge it too deep into the belly. There is a risk of damage to the caviar or other internal organs.

Using a knife, you need to process the side walls and remove the eggs with caviar. To do this, insert a knife between the wall and the bag and press it slightly. Repeat the procedure.

Carefully separate the caviar bags from the insides and rinse them under running water to remove mucus and other substances.

How to prepare red caviar from pink salmon?

There are several options for salting caviar:

• In the yastyks. With this method, the product is not cleaned from the film, but is salted directly in it.
• Purified product. Before salting, the film is removed and the caviar is stored in jars

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Yastiki with caviar

Recipe:

• This recipe is suitable if there is no time for salting at all.
• Place the product in the container directly in the container and completely fill it with salt.
• After 30 minutes, the product is washed and gently rubbed through a sieve.
• To prevent the delicacy from drying out, add a little sunflower oil.
• It is advisable to have such a product immediately

How to prepare red caviar from pink salmon?