CAVIAR and OTHER FISH ROE PRODUCTS
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CAVIAR and OTHER FISH ROE PRODUCTS by Norman D. Jarvis ,- Fishery Leaflet 567 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES .) Created in 1849 the Department of the Interior--a depart ment of conservation --i s concerned with the management, conservation, and development of the Nation's water, fish, wildlife, mineral, forest, and park and recreational resources. It also has major responsibilities for Indian and Territorial affairs. As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the De partment works to assure that nonrenewable resources are developed and used wi sely, that park and recreational re sources are conserved for the future, and that renewable resources make their full contribution to the progress, pros perity, and security of the United States--now and in the future. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Stewart L. Udall, Secretary James K. Cllrr, Under Se creta r y Frank P. Briggs, A ssistant Secretary jor Fish and Wildlife FISH AKD WILDLIFE SERVIC E, Clarence F. Pautzke, Commissioner BURE.\ U OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, Donald L. McKernan. Dil'ector Washington, D.C. 20240 May 1964 CAVIAR AND OTHER FISH ROE PRODUCTS The roes or e~~s OT fish :t re The amount of roe obtained from among the most valuable OT the mis an individual fish usually runs cellaneous food products from fish from 10 to 70 pounds, varying with ery sources. With few exceptions, size, species, and locality. Occa almost any species may be utilized sional large specimens may yield if the roe is large enough. The roes more than 100 pounds of roe. of sturgeon, salmon, mullet, alewife, The "cow" sturgeon should be whitefish, sea herring, cod, haddock, landed as soon as caught, the belly and tuna are the most important slit, and the roe rE'llloved. The roe ones used in fish curing. A variety must not be washed with fresh ,Yater of curing methods may be used. Sea herring roe is air dried by as this tends to soften and break the Alaskan Indians. Sturgeon and shells of the individual eggs. It is salmon eggs are salted in brine and a Iso reported that roe washed in pld under the name caviar. Mul- fresh water will not cure so well and 1et roes are dry-salted, salted and is inferior in both texture and fla air-dried, and brine-cured in the vor. Exposure to direct sunlight is southern Atlantic States. Cod roe also a cause of deterioration. Rigid is salted and smoked in the northern cleanliness and speed in handling European countries. Tuna roe is are essential to production of a good salted and air-dried in the Mediter quality caviar. ranean area. The roe is placed on a work table CAVIAR with part of its surface made of a Caviar may be made from the roe Vi -inch wire-mesh screen. A sec of various species of fish but in the ond finer mesh screen below this popular mind, caviar and sturgeon slants at a 45° angle into a large are synonymous. The reason for tub. Some curers place a sieve with this belief is that sturgeon caviar a 1,4 -inch mesh directly over a large was the first variety to be sold com wooden mixing tub. The egg sac mercially. is slit carefully so that the individ To make good caviar, the roe of ual eggs are not damaged and the the sturgeon should be taken just roe is separated into portions. The before it is fully developed or curer rubs portions of the roe on the "ripe," and while it is still hard. sieve gently, using the full palm of If the roe is immature or "green" the hand. The individual eggs are it does not make a good grade of separated from the membrane and caviar. Soft, fully developed roe fall through the mesh onto the in spawning condition also makes screen below, sliding gradually into J inferior product. the tub. Slime, blood, and bits of 1 lllel!lbrallt' drain through the sel'olld As ';0011 as the requ ired am( screen, Vigo!'ous rubbing is apt to of salt has beell added, Pggs alld crush Illany indi\'idnal eggs, and to ShOll hI be thoroughly mixed fo!'ce pipeps of t issllt' and ot Iwr for halld, Pad dIps or otlwr stir eign matprial thmugh till' Illt'sh of IltPlls ib are llot rpcollllllelHled, the sien>, This fOl'\'ign matl'rial 1'I'CH 'PS~ of stirring is the most ( IIlllst tl1l'n Iw separatl,d from the t'ate operation in curillg cal t'g!!.; in lIlt' lllixing tllb, thus delay Only traillPd men of lIl11eh eXI l'nce ca ll do it really \\'ell, ayoi( illg rlt t> l'uring 11l'Ot'PSs, Tit., q:::gs. whidl lpok like small 1I1l1lt'I'I'SSa ry ureakagf' of eg~ sl'('llrillg a n ('\'en blend of eggs shot. an' 1\(1 \ \ rl'ady for salting and 1li1.,\lllg, Cayiar Illa!.; ,'!'s ,'!aim that salt. At tir,;t the egg llIass wi l "til'ky bllt a brine is ,;oon forme l !iua lity dl']ll'lHb brgt' ly on skill in tlIP strOllg attl'aetion of the salt salt illg and type of salt used . ~ o m e l'a\'iar lll akl'rs \\ith Ellropean (' x till' liqllid l'ontent of the e ('obb (WI!)) stated that both hl IWril'IIl't, daim that the ht'st qu;l1ity shOll lei be 1I,;('t! to III ix t he eggs caliaI' l.'an only be Illadt' if Llme salt thoroughly for ;) to S mill IIPr;.!' 01' Hllss ian cal'iar ",alt is lI";l" 1. IIl1til foalll 01" slime appeared 011 Others rl'l'ort eXl'ellt'nt n'sult s Iyith of the egg mass, The mass i ~ tIlt' mild-t' lIn' salt, uSPll for sahllol!. 100\'ed to stand for about 1U min .\ 11 agl'l'l' that the sa It Illust be dis niblltet1 PH>nly o\'er tIll' eggs, This and is then mixed again. By time a co piolls brine should I is aecolllplished IDY sifting the salt throllgh a nlle Sipl'p, on'r the egg formed, so t ha t the eggs will I readily. If the operatioll has ' mass. properly performed a slight noi It is agT l>t> tl t hat till' (' me should bl:' pe rcept i blew hen the maSE mild as lll'a\'ily cured roe will sell stirred., like small pieces of ~ only to the cheapest trade, and that rubbing against one another. the amount of salt needed will yary according to the condition of the roe, t he season (less salt is needed The sa !ted eggs are transfeJ in cold "eat her) , shipping condi to trays with a tine wire-mesh tions, and the species of sturgeon tom (~/32 -inch mesh) holding al used. The amount of American 10 pounds each. These trays dairy or mild-cure salt should be placed between cleats on sIan' consistently sonH',,'hat less than the boards set against a wall. TheJ European snIt since the former con main here until the brine is c tains less chemical impurities anll, pletely drained away. SufficiE therefore, penetrates more rapidly. of drainage is determined by pI European references commonly ing against the underside of a 1 giye 8 pounds of salt per 100 at a single point. If the mass crl pounds of roe as an all around a Yer open, the cure is completed and ,!ge (Hoffman (undated) and Jac mass Illay be removed. The t obsen 19:26). required for drainage is reporte 2 vary from 2 to 4 hours. Good a few days until the caVIa r has draining is very important, for if settled. The head space thlls the caviar is "soupy" when received formed is filled with caviar so that by the dealer it must be drained no air space is left, the top is fixed again, and the resulting loss in on tightly, and the container is weight is charged against the ready for shi plllent. If po:-::-:i bIt" shipper. light and dark colored roe :-:hollld Radcliffe (1925) reports that: be cured and packaged separatl'ly. The illlilressioll of some fishermen that Mixing the two colors ,giH:-: tIlt' the more salt added the heavier will be product a speckled appearallce, the caviar is wrong. The addition of making it less valuable than ca viar salt extracts the water frOIll the eggs ann of uniform color. Until'\' 110 cir reduces their weight. For the caviar to retain its delidous flavor the roe must cumstances should any ehl'lllical be mildly curPll. If an excess of salt has preservative be used, been used, the cadar on being treated hy Caviar should he shipped and hl'ld the canners will taste so strongly of :salt in chill storage at ;~..J- 0 t.(1 ;W O F, If as to be praeticnlly unsalahle. The only changes in the amount of salt depE'nd the curer does not ha ve n'frigl'l':lt .,.1 npon temlleratllre conditions. In ("old shipping facilitil's the l'fliitallll'r weather as little as one pound of the should be placed ill la I'ge lw'l'l' b or )ulleberg salt 0r one-half pound of the boxes and sUlToumll'd with in'. dair~ ' salt to 18 pounds of roe may be "When packagpd for tIll' l Tllit('(1 !'ufficient, but in very warlll weather as high as one pound of thp Luneuel"/!; salt States retail trade, c:n -ia I' i:-: tillpd or one-half pound of the dairy salt to 9 into cans holding 11/2 to :!, -L alld 8 pounas of roe may be required.