How to check red caviar for purchase: a real or fake - by packaging, appearance. 5 ways to check red caviar for quality at home: Description

In this article, we will consider the distinctive features of a real red caviar from a fake and imitated product, as well as study their test methods.

Red caviar on our table is considered not just a valuable and useful delicacy, but even a little royal treat. And the matter is not at all in its high cost, which is also quite consistent with the name, but how much in its incredible taste. And on the eve of the New Year holidays, almost every family increases the purchase list in order to meet New Year's Eve in the best way.

But in order to eat all year, how to promise us a belief, real red caviar, you need to choose the right product. And although the technology of production very wide has stepped forward, we will still find out how to distinguish it from a fake.

How to choose high -quality and natural red caviar on the shelf of a store on containers?

Choose the right jar or container. The product should in no case be in a plastic container or package. Since it is saturated with chemicals, which in any case is in plastic. It is also undesirable to buy tin banks, because oxidation occurs in them, which significantly reduces the useful share. The most optimal glass is considered. Moreover, in it, when buying, you can study the appearance of eggs in more detail.

Important: whatever you have packaging - it should not have bloating or damage! Particularly danger is carried by metal jars or covers with concave places - this already speaks for harmful oxidation processes inside.

• We look at the expiration date,but not so much on its duration as at the beginning. The fact is that from mid-May, early June and to August-September, precisely the spawning of salmon fish has been going on. But the best period is 7 and 8 months. Therefore, the production and packaging of caviar should be during this period. Otherwise, you have an imitation or a product from a frozen factory.

Important: the numbers themselves should be applied either with a special laser and special colors, or squeezed out from the inside! If they are driven inside the jar and painted with paint, then this is the first dubious bell.

• The region also matters. Where they catch fish and high quality of the product, and not in places where watermelons are grown is quite logical. In our case, this Kamchatka and Sakhalin Region, as well as the Far East and the Kuril Islands.
• GOST-18173-2004 should be required.In this case, the inscription must be - "" caviar granular salmon. " No red or yellow, weakly salted, etc. And if there is no inscription “caviar” on the bank or there is a “imitated/ imitation” line, then immediately put the jar in place!
• Manufacturers are also required to indicate the number of the plant, shift and party. But we pay attention - the fish industry begins with the cipher to the letter "P".This is what indicates the freshness of packaging. But the marking “TU” is already an honest recognition of the use of a frozen batch. But it can also hide some additional components.

Important: caviar in the bank should not hang out or gurgle, squish. She can move, just do it evenly. But you can turn the jar turn over when buying and see - real and high -quality caviar will not fall or slide down!

Choosing a jar of red caviar in composition

• The fact is that real red caviar should not, ideally, have except for table saltthere are any more additional components. But in practice, without preservatives, the goods cannot stand for a long time.
• Therefore, the following knowledge is acceptable:
  • sorbic acid or e 200;
  • sodium benzoate or E 211.

Important: it is considered the most dangerous urotropin. It should not be in the composition, because this chemical is extremely harmful to the body. Possible it marking E 239.

• We also noticed one feature - This is the composition of proteins and fats.Real caviar is germs of fish that have a lot of protein. After all, it is necessary for the normal development of the future, let's say, the fetus.
  • In this caviar, the composition of the protein will be in the range of 14-31 g, and fats-from 10 to 15 g.This is with the calculation for 100 g of the product.
  • But the fake will contain only 1-2 g of protein and the same amount of fat.The amount of fat, as we see in the photo, sometimes practically enters the range of norms. But sometimes this says just about the abundance of fat or vegetable oil.

We conduct a visual revision: what will the appearance of red caviar tell us about?

• If you purchase a product in glass containers, then look at the inner eggs - they should be homogeneous color and the same size.The container should not be mucus, liquid or crushed grains. But they should not be unnaturally round and perfectly even. Eggs can be slightly angular.
• Too bright or pale color is the merit of dyes. In real caviar, he is so radiant with an amber tint. And it is provided by lipochromes or careless natural pigments, which dissolve in internal fat. But the grains of salmon fish will never be a defiant color.
• The same calm and smell of caviar. There is no catchy salinity or herring aroma. But the caviar should smell of fish! True, keep in mind that herring milk is added to the imitated caviar. And their smell certainly does not look like a salmon family.
• Eggs should not be viscous and sticky. Real caviar shredded!
• The taste of red caviar should not be bitter or unnecessarily salty!

Important: if it is possible to taste it, then try to burst the grain. A real egg easily bursts, but does not stick to the teeth. But this inner liquid does not envelop the oral cavity with fat, but as if melting in the mouth.

• Now a little about elasticity. Imited caviar as a gelatin even to the touch. If you try to squeeze a little, then a little springy vibrations will occur. But this does not always happen. It all depends on the quality of the fake!
• And one more important point - Caviar must be wet and as if in the shell. In a fake product, the liquid easily moves away from the eggs, and they turn out a little dry, without such an water enveloping shell. This resembles natural wine, which smoothly flows down the walls of the glass. So the slightly painted liquid in which the caviar is located will be so smoothly dragging from the walls of the grains, as if enveloping them from the surface.
• "Eyes" of caviar Or these small points of future embryos now have a high -quality fake. Therefore, you should not rely purely on them. But there is one pattern - at a fake they are even circle. And in the present - they can have a fragmented character and be of different shapes.
  • If you look closely very carefully, you can see that artificial caviar inside has miniature air bubbles, and they swim. But it still depends on the quality of the product.

We study the color, size of the eggs of red caviar, depending on the type of fish

• Anadromic fish from a salmon family - Keta. Produces the most large red caviar. On average, this is a range from 5 to 7, and sometimes up to 9 mm.Because of this, it is often used to decorate dishes. This caviar has an almost even round shape and a fairly pronounced stain of the embryo. Color - Calm orange with amber notes.
• Also large enough caviar and Fishes champs,but very rare. The diameter fluctuates from 5.5 to 7 mm. The taste of this caviar is bitter and even with a note of severity. Because of this, it is considered a real delicacy for gourmets, since this taste seems very specific to many. The color is more red shade with a high degree of saturation.
• The most popular caviar is From pink salmon.It has eggs in diameter up to 5 mm,which are almost equal in size. Color From light orange to persistent shade.Their shell is less durable than the previous options. It has a universal taste, which is what this caviar fell in love with.
• The smaller diameter has caviar from nonsense– 3-4 mm. But in the Russian market it is extremely rare due to the high price, mass extermination and the main location in the latitudes of Alaska. The color of this caviar - redand much brighter than that of other representatives.
• The most useful caviar At the kizhuch,but again, due to a bitter taste, not so popular. The diameter is up to 3 mm, the color is bright orange.
• It is considered the smallest caviar trout– 2-3 mm.But it has the most wide color spectrumfrom light orange to saturated color with amber notes. It has a pronounced salty taste.

How to check the quality and naturalness of red caviar at home: 5 ways

Now manufacturers are more accurately falsifying real caviar grains. At the same time, they can recreate the packaging with the correct marking and even repeat the necessary color. Therefore, it will not hurt to check the quality of the product before serving on the table. Especially if you took caviar from the manufacturer for a test for wholesale purchase to the whole family and relatives for the holidays.

Important: if you take caviar for weight, then always take a sample of goods! And give preference only to proven sellers. Also, do not take in a plastic container - if possible, give your glass container or immediately shift it from a plastic container.

We trust our smaller brothers - we give a sample of red caviar to the cat

• And all because they have better developed self -preservation instinct. Just give your pet, naturally a cat, smell or try the caviar purchased. The imitated product of the animal is immediately teaching!
• And he is not what is, but he does not want to smell him, turning his head away. By the way, in this way you can check sausages. The animal will not eat a bad product.
• The only negative of this method is not everyone has a cat in the house.

The easiest method of checking red caviar from the fake is the freezer

• We mentioned a little higher that they can cook caviar from a frozen product. But this must be indicated in the marking cipher (TU). Nevertheless, carefully study the composition so that there are no extra E-components, except for the permissible ones.
• But this, if the manufacturer is conscientious, it will be a kind of check.
• From the cold, imitated caviar from gelatin turns into an incomprehensible mass. And it is worth taking note. Do not be lazy literally 1 tbsp. l. Put in the freezer for verification.
• Real caviar after thawing at room temperature naturally (!) Will remain the same as it was before the experiment. That is, the grains will be even, not cooked, without thawed water. And most importantly - they will not lose taste!

We go from the opposite - check the red caviar for a fake with boiling water

• It is also an affordable and very fast way to check the quality of caviar. Repeatedly touched on the topic that caviar is the protein of the future cub of fish. And remember what is happening with chicken in boiling water. That's right - it turns off.
• At caviar, however, everything is done a little differently. She is It stains the water in a muddy color. Eggs are not damaged at the same time. In addition to clouding of water, no fat spots or particles of caviar membrane does not pop up. Over time, this white color lights up a little, but the water remains muddy.
• Artificial caviar - does not give this whiteness to water, because it does not have this natural protein in it. But in abundance, you can observe the picture that various stains and fat circles float on the surface of the water.
• If this is an imitated product, then these shells from gelatin (or other material) simply dissolve in boiling water from high temperature. At the same time, very fragile grains practically dissolve in water, staining water in orange. What also confirms the presence of a coloring pigment. But this already speaks for a very low -quality fake!

Important: sometimes to return the freshness of the caviar, chicken protein is added to it. But in this case, he will foam and whiten between the grains. Therefore, take a closer look at a possible raid!

Any oxidizing agent (hydrogen peroxide) will help establish the naturalness of red caviar

• In this case, hydrogen peroxide is suitable. This is the most affordable analogue. Moreover, you can check the quality even in the store, for example, by weight.
• To do this, literally a few eggs in a spoon or cup fill with peroxide. The reaction will be instant - Denaturation of protein will occur. That is, it will also curl up, and white flakes will appear.
• In fakes - there will be no reaction. As as a result with boiling water, fat divorces will simply appear on the surface, which will indicate the content of vegetable oil in the product.
• And in an imitated product, even these stains may be absent.

We arm the lighter to check the red caviar

• You will need a lighter or matches to heat caviar. If you conduct an experiment at home, then use a spoon. If you want to check the quality before buying, then just dip the coin in caviar or drop it with caviar liquid.
• Place the coin on the edge of the table so as not to burn your hands. And gently heat the metal surface with a match or lighter. Yet again, The protein will curl up from heat. Therefore, visible white stains and trotes will remain on the surface of the spoon/ coins.
• The fake product will simply remain trotes from fat and evaporation of moisture.

Important: and do not forget that after opening and contact with air, it should be stored caviar for no more than 3 days! The maximum is a week, subject to proper temperature from -4 to -6 ° C.

Video: How to check the quality of red caviar?