Processing technology of caviar and roe

The ovaries of all kinds of spawning marine fish, shellfish and freshwater fish can be used as food, and fish eggs are considered to be a very nutritious food in many parts of the world, with high protein content, less raw material pollution and good taste. Therefore, fish egg products are very popular in the world market.

1. Processing of caviar

The term "caviar" is often used to refer to fish eggs produced in a special way. Black caviar used to be a delicacy in royalty abroad, but now it is a beauty and healthy diet for fashionistas and friends who love food and care about losing weight. Caviar contains trace elements, mineral salts, proteins, amino acids and recombinant basic fatty acids for the skin. It can not only effectively moisturize the nutritious skin, but also make the skin delicate and smooth. Therefore, in terms of its own nutritional value, it has a broad market prospect.

Caviar can be made from a variety of fish eggs, and specific products are generally identified, including the name of the fish that obtained the eggs and, in some cases, the water in the place where the fish was caught. This situation is most common especially in products of high quality and high price.

The processing technology is as follows: raw material → egg extraction, → ovary grading → seed extraction, → rinsing → selection, → pickling, → drying, → drying, → packaging, → finished product storage.

1. Raw materials require the best use of fresh fish roe, frozen fish roe can also be used, but need to thaw, the process is more tedious and for the protection of fish roe, there are requirements for the thawing process.

two。 In order to pay attention to hygiene and minimize pollution, fish eggs must be taken carefully. Fresh fish roe are soft and variable in shape and easy to break. if rinsed in concentrated salt water, the fish roe will shrink due to rapid dehydration, affecting the economic value of the finished product. Therefore, fresh fish eggs are generally treated by setting.

There are generally two methods of setting treatment: in vivo setting and in vitro setting. In vivo setting refers to the treatment of fresh fish caught with ice and 10-12 Baume salt or 10% salt, which can not only keep fresh but also shorten the setting time, and the effect is good. In vitro setting refers to the method of setting fish roe after being removed from the fish body, which is suitable for mature fish roe taken from fresh fish. While taking the seed, it is put into 8 Bomedo salt water, soaked for 4 hours, and the shape is basically fixed before rinsing.

When thawing frozen fish roe, in order to maintain the freshness of raw materials and ensure the quality of products, the thawing method of light salt water is generally used. This can shorten the production cycle.

3. Ovarian grading classifies the ovaries according to type and quality. In the grading process, the state of the intact ovary (egg size, shape, opacity or translucency, connection fastness, etc.) and freshness (color, fastness, flavor, etc.) are the main factors. Better ovaries are used to produce caviar, while poorer ovaries are partially or completely salted.

4. The process of obtaining fish eggs from the ovaries is called screening, which is usually done manually, and can also be performed automatically for some fish species. Artificial screening is to squeeze the ovaries through a rotating stainless steel barbed wire or other mesh material to allow the eggs to pass through the mesh while the connected tissue is left on it. The automatic system uses mechanical force or enzyme system to separate fish eggs, and uses salt to preserve fish eggs and obtain ideal shape and elasticity.

5. The pickling process is very important and reacts quickly. The time of salting may take 2 to 20 minutes, which mainly depends on the size, quality and final salt concentration of the fish species and eggs.

6. Drain the salt and put it on a mat to dry or throw water in a centrifuge, then put it in a metal, plastic or other container.

Changes in the basic processing process depend on the type of fish and the final processed products, such as granular caviar, seasoned caviar, smoked caviar, etc. If preservatives or other additives such as pigments are added, they should be added after draining. Packaged products are also sterilized. In order to maintain good quality, vacuum packaging must be used, and products must be frozen or refrigerated.