Preservy: what is it? Preserves and canned food - what is the difference between them

Not so long ago, on the shelves of our stores, fish preserves appeared in great variety. What is it, does not everyone know. Many are sure that this is just another, more fashionable name for canned food. However, this is not at all the case. What is the difference between visually identical banks, we will explain in this article.

Preserves: what is it and how do they differ from canned food

Canned fish at least occasionally - in a hike, in the country, on fishing - use everything. Even if not directly from the can, then in salads. The process of manufacturing them is of little interest, therefore for most ordinary consumers, preserves and canned goods, as they say, are "one person". But the main difference between them is in the ways of processing fish. When canning, it must be subjected to thermal sterilization: the temperature and provides such a long shelf life of the product. Another thing preserves. What it is? This canned food, rolled up without cooking and scalding. Suppressing the activity of bacteria is provided by salt and antiseptics. Due to this, the taste of the fish turns out to be more vivid, it retains its useful qualities, but is stored, respectively, not so long.

Use of preserves in cooking

Any housewife will dictate the curious recipes of at least three salads with canned fish. Many can teach a beginner chef to prepare with her first dishes - they are also quite a few. In this respect, fish preserves again differ from canned fish. Due to the peculiarities of their preparation, the rich taste of fish is not too suitable for participation in salads and other things. Most often, preserves act as an independent snack - on sandwiches or with onion and lean oil. Fans often replace oil with mayonnaise - and the combination is not at all bad.

What raw materials are used in preserves: popularity rating

Note that at the current time for such products not all breeds of fish are used. The most common are herring preserves. By the way, they are most willingly bought: they have a taste, like natural "herring from a barrel", which attracts consumers. On the second place on demand - red fish in preserves. Let her and dear, but on a festive table her allow themselves many. Fish preserves are also made from capelin, mackerel, saury and sprat. However, the volumes of their production are lower, and the popularity lags behind the herrings.

Varieties of preserves

It may appear that fish preserves are made only from salted fish and are poured exclusively with sunflower oil. However, it is not. Manufacturers have developed many gas stations, so there is plenty to choose from.

By cutting fish, preserves are divided into two categories:

1. Undivided carcass. Can be canned or spicy salting. Produced from herring, mackerel, capelin, horse mackerel. At the heart of the filling is a brine, which includes sugar, spices, salt and sodium benzoate.
2. Finished fish. For such preserves are suitable anchovies, again - mackerel and herring, and different types of salmon. Cutting can be on fillets, slices and slices.

For preserves from the cut fish, marinades are most often used:

1. Gourmet sauce. It is based on lean oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and sugar. Components can be complemented with herbs and spices.
2. Sour cream sauce with horseradish. The broth from the set of spices is poured with shredded horseradish; After pouring the infusion diluted with sour cream.
3. White sauce: mayonnaise plus sour cream, spiced with spices. As a preservative - citric acid.
4. Fruit sauce. Juice can be any, although usually used apple (as an option - with the addition of lemon) and tomato. Spices and spices are at the discretion of the manufacturer.

In cans with preserves, sometimes pickled onions are added; For a raisin there are additives of berries of a cranberry, a juniper, etc.

How to make preserves

Since this product does not require heat treatment, the production of preserves begins with the obligatory salting or marinating of the fish - either a whole carcass, or cut into fillets or pieces. Depending on the composition of the fill, the fish is kept in it for several hours (with brine and vinegar) up to a month (if the brine is made on the basis of lactic acid). In order that the shelf life of preserves is not limited to a couple of days (fish, as you know, spoils quickly), a preservative-antiseptic is added to marinades. In his role, most commonly used is sodium benzoate, although advanced manufacturers increasingly replace it with salts of carboxylic acids as safer compounds.

Packing for preserves

Another common misconception - preserves must be packed in plastic. Most often, no doubt, there is such a package. It is caused by the fact that tin containers need to varnish the inner surface - marinades are quite aggressive, and can oxidize pure metal. This processing increases the cost of filling material, and so expensive. Often you can see on the shelves of fish preserves in glass jars. However, they are gradually phased out of such containers - the breaking material increases the losses during transportation and storage.

It should also be taken into account that manufacturers of canned food also begin to use plastic containers, especially for products of increased demand, which will certainly not be stored for long. So, if you are looking for a particular prescription, read the labels, and do not trust the established myths.

Lovers of fish must definitely pay attention to preserves. What is it, we told, the advantages described. Just do not forget to store them in the fridge - and not too long. As the product was not treated with heat, at low temperatures it quickly deteriorates.