How to tell if sardines are fresh? Characteristics of sardines

Friends who like to eat sardines have a benefit online today, come to Encyclopedia Knowledge Network to claim it! Today we mainly share and introduce you some common daily tips on sardines, such as how to tell whether sardines are fresh, the characteristics of sardines, what to use to remove the fishy smell of sardines, etc. We hope you like it.

Contents of this article

1. How to tell if sardines are fresh

2. Characteristics of Sardines

3. What to use to remove the fishy smell of sardines

How to tell if sardines are fresh

The surface of fresh sardines is shiny and the whole body is bright white. If the surface is dull, it means that they have been stored for a long time.

The eyes of fresh sardines are clear and bright, and very plump and lively. If the color is turbid, do not buy them.

The scales of sardines are very neat, as if they were specially arranged. However, the scales of stale sardines will fall off and appear very messy. Do not choose such sardines.

If the sardines are fresh and healthy, then after the gill covers are opened, the gill fibers will be very clear and bright red. This kind of sardine has high nutritional value and the meat is very delicious. However, if the sardines are not fresh, the gills will be loose, which proves that they have been stored for a while, so do not choose them.

Generally, there will be some fishy smell when you get close to it, but it is not very strong. If you smell a fishy smell and it is disgusting, it proves that the fish is no longer fresh.

Characteristics of Sardines

Sardines are small, slender, silvery fish with a short, single dorsal fin, no lateral line, and a scaleless head. They are about 15 to 30 centimeters long. Sardines migrate along the coast, feeding on large amounts of plankton. They spawn mainly in the spring, and the eggs and hatched fry a few days later drift with the water until they metamorphose into free-swimming fish. Sardines are warm-water fish that swim quickly and usually live in the middle and upper layers, but in the fall and winter when the surface water temperature is lower, they live in deeper sea areas.

The optimum temperature is about 20℃ or below. Before World War II, large quantities of sardines could often be caught on the sea near California, USA. Strangely, in 1951, the annual production of sardines suddenly dropped from 500,000 tons to 3,000 tons. Later, the reason for the reduction in production was found to be the sudden drop in water temperature. Six years later, the water temperature here rose again, and the production of sardines increased significantly. It mainly feeds on plankton and diatoms. The bait varies depending on the fish species, sea area and season. Small golden sardines generally do not migrate long distances. In autumn and winter, adult fish live in deep water 70 to 80 meters away, and migrate to the shore for reproduction in spring.

What to use to remove the fishy smell of sardines

If you want to make sardines less fishy, ​​you can marinate them with salt before cooking, or boil them in beer for 30 minutes, or add some red dates when cooking the fish, which can increase the flavor and remove the fishy smell. If you can add a few slices of orange peel, it can also remove the fishy smell.