The quality and taste of canned sprat is a very delicate thing, depending on the manufacturer, including on his conscientiousness, and the risk of encountering a low-quality product is very high. Today the project Control purchase (www.zakupka.tv) talks about how to choose the right sprats in oil.
Composition and Properties
For those who want to buy quality sprats in oil, it is worth carefully studying the marking, it is indicated on the lid of the can – this is nothing more than encrypted information about the contents. You should focus on it, and not on colorful pictures. Because the label, which should basically help us, is very easy to remove and just as easy to put on a new one. In this way, instead of cheap sardines, a jar of more expensive sprats can magically turn out.
The first row of marking indicates the date of manufacture, that is, day, month and year. It should be noted separately that all canned fish must have the letter P – this is a sign of Fish production. When in doubt about the contents of a tin can, pay attention to the second row of markings. The first three digits are the assortment code of the product: for example, “” has the number 308, “” – 010, “” – 85D, “” from the Baltic sprat – 137. If you come across the C20 marking, this is a sign of a low quality product. Finally, pay attention to the manufacturer’s address. Why is it important? Because it is better to take those canned food that is made where the fish was caught. These canned foods are made from fresh raw materials, not frozen.
Now about the composition. It should include: fish (), vegetable oil and salt. At the same time, according to GOST, the amount of fish in the bank should be at least 75%, that is, it should not swim in oil. At home, having opened a jar of sprats, carefully examine its contents. If the fish is crumbled and looks more like porridge, then the temperature regime was violated during sterilization of canned food, which adversely affects not only the appearance of the product, but also its taste. However, small amounts of fish with damaged skin are still acceptable.
If the fish is small, whole, has a pleasant golden color and is laid in even rows, this is a quality product. Please note: sprats may differ in color from different manufacturers: some are darker, others are lighter. The fact is that all manufacturers use different smoking technologies. For example, St. Petersburg and Murmansk sprats are smoked for a longer time, so their color is darker, and the smell is more pronounced. And those that are produced in the Baltic countries are pale, since their smoking time is much shorter. This does not affect the quality of the sprat. The main thing is that the fish is not black with dark tar streaks – this means that especially economical producers smoked it using cheaper pine sawdust – such a product will taste bitter.
Packing
The jar should not have any deformations, its seams should also be ideal. If you notice rust, refrain from buying such a product.
The bottom and lid of the jar should never be swollen. In this case, the product is simply dangerous.
Sprat label in oil can be paper or made using lithography, but in any case, the inscriptions must be clear and legible. If the letters, when moisture gets on the paper label, are blurred – in front of you is a fake, which can be dangerous to health.
Storage
Remember that even such a long-term product as canned food has its own shelf life. It is 24 months old.
Now that you know all the secrets of the right choice of sprat in oil, we suggest you to cook potato pies with sprats. You can find this and many other tips and recipes on the official website of the project Control purchase.
Potato pies with sprats
Ingredients
- Bread crumbs: 50 gr
- Boiled egg: 2 pieces
- Grated cheese: 50 gr
- Pepper: to taste
- Butter “”: 2 tbsp. the spoon
- Salt: pcs
- Wheat flour of the highest grade: 2 tbsp. the spoon
- Chicken egg of the first category: 2 pieces
- Boiled potatoes: 2 pieces
- Sour cream (): 2 tbsp. the spoon
- Canned food “Sprats in oil”: can
Filling. Put the sprats in a bowl and knead, add finely grated eggs and grated cheese. Mix the mass and add ghee, mix thoroughly. You can pepper the filling to taste.
Dough. Peel the potatoes () and grate on a coarse grater, salt, beat in eggs, add sour cream. Mix. If the dough is thin, you can add flour.
Form small balls from the dough, make depressions in them and put a small amount of filling, the middle must be closed, lifting the dough from both sides, forming a pie. Roll the pies in breadcrumbs and deep-fry. Fry for no more than 10 minutes.