In a huge workshop, women in blue caps string small fish on iron rods, as if now they are about to fry shish kebab from sprat. They do this trick a thousand times a shift, five thousand times a week, and their life bill goes into the millions. Residents of the small Latvian town of Salacgrīva have been working at the fish processing plant for dynasties, from a young age to retirement. Their hands smelled of fish like the hold of a fishing trawler, and their eyes, trained to fish for spoils, are as sharp as the eyes of an albatross. The salacgriva is tickled by the cold Baltic, the prickly sea wind blows, keeps the market in good shape. But women have jobs - and that's the main thing. A bit of the sea, soot and hard work in a report from the exemplary Latvian production of sprats.
In Salacgrīva, the off-season is in the middle of June, just at the time of our arrival, the company is finalizing the last days. Brīvais Vilnis is about to close for a big summer break. The last batches of fish are on the line. Controller technological process Henry Babris leads us to the pier. The sea had just played with the sun, and now it started to rain. It is unstable in the Baltic - it happens that it is very stormy here.
We are at the starting point of a large canning route. They do not catch fish on their own at the enterprise, they buy it from private traders. Fresh sprat and herring are supplied by small fishing companies - the fish lives in local waters. Herring, mackerel, sardinella and other "atlantic" are received in containers in frozen form from abroad.
Classical sprats are made from sprat, says Henry Babris right away. - But you can do it from a small herring. By taste, however, they can be easily distinguished. The taste of sprats from winter and summer sprats, from fresh and frozen sprats differs. The best are winter, from a fresh catch.
At the "entrance" all raw materials are checked, samples are taken for the laboratory. If the fish is fresh, part goes to the shop for the sorting line, and part is frozen at a temperature of minus 18 degrees. So it can be stored up to 9 months.
Sprats are thawed in defrosting chambers - the temperature rises to plus 10 degrees.
The next stage - and one of the most important - sorting. Almost perfect fish is selected for sprats. Whole, not dented, without damage. Carcasses 11-13 centimeters in size are suitable.
Our guide makes a small digression. What is it all about - Riga sprats? In the mid-1990s, an association of the same name was created in Latvia, which united the largest fish processing enterprises in the country. The Association is the holder of the collective trademark "Riga sprats in oil" and controls the quality of products. The quality mark has all the products of the enterprises that are members of the association. The requirements for it are extremely stringent. That is why sorting is carried out exclusively by hand - so as not to damage the fish. There have been attempts to automate the process. But the efficiency of women's hands turned out to be higher than that of a mechanical "robot".
Workers do not have time to look around and pose for the photographer. In front of them is a fish in a pan. A lot of fish. The master gives the command: “We string the little one!” And they string, putting a large one in a separate box, since it is impossible to smoke sprats of different sizes at the same time. Soon the master will shout: “We are stringing a large one!” And so on throughout the shift.
This is not an easy process. We are told that at any time the worker can get up and rest. Each is given a certain number of pans. Fill it all in and you'll get a token. The more tokens per day, the higher the salary. The one who gives a lot of marriage can be de-bonded. Only the most experienced work on sorting raw materials for the elite products of the plant - "Royal Sprats".
Report from the best Latvian sprat factory, latvia, enterprise
The strung fish is already ready for smoking. Although not quite. Workers leave it for a while so that the glass is damp. The sprat needs to be moved apart so that the fish do not stick together. When smoked, this can lead to marriage.
Preparing the mixture for smoking - we will have smoke from alder.
The fish moves through the tunnels, where they go through various stages of smoking - about 15 steps. Smoke is prepared here, steam is supplied there. The smoker regulates the flow of the mixture and the temperature in each zone. Keeps track of moisture levels. The workers are all experienced, mostly men. The quality of the product that the buyer purchases in the store largely depends on their skills.
Before us is an almost finished semi-finished product - smoked sprat of a characteristic golden color. Then the heads of the fish will be cut off, and the carcasses will be sent for cooling. The heads will be sold as recyclables.
Laying. Already during smoking, the master will determine which raw materials will be used for Riga sprats, and which for simple ones. Or, for example, on a pate. Or maybe a sprat in a tomato.
Each worker on the stack has a scale. Sprats try to lay beautifully, figured. To look aesthetically pleasing and presentable. Henry says:
- By opening the jar, you can determine whether the manufacturer cheated or not. If the fish is laid with their bellies up, this is a good sign. After all, if the raw material is of poor quality or it was badly smoked, then they usually put it back up. The bellies are opened first, the "hacks" need to hide it. It is also important whether there is damage in the first row. By our standards, they shouldn't be.
And here the work is normalized - by the number of cans.
- We have people who work as families, - continues the interlocutor. - In the vicinity there are practically no places where middle-aged women can get a job. But even in such a situation, it is not possible to recruit another shift of workers. However, we do not need volume, but quality.
Some kind of spell! In general, it seems to us that this is extreme idealism - to put fish in a jar at a price of €1, as if it were not golden, but golden. Moreover, under a tin lid, all the efforts of workers from Salacgrīva cannot be seen by a potential buyer. The plant understood this a long time ago. Workers say it has become impossible to compete with manufacturers who throw crumpled semi-finished products into their cans and dump them:
- And in Russia, and in Ukraine, and in Belarus they are trying to make from damaged fish. As a result, consumer confidence in the product is lost. We went the other way.
A few years ago, know-how was introduced here - jars with a transparent lid. Now the buyer will see exactly what they want to sell to him. No more jar secrets. Behind the "honest" packaging, albeit more expensive, they believe here is the canning future.
Various variations of sprat in tomato. Tomato sauce at the enterprise they brew themselves, without using cheap powder substitutes. It turns out expensive. Cost of quality thick sauce- almost like the cost of fish.
- It makes no sense to save. An interesting thing: in Ukraine, our sprat in tomato is five times more expensive than the local one, but they buy it perfectly. So people are willing to pay for quality, says Henry.
And we're back to sprats. The banks are already closed. They are washed and then sent to autoclaves for sterilization.
- We do not add any preservatives and antioxidants: there is no need. The product is sterilized completely, the jars are sealed. Each type of canned food has its own sterilization formula. Thus, a 2-3-year shelf life is achieved.
Most of the equipment at the enterprise is still Soviet-made. It does not look very presentable, it does not smell like perfume. The equipment is regularly repaired and maintained in good condition. Some of them were bought with European money. It's strange: they look at modernization here a little differently than in Belarus. It turns out that the point is not in new lines for millions, which are so nice to get on the account. The essence, we are told, is in ideas and innovations - that's how it is in the same transparent packaging.
- No matter how hard they try in the same Kaliningrad, they cannot get the same high quality. Even on the new ultra-modern equipment. Our smokers have decades of experience, and the bosses do not shout from above: give us the cost price, - that's Henry's opinion.
After sterilization, the jars are washed again, dried with steam and sent for pasting with a label. Everything can be loaded into the warehouse and sent with an opportunity to the counter.
In fact, little has changed in production technology since Soviet times, - the controller argues. - Unless only then looked not where it is possible to save, and where to steal. Now all employees of the enterprise understand perfectly well: we will survive only due to high-quality work. Let's give in to competitors - we'll die. Nobody will help us.
Chairman of the Board of Brīvais Vilnis Arnolds Babris tells how the company manages to stay afloat.
- It was a difficult period. The banker gave money - start-up capital. We talked with the team, chose a niche - to provide the highest quality on the market. And they started to work. We optimized what we could to the maximum. In 2004, everyone was chasing the price, and we decided to take on the topic of exclusivity, an expensive segment. They began to produce "Royal sprats". The first began to work with plastic. The tear-off lid is also our invention. And there are many such innovations.
In 2006, either from the foam of the sea, or from a secret Baltic depression, a water one appeared. His name was Onishchenko, and he loved to find in things what was hidden. In the Latvian sprats, the chief supervisory officer of the Russian Federation found benzapyrene - and banned the supply of products to the Russian market.
Here in this very office, Arnold Babris shows us, he put Onishchenko in his place.
- Immediately after the accusations were made, I ordered the products of Russian manufacturers and sent them to Germany for control. It was a terrible picture. I called the TV people, I show: look, where is this benzapyrene. Show Onishchenko to know. For several years, deliveries to the Russian Federation stopped. But the plant was built according to such a model that at any moment we can “close” any country without loss by moving to another market. Now a contract has been signed with China - a minimum monthly shipment worth at least €250,000. And we won't be lost without Russia.
Traditional weekly tasting: managers and employees evaluate the quality of the products produced. In addition to sprats, these are several dozen types of various canned food
What about Belarus? At one time, Brivais Vilnis supplied about 12% of the total production to Belarus. After the crash of 2011, the numbers were not so pleasant.
- I must be sure that in return for the product I will receive money without delay. Everything is simple. The level of profitability for canned food is 5% of turnover. Only! We cannot afford to take risks, says Arnold Babris.
Having worked hard enough, Salacgriva is resting. The fish factory is a city-forming enterprise. 450 people are employed here. The plant will lay down - the town will immediately be bent. And he doesn't get fat either. Due to the abundance of manual labor, a third of the cost of a tin can is the salary of workers. A good stacker earns an average of €300. And this is the highest salary in the industry. People want more. But for now, it's the ceiling. Nobody said that the market is easy.
Here, of course, there important detail. Whatever storm hits, a niche plant is unlikely to lose ground. Here they learned to live within their means and count every penny. Without any government support - at least somehow, but they will live
During the Soviet era, these canned fish were in short supply, and the lucky ones who managed to get them took care of the treasured jar for the holiday and proudly put it on the table. Today we do not perceive sprats as a delicacy, although it would hardly occur to anyone to eat them every day. But if you really want to be nostalgic and treat yourself to sprats, then it would be nice to find out what the quality of this product is.
The undisputed leader in the production of sprats before and now was Latvia. Therefore, it is not surprising that all 7 test participants that we bought in stores are made in this Baltic state.
"Alax", "Helm", "Delicious Canned Food", "KAIJA", "Riga Gold", as well as two samples called "Old Riga" - one in a tin can, the other in a glass one.
All the results and conclusions presented in the article refer only to the studied samples.
The study was carried out for compliance with GOST 280-2009 “Canned smoked fish. Sprats in oil. The experts had to find out if the sprats contain harmful microorganisms, how much salt and carcinogen benzapyrene are in the fish, and also evaluate the organoleptic properties of canned food - taste, smell, texture, etc.
First of all, let us remind those who have forgotten or do not know at all what real sprats are. This is the Baltic sprat, which is called “sprat”. And it was it that in the old days was mainly used in the production of sprats in oil. Today, these canned food is made not only from the Baltic, but also from the North Sea and Black Sea sprat or herring, from the Caspian kilka and other fish, but not from any, but only from those whose length does not exceed 11 cm.
The technology for making sprats is generally simple: the fish is smoked, cut into carcasses, placed in jars and poured with vegetable oil (or a mixture of vegetable oils). Then the jar is hermetically sealed and sterilized at a temperature above 100 degrees.
The problem of benzapyrene
The classic way of cooking sprats is smoking on alder sawdust. Their smoke gives the product a special taste that distinguishes it from other canned fish. But you need to keep in mind that any smoke contains benzapyrene - a carcinogen that is unsafe for health. That is why nutritionists do not advise to get involved in smoked meats. With prolonged and excessive use of such products, cancer can occur. No wonder the concentration of benzapyrene in smoked meats is strictly regulated: according to Russian GOST, it should not be higher than 0.005 mg / kg.
It is this important indicator experts checked first.
Fortunately, all test samples had benzapyrene levels below 0.001 mg/kg.
Benzopyrene is a chemical compound belonging to substances of the first hazard class. Formed during the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. Benzopyrene is extremely toxic to humans, even in small concentrations, because it has the property of accumulating in the body. Can cause malignant tumors and have a mutagenic effect.
The main dietary sources of benzapyrene are cereals, oils, fats, smoked products. The latter include sausages, smoked lard, smoked products from poultry meat and offal; smoked fish, canned and preserved fish, etc. So you should not get carried away with smoked meats.
If we talk about sprats, then in itself this fish is very useful. 100 grams contains a third daily allowance calcium and half the daily requirement of vitamin E. It is known to slow down the aging process, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, and prevent the formation of blood clots. In addition, sprats contain a very important and rare microelement chromium, which is responsible for a stable level of glucose in the blood and prevents the development of diabetes.
Salt and oil are normal, fish is not
Everything was fine with the salt. According to the standard, it should be from 1% to 2.2% in canned fish. All test participants met the standard (see table). The least amount of salt is in sprats "Alax" (1%), and most of all in the samples "KAIJA" and "Rizhskoye Zoloto" (tin can) - 1.8%.
Diagram of the content of fish and oil in sprats And here, in terms of the ratio of fish and oil in jars, two samples did not fit into the requirements of the standard a little. According to GOST, canned sprats must contain at least 70% fish and at least 10% oil. Two manufacturers slightly under-added sprat to their products: for KAIJA this figure was 66.5%, for the Riga Gold sample - 68.4% (average value based on the results of measurements of three cans). Most of the fish was found in "Tasty Canned Food" (see diagram). The red line shows the limit of the minimum norm for keeping fish.
For canning sprats, vegetable oil is used, and not only sunflower, but also olive, rapeseed, mustard, and peanut. True, manufacturers do not always clearly indicate its type. Only on the labels of canned food "KAIJA" and "Old Riga" (in a glass jar) it is said what was used rapeseed oil. It is interesting that these samples did not comply with GOST in terms of organoleptic indicators. The rest were simply labeled "vegetable oil".
Everything is clear!
Now let's see what microbiological studies have shown. As stated in the laboratory conclusion, "all samples of canned food" Sprats in oil "submitted for research meet the requirements of industrial sterility of canned food group A according to the requirements of GOST 30425-97." This means that dangerous bacteria and microorganisms that can cause food poisoning have not been found anywhere.
Taste, color and smell
Security is, of course, good, but I would like to favorite treat it was also delicious. GOST lists clear criteria by which experts evaluated the organoleptic properties of sprats. Here they are:
Taste: Pleasant, characteristic of this type of canned food, without foreign taste and bitterness. A bitter taste is possible.
Smell: Pleasant, characteristic of this type of canned food. There may be a noticeable smell of smoke.
Meat texture: Tender. Possibly dry.
Condition of fish and skin: Fish and skin intact. When carefully laid out from the jar, the fish should not break. There may be no more than 30% of fish in individual banks with partially slipped skin and a burst abdomen.
Skin color: Homogeneous. Golden yellow or dark golden. Heterogeneous is possible - from light golden to brown.
Oil condition: Transparent over water-protein sludge. Possibly: slight turbidity or "mesh"; insignificant presence of suspended particles.
Cutting characteristic: Head with gill covers removed by even straight cut; tail fins removed or clipped.
The order of laying the fish: Carcasses of fish are placed in jars with their bellies or backs to the lid of the jar in parallel or mutually intersecting rows, and in the row each fish in relation to the neighboring one is placed with the head part to the tail.
The presence of scales: Removed. There may be individual scales.
Presence of foreign matter: Not allowed.
Smoking is one of the oldest methods of food preservation, which has been used by mankind since time immemorial. Table salt in combination with wood smoke inhibits the growth of microflora and has a bactericidal effect.
So which sprats are better? Unfortunately, four out of seven test participants did not pass the rigorous “casting” of experts from an accredited laboratory. Sample "Helm" does not meet the requirements of GOST in taste: it is sour, not characteristic of this type of canned food. Sprats in oil "KAIJA" and "Old Riga" (in a glass jar), in addition to taste, did not meet the requirements of the standard for smell - it is also not typical for sprats in oil. And the Riga Gold canned food, in addition to taste and smell, also caused experts to complain about the consistency, which was rated as “weak” (that is, the fish fell apart when they were taken out of the can). Samples “Alax”, “Tasty Canned Food” and “Old Riga” in a tin can was recognized by experts as complying with GOST in all organoleptic indicators.
Well, to make it easier for you to choose delicious sprats in oil, RIPI also conducted a tasting, the results of which are given below.
Laying rules
GOST also imposes strict requirements on the methods of laying sprats in jars: either with their bellies or with their backs up, parallel to each other or across, but not side by side. By the way, the length of the fish in one jar should be approximately the same - the permissible deviation cannot be more than 2 cm. And one more interesting point. There is a difference between winter and summer laying of sprats. In summer, when it is warm, the fish moves little and fattens up, so the skin on its back can crack. For this reason, in the summer, sprats are placed in jars with their belly up, and in winter, when, as they say, there is no time for fat, on the contrary.
Test Conclusions
As laboratory tests have shown, the amount of the hazardous substance benzapyrene in all tested canned fish is normal.
Microbiological tests did not reveal any dangerous bacteria in any of the samples.
An organoleptic study found that sprats in "Shturval" oil do not meet the requirements of GOST in terms of taste; "KAIJA" and "Old Riga" (in a glass jar) - by taste and smell, and "Riga Gold" - by taste, smell and texture.
Samples “KAIJA” and “Rizhskoye zoloto” had slightly less fish in the jar than required by the standard: 66.5% and 68.4%, respectively, with a norm of at least 70%.
Comply with the requirements of GOST
Sprats in oil "Old Riga" (in a can)
Score: 4
Tasting results: Gray-brown sprats with a golden sheen. The skin is not elastic. The consistency of the fish itself is loose, mushy. But the taste is harmonious, with a taste of "cottage fire". Oil without foreign taste, typical for canned sprats.
Large sprats in oil "Delicious canned food"
Rating: 3.5
Tasting results: Appearance sprat is unappetizing. The color is yellowish-gray, the backs are dark. The fish are mostly large. The taste is characteristic of sprats, but the taste is slightly burnt. The texture of the fish is tender, but slightly overcooked.
Sprats in Alax oil
Score: 3
Tasting results: Color of sprats is silvery, pale, unappetizing. The taste is atypical for these canned food, almost tasteless, the smoked flavor characteristic of sprats is practically not felt. The texture is soft but slightly overcooked. There is a lot of oil in the jar, it tastes unpleasant, with bitterness.
Does not meet the requirements of GOST
Sprats in oil "Riga Gold"
Score: 3
Results of laboratory assessment: does not meet the requirements of GOST in terms of taste, smell and texture.
Tasting results: The appearance of sprats is unappetizing, the surface seems to be with a veil. The color of the skin is soapy dull, gray-brown. The smell is not fresh. The fish has a rather pleasant taste of typical sprats, however, a little burnt. The consistency is tender, so that when laid out from the jar, the sprats fall apart. Oil with an extraneous taste, not characteristic of sprats.
Large sprats in oil "Shturval"
Score: 3
Laboratory evaluation results: does not meet the requirements of GOST in taste.
Tasting results: Large brown sprats. Consistency dense, elastic. When taken out, the fish does not fall apart into pieces. Sprats are quite salty, with a strong smoked flavor that interrupts the taste of fish. There is a strange non-fishy aftertaste. The oil in the jar is cloudy, dark yellow.
Sprats in oil «KAIJA»
Score: 3
Tasting results: The appearance of sprats is appetizing, the color is golden. The smell of smoked meats is too strong, because of such excess it is perceived as unusual for sprats. The taste of fish is salty and sour, “not sprat”. The taste of the oil is extremely unpleasant, it is bitter and has a foreign taste. The consistency of the fish is dense, even slightly harsh.
Sprats in oil "Old Riga" (in a glass jar)
Rating: 1
Results of the laboratory assessment: does not meet the requirements of GOST in terms of taste and smell.
Tasting results: Small, unusually golden fish, especially compared to other samples. However, tasters saw some strange repulsive spots on the surface of sprats (photo). The smell is chemical, not characteristic of canned fish. The taste of the fish is salty and sour, which is not typical for sprats. The same can be said about the aftertaste: it is unpleasant, with bitterness uncharacteristic of sprats. The fish is slightly dry in texture.
By the way
In 2008, a monument to sprats was erected in the city of Mamonovo, Kaliningrad Region. It is a large marble table on which an open jar of sprats flaunts. One of the fish is decorated with a crown. The monument, of course, appeared in Mamonovo not by chance. Fishing in these places is the most important industry, and sprats began to be smoked at a local cannery in 1948.
If you encounter a violation of your consumer rights, you can contact the SPROS portal for free and report a dangerous or low-quality product. To do this, click on the "Complain" button and fill out the form. Specialists will analyze the application, if necessary, conduct an examination, give advice, and also help to competently draw up an application to state bodies. And all this is completely free! Moreover, the employees of the SPROS website control how citizens' appeals pass through the authorities, and then publish the decisions made on the portal. Thus, the work of state structures is monitored.
Sprats have always been considered delicious product present on every holiday table. Even those who did not particularly like fish never refused sandwiches with sprats. They have always attracted others with their bright and rich taste.
Unfortunately, in our time, sprat manufacturers do not pay the necessary attention to the quality of their manufacture. Moreover, this issue is relevant in relation to many products, including meat and dairy. In this regard, real housewives master home cooking technologies various products. Sprats are also no exception. Process home cooking has many advantages and the main one is quality control. No one will cook for themselves products from non-fresh ingredients. Everyone who does this knows that sprats are not supposed to contain anything superfluous that could harm health, especially preservatives, flavor enhancers and other chemicals that modern food manufacturers are so fond of.
Sprats should be understood as a separate type of fish, but not a method of preparing certain types of canned food, as some "experts" believe. This delicacy got its name from the name of a small fish, which is the source material for the preparation of such canned food.
You can use the following fish:
- Perch.
- Sprat.
- Salaka.
- Another small fish without scales.
Before preparing the delicacy, the fish must be thoroughly washed and the heads removed, although this may not be done. In addition, you must have all the necessary containers and other tools and components for each recipe.
Recipes for cooking sprats at home
Classic recipe
To do this, you need to prepare the following components:
- 0.5 kg of any small fish. Both fresh and frozen fish will do.
- Cup vegetable oil, and any. The most important condition is a rich aroma.
- One tablespoon of tea leaves, adding various flavors to it. As experience shows, bergamot can be the most interesting.
- One pair of onions, which should be juicy.
- Don't forget the bay leaves.
- Peppercorns - pieces 5.
- Salt to taste. The ideal option is sea salt.
The best dish for cooking sprats is a cast iron cauldron. First of all, sunflower oil is poured into the vessel, after which it is well heated over a fire. While the oil is heating, the onion is chopped and the tea leaves are prepared.
After the oil warms up well, fish and chopped onions are added to the cauldron. After that, a very strong tea brew with the addition of all spices is poured here. And finally, the boiler is closed with a lid and left on low heat. Cooking sprats takes a long time. This is necessary so that the bones soften and when eaten they are not felt on the teeth.
At this stage of cooking, the dish has to be stirred quite often. A wooden spatula is suitable for this purpose. Moreover, this must be done carefully enough so that the fish remains intact. After all, it is whole sprats, and not in pieces, that are served at the table, especially at the festive table.
When the product is cooked on fire for a long time, almost all the moisture has time to evaporate. This does not need to be allowed and constantly add boiling water to the dish being prepared. The moisture level must be constant.
How to cook sprats in a slow cooker
Recently, the multicooker has been very popular: because it helps to cook any dishes. The most important thing is that you don’t need to stand over it: you loaded all the ingredients, closed it, turned it on and wait for the product to cook.
To cook sprats in a slow cooker you need:
- Prepare 1 kg of cleaned small fish (capelin).
- Brew strong tea: 10 bags per cup of boiling water.
- Take one tablespoon of salt.
- Pour into a glass (1/4 part) sunflower oil.
Cooking technique
At the initial stage, capelin is prepared: it is removed from the insides and the heads are cut off, after which it is washed well under running water. After this, tea is brewed and salt is added with sunflower oil. Everything is thoroughly mixed. Then the fish is placed in order in a slow cooker and poured with a mixture of tea leaves, oil and salt. Pepper and bay leaf are also added to the slow cooker. Alternatively, it is possible to use purchased spices, with liquid smoke. The dish is stewed for 2 hours.
To cook it delicious dish, you need to prepare:
- One kilogram of sprat.
- Loose leaf tea.
- One fourth of a glass of vegetable oil.
- Coarse salt - 2 tablespoons.
- Soy sauce - 2 tablespoons.
Cooking sequence:
- The sprat gets rid of the insides, cutting off the heads, after which it is thoroughly washed under running water.
- All fish are laid out in rows in the multicooker bowl.
- Strong tea is brewed and mixed with soy sauce.
- Spices and herbs are added to taste.
- If the brine is prepared, then it is added to the multicooker bowl. It should be enough so that the fish is completely flooded.
- Extinguishing time is about 2 hours.
- After preparation, the finished product is laid out in any container, and preferably in glass jars.
For this, the following components are acquired:
The main component is herring, which must first be prepared. To begin with, it will have to be slightly darkened in the oven or stewed in a container. After that, you need to leave the fish to infuse in its juice.
As additional ingredients fit:
- Salt and sugar to taste.
- Brewed from ordinary black tea.
- Liquid smoke for aromatization (if necessary).
- Onion peel, which will provide the necessary, rich color and aroma.
- A little pepper and bay leaf is enough. Excess spices can spoil the entire product.
Simple sprats: cooking recipe
No less interesting may be a simple recipe for sprats. What is needed for this:
- Clean the fish.
- Salak is laid out in a baking tray. At the same time, you need to control that the fish lies tightly.
- Tea is brewed with boiling water: it needs up to 500 ml. At the same time, it should be remembered that tea in bags is worse than black leaf tea.
- Tea and spices are added to the fish.
- The oven is heated to 150 degrees, after which fish with seasonings is placed in it.
- Set the temperature regulator to 120 degrees and simmer the fish for 2 hours.
Interesting! If you immediately start laying the fish out of the pan, without letting it cool, then it will immediately fall apart.
As mentioned above, for self cooking sprat will fit any small fish, including sprat.
What is needed for this:
- 1 kg tulip.
- Any black tea - 3 tablespoons.
- One glass of water.
- Tablespoon of salt, without top.
- Sunflower oil - 100 ml.
- Pepper black and fragrant.
- Vinegar - two tablespoons.
- First of all, tea is brewed with boiling water, based on one glass.
- While the tea is brewing, prepare the fish, removing everything unnecessary.
- After the tea leaves have cooled, vegetable oil and salt are added to it.
- The fish is placed on a paper towel to dry a little.
- The fish is laid out in a slow cooker, backs up.
- Sprats languish in the extinguishing mode for about 2 hours. Before that, you need to remember to add tea leaves with spices to the fish.
- After cooking, when the dish has cooled, it can be placed in the refrigerator.
The advantages of homemade sprats over purchased ones
IN Soviet times sprats were not only famous brand, but also a symbol of the prosperity of a particular family. Sandwiches were made with this fragrant little fish, which were considered a must-have dish for any holiday table. As practice shows, many do not fully understand what sprats are and how these popular canned foods are made. All of these questions require further clarification.
Detailed description
So what are sprats really? This word has two meanings. Firstly, this is the name of canned food, which, especially in our country, are very popular. During the Soviet Union, it was a rather scarce commodity. The presence of such a product on the table spoke of the well-being of the owners of the house. Secondly, this is a genus of ray-finned fish that belong to the herring family. They mainly live in the waters of the North, Norwegian and Baltic Seas. Here, this small fish is the subject of mass fishing. Sprats are also found in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, but in smaller numbers. However, they are also mined in this region. Now you need to figure out what sprats are in the opinion of a mass buyer. For many, this is canned fish in fragrant oil, packed in small cans. They cannot be confused with anything.
A distinctive feature of the product is not only the size and characteristic golden color, but also the original way of packaging. In jars, fish of the same length are tightly packed in a “pigtail” or in even rows. This is not only very beautiful, but also ensures the safety of the product from mechanical damage during transportation.
Benefit or harm?
When purchasing a jar of your favorite canned food in a store, you need to understand what sprats are in terms of food product and how they can affect the human body. The opinions of experts on this matter are rather contradictory. On the one hand, one cannot ignore beneficial features these canned goods:
- Sprats are a quickly digestible product.
- When proteins are broken down, useful amino acids are formed. They have a positive effect on brain activity, normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, relieve joint inflammation and prevent depression. It turns out that sprats, in fact, can replace any meat product.
- This fish contains a lot of B vitamins, as well as A, E and D. With a slight heat treatment they are preserved in the finished product.
- Sprats contain a large amount of fat. Together with oil, these canned foods are a valuable source of energy.
On the other hand, sprats are not such a safe product:
- In the production process, the fish is first smoked. At the same time, at the time of burning the fuel, a substance called "benzapyrene" is formed. It is a carcinogen and can accumulate in the body, causing all sorts of mutations. Such changes often lead to the formation of malignant tumors. Scientists have determined that 100 grams of sprats contain a dose of benzapyrene equal to four cigarettes smoked.
- The energy value of these canned food is quite high. 100 grams of such a product contains 363 kilocalories. Overweight people should use it with extreme caution.
Having such information, each person can decide for himself whether to eat such canned food or not.
Herring sprats
During the period of shortage, people themselves learned to make their favorite products. Today, any housewife can cook real sprats without much difficulty. The recipe, of course, is not the one used in production. But the result is pretty good. As an example, consider the option for which you will need the following ingredients: 0.5 kilograms of freshly frozen herring, 3 teaspoons of tea leaves, 30 grams of salt, 100 grams of vegetable oil, 4 bay leaves, 5 grams of onion peel and 6 black peppercorns.
The cooking process takes place in several stages:
- The fish must first be washed and gutted, cutting off the heads and tails.
- Place the processed foods tightly in a saucepan (or other container) with an “accordion” in two rows towards each other. In this case, it is better to place the fish with its back up.
- Pour the measured amount of tea leaves with a glass of boiling water. Let it brew until black, and then cool.
- Pour onion peel with a glass of water and boil for 20 minutes. After that, the liquid must also be cooled.
- Strain both infusions.
- Put the pepper with bay leaf into the pan and pour the fish with oil.
- Infusions of tea leaves and onions combine together. Add salt to them and mix well.
- Pour the resulting solution into a saucepan.
- Place the container in the oven at a temperature of 150 degrees. After the liquid boils, the flame must be reduced.
- Simmer for 2 hours at 120 degrees. In this case, the fish should not boil, namely languish.
As a result, quite tasty sprats are obtained. The recipe is quite simple, it will not be difficult to repeat it.
Sprats from capelin
Popular canned food can be prepared from different types fishes. Many people prefer to make homemade sprats from capelin. For work you will need: for 1 kilogram of fresh fish 3 onions, 25 grams of sugar, half a glass of vegetable oil, 30 grams of salt, one pinch of turmeric and paprika, 8 black peppercorns and a glass of tea.
The cooking technology in this case will be somewhat different:
- Brew 3 bags of black tea in a glass of boiling water.
- Add sugar and salt to it, mix, and then cool the solution.
- Wash and dry the onion peel.
- Wash the fish, sort and gut. The heads and tails are usually cut off, but can be left on if desired.
- Arbitrarily fold the products into a saucepan.
- Pour them with the prepared solution and oil, adding the husks and spices according to the recipe.
- Put the saucepan on fire. After boiling the liquid, simmer under the lid for an hour and a half.
Such homemade sprats can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6 days. True, you must first remove the husk from the pan.
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What are sprats usually made of? Fish for the preparation of these canned food is used differently. Initially, the main raw material was the Baltic sprat. This is a small fish of the Herring family, which is found not only in the North, Norwegian and Baltic, but also in the Black and Mediterranean Seas.
Actually, she gave the name to the canned food of the same name. But that was only the first time. Later, purely for commercial reasons, producers began to use other small fish as raw materials: anchovy, sprat, Caspian sprat, herring, and even young herring. Passing through all stages of processing, the product acquired the desired taste and aroma. Therefore, such a substitution practically did not affect the main characteristics of finished canned food. Buyers didn't notice either. It is not surprising that today any fish can be found in jars called "sprats". The main thing is that it be the right size (no more than 11 centimeters) and prepared according to the approved technology.
finished product
Initially, since 1890, "sprats in oil" were produced at a small factory in the city of Riga.
Today, the production of this popular product has been mastered by several dozen enterprises in the post-Soviet space. On the shelves of domestic stores you can find sprats of different trademarks Russia, Lithuania and Latvia. Only those products that comply with a certain GOST go on sale. It concerns the main characteristics of quality:
- Size. The length of the fish should not exceed 11 centimeters.
- Color. Products must be golden in color.
- position in the bank. The fish fits tightly into the container in even rows or “pigtail”. Depending on the season, it may lie in different ways. In winter, it is placed upside down. In summer, fish move less and accumulate more fat in it. At this time, laying is done upside down.
- Appearance. The meat should be juicy and well-cooked, and the skin should be covered with very fine wrinkles.
- Smell. Excessive smoke flavor is unacceptable.
- Container. Banks should be smooth, without any dents, rust or swelling.
A product that does not meet the listed requirements should not be sold.
sprats from sprat
How to make sprats so that they are as similar as possible to those sold in stores? From a huge number different ways homemade, everyone can choose the one that he likes best. For example, there are quite original version, which requires not quite ordinary ingredients: 1 kilogram of fresh sprat, 30 grams of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of tea leaves, a glass of any vegetable oil, 100 grams of dry white wine, onion husks and spices (peas, coriander, bay leaf, salt, cloves).
Process technology:
- Wash the sprat and sort out. Only intact fish is useful for work. After that, it must be carefully gutted.
- Brew tea in a glass of boiling water and let it brew well.
- Pour some oil into the roaster and cover the bottom onion peel. This is not necessary, but together with tea, it gives a characteristic shade of a smoked product.
- Lay fish carcasses on top in even rows, sprinkling them evenly with spices.
- Pour all liquid ingredients into the roaster. They should completely cover the fish. If desired, for flavor, you can put a couple of tablespoons of "liquid smoke".
- Place the container on the stove and, after boiling, simmer the product over low heat for 4 hours.
- Cook the product without a lid for another 20 minutes.
After cooling, sprats can be safely eaten. The pleasure of such a meal is guaranteed. If desired, the fish can also be rolled up. To do this, you need to put it in clean jars, fill them to the top with fragrant filling, sterilize for 15 minutes, and then tightly cork.
One hundred years ago, Stavanger was the center of the canning industry - the best delicacies could not be found in all of Norway. The plant actively supplied fish to Russia, and in 1902 canned food from Stavangen was awarded a special Imperial diploma. Today, a museum has been formed from the factory building, where the fish processing process has been completely restored. I propose to see how sprats were rolled at the beginning of the last century ...
First, let's understand the terminology. In our country, the word "sprat" usually means any canned food from small fish, but for Norwegians, "sprat" is a fish from the herring family.
Since sardines are much more attractive to buyers, but live in warmer waters and are not found near the coast of Norway, the Norwegians went to tricks and called their canned sprats "Norwegian sardines".
The first cannery in Stavanger was opened in 1873. At that time, it was mostly women who worked on it. Now here is an interactive museum - guests are invited to participate in all cycles of the process.
First, the fish was "salted" in large wooden vats:
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Then it was manually put on the knitting needles for subsequent smoking. In an hour, a worker could string up to a thousand fish in this way:
After some time, they came up with a special apparatus in which sprats were placed head down and pierced all the fish at once:
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Such automation allowed to increase the volume to 4000 fish per hour:
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Ready-made fish garlands were inserted into the smoking frame and placed in the oven. Smoked from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on the oven:
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Then the sprats were taken out and placed on a special table, where with one stroke of an industrial knife, the heads of all the fish in the frame were removed. Before the invention of this thing, children armed with scissors worked "on their heads". Their productivity was 4 frames per hour. With the apparatus, she rose to 10 frames per minute. The children were fired
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Through the "comb" firebrands were removed from the knitting needles:
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Packing shop. Before you start packing fish in jars, you should familiarize yourself with the packaging requirements:
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The method of laying depends on the size of the fish. There were sixteen standards in total:
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Each has its own jar and its own quantity - from 3 to 38 pieces, depending on the size of the sprats themselves:
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Oil must be added after installation. This process also underwent automation over time: at first it was poured manually into each jar, so a pump was invented that pours the right amount into 10 containers at the same time.
In general, this museum is an ideal place to see how humanity developed in the era of industrialization:
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Then the cans were rolled up by hand on a special machine. Before this machine, they were making 500 cans a day. With machine up to 10000 cans. The invention revolutionized the industry:
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On the left - a rolled up can, on the right - an unrolled one. The machines are still running:
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At the end of the process, the jars were steam sterilized, heated to a temperature of 115°C, and kept for an hour. It has been experimentally proven that after such processing, the bank can live up to 100 years:
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After that, the jars were washed, dried and wrapped in polished paper. Labeled on paper:
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On the second floor there is a whole collection of labels for different motives and countries:
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Henrik Ibsen - Norwegian playwright:
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Mermaid motifs:
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Special series for the British and their 5 o "clock tea:
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Series for the German market:
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Business dictionary in four languages for international deliveries:
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Accounting apparatus:
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The museum presents the rarest exhibit - a tin can, which is more than 100 years old. She visited the South Pole with Amundsen and was not eaten. In 2003, it was discovered and sent to the laboratory in vain. Nothing happened to the fish. She was completely normal and ready to eat.
