How to properly store dried fish

Many people often have little idea how to preserve dried and dried fish for a long time. If stored incorrectly, the taste of this product will deteriorate. In addition, eating such a “delicacy” can lead to poisoning.

What are the benefits of dried fish?

To prepare dried fish, it must first be salted for several days (from 3 to 5), soaked, and then dried by hanging in the air. Moreover, it is important to correctly guess the moment when it is ready, so as not to dry it out. This is a ready-to-eat product that does not require heat treatment.

Prolonged salting kills all microorganisms. At the same time, due to the fact that the fish is not exposed to high temperatures, all useful vitamins and minerals are retained. Therefore, its regular consumption improves the function of the thyroid gland, reduces cholesterol in the blood, normalizes blood clotting and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

However, in order for this delicacy to retain its beneficial properties for a long time, it is necessary not only to prepare it correctly, but also to properly organize the storage of this product at home.

Rules for storing dried fish

Only high-quality and freshly prepared fish is used for storage. If the product has an unpleasant odor or there are traces of mold on it, then it is better to get rid of it so as not to expose yourself and your loved ones to the risk of poisoning.

There are several ways to store dried fish for a long time at home.

• You can store it for a long time in a cool room. A storage room, shed, attic or balcony are quite suitable for this if it is located on the shady side of the house. Dried carcasses should be wrapped in paper (tracing paper, packaging or baking paper), large ones - individually, small ones - several pieces at a time. This way the product will not dry out. The packages should be hung in a cool room so that they are not exposed to sunlight. The humidity level should be 70-80%. If too damp, the product will become moldy. Too dry air will cause the delicacy to dry out. It will be edible, but will lose its taste, as the fish oil will go rancid.
• The longest storage at home can be ensured by placing dried fish in the freezer, after wrapping it in paper. It will be correct if you pre-package it in small portions. This will allow you to get the right amount of product as needed without defrosting the rest. This method allows you to preserve workpieces without loss of quality for 6-12 months.
• If it is not possible to use a refrigerator, then you can store dried fish for several months in the old proven way - in a glass or metal jar with a tightly closed lid. Place the fish in the prepared container, place a lit candle there and close the lid tightly. When the oxygen burns out, the candle will go out on its own. The product does not dry out under such conditions, and the absence of air protects it from the development of microorganisms. Banks should be placed in a place inaccessible to sunlight.

Dried fish should not be stored in plastic bags, as it will sweat and quickly become moldy. The product will become unfit for food and will have to be thrown away.

You should not unnecessarily store large quantities of dried fish for long-term storage. Even under conditions close to ideal, the taste of this product deteriorates over time, so it is better to eat it freshly prepared.

Rules for storing dried fish

Dried fish is often confused with dried fish, although in fact they are different products. About, how to dry fish, there are a lot of recipes on the Internet, but they all come down to one of two methods - fresh-dried (without pre-salting) or salted-dried (with pre-salting). Fish is salted for drying for only a few hours (for drying - several days). Although the dehydration process stops the development of almost all bacteria (which makes it possible to store it), it does not destroy them completely, especially when using the fresh-dried method. Therefore, this product is a semi-finished product that requires further heat treatment. It can be used to prepare broths, minced meat, and fishmeal.

Cooking dried fish is easier than dried fish, especially in the field. It does not need to be salted for a long time and then soaked before drying. Therefore, many fishermen use this method of preserving their catch. Low-fat fish varieties are best suited for this purpose.

To ensure that the product does not lose its beneficial and tasteful qualities for a long time, you need to know how to store dried fish at home. There are several ways to store this semi-finished product for a long time.

• The best way is to wrap the finished fish in cling film and place it in the freezer. After defrosting, the product should be dried for several hours.
• This semi-finished product (wrapped in paper) is stored well on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. In this form, it will not lose its nutritional value for six months.
• You can store dried fish in glass jars for a long time. You need to pour a little alcohol into the container, then place the prepared carcasses, after which the jars should be rolled up with metal lids.
• If there is a large quantity of fish, then it should be packed in cardboard or wooden boxes. The top of the container must be covered with fabric to prevent dust and insects from getting inside. In this form, dried fish is stored in dry rooms with good ventilation for 3 to 6 months without loss of quality.
• If you need to save this semi-finished product for a short period of time (up to a month), then you can simply hang it in a dark, cool room, wrapped in fabric or paper.

Dried and dried fish is a tasty and healthy addition to the table. Dried is a ready-made product that can be consumed as an independent dish, as well as in hodgepodges and for salad dressing. Dried fish can be used to make delicious fish soup, fish soup or soup. When ground into flour, it is used to add to cutlets, prepare gravies and pastes. It is important that these products retain their quality for a long time and can be stored for future use.