How to pickle pike caviar at home - 5 correct and tasty recipes

Preparing pike caviar for salting

The product under discussion is recognized as a valuable addition to everyday and holiday meals. Preparing pike caviar is extremely simple, but before salting it must first be thoroughly processed. To clean the eggs of the most famous predator, you will have to work hard, because its eggs are quite small. First you need to remove the film from them, and then remove the blood and anything else that could somehow get into the eggs.

To do this, you can use any of the proposed options:

A simple kitchen meat grinder can separate the film if its knives are not too dull and not too sharp. Otherwise, the film will wrap around them or shred so that it still has to be removed manually. It is easier to use a mixer - the film is pulled into the whisks and is easy to remove.
The next method is implemented using a grater or sieve. Be sure to choose a grater with large cells. The film and cores do not pass through them and can be removed without problems.
You can also use a colander.

The algorithm of actions in itself is not complicated:

Place the caviar in a conveniently sized bowl and pour boiling water over it.
Stir until film and debris float to the surface. This usually takes about five minutes.
Drain the contaminated water and replace it with cold, clean water to rinse the product.
Repeat this sequence of actions until the caviar is completely cleaned.
The last stage is straining through cheesecloth placed at the bottom of a colander. Be sure to squeeze the gauze bag a little with your hands at the very end so that no excess moisture remains in it.

On a note. Before salting, carefully inspect the eggs again to assess the quality of cleaning and remove any remaining debris.

How to properly prepare fish and caviar

You need to cut up a pike carcass very carefully, clearing it of giblets and selecting bags of caviar, being careful not to damage the gall bladder. The pike is washed and filleted for further use in the form of fish cakes and other things.

To obtain a pure product in the form of crumbly caviar, you need to carefully remove the film, gutting the bags, and then clean the delicacy from blood and other “garbage.” Although this will not be so easy to do, since there are some nuances in this process, and besides, pike caviar is quite small.

You can separate the caviar mass from unnecessary elements using the following technologies:

Using a meat grinder. The disadvantage of this method is that the film is wound on dull knives, and too sharp ones shred it. In the latter case, the film has to be removed as garbage from the entire caviar mass, which is a rather labor-intensive process.
Using a mixer. This method involves wrapping the film around the beaters of the mixer, after which it is easily removed.
Using a coarse grater. In this case, the film and veins simply remain on the hands. Instead of a grater, you can use a sieve.
Using a colander and fork. Place the caviar mass in a bowl, pour boiling water over it and stir with a fork for about 5 minutes. As a result of this process, all low-quality eggs rise to the top along with the film. Then the dirty liquid needs to be drained and the dishes filled with clean cold water to rinse the caviar more thoroughly. The procedure must be repeated until the product is completely cleaned.

Finally, the caviar is strained through cheesecloth to remove any remaining water. For these purposes, a colander is used, at the bottom of which several layers of gauze are laid out, through which the caviar mass is filtered. Instead of a colander and cheesecloth, a fine-mesh sieve is suitable. After the water has completely drained, the pike caviar will be ready for salting.

Universal pickling with sunflower oil

Salting pike fish caviar requires very few ingredients:

caviar – 0.5 kg;
salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
100 ml vegetable oil.

The universal salting method is as follows:

First, clean the caviar using any of the suggested methods. Only then add salt to it and stir with a fork. As a result, a white foam should appear on the surface of the product.
Pour in 2/3 of the stated volume of oil, stir everything thoroughly again.
For high-quality salting, carefully transfer the caviar into small jars. It is most convenient to use small glass containers with a screw cap for store-bought caviar, sauces, etc. Don’t forget to sterilize them.
Caviar is first placed in the prepared container, and then oil is poured onto it. The layer of the latter should be about one centimeter thick. It not only prevents microbes from entering the product, but also creates a vacuum, thanks to which the caviar is well salted and does not become stale or lost.

Tightly closed containers should be placed in the refrigerator and kept there for five days.

Saline method

In previous methods, it was necessary to add salt directly to the caviar. To do this, you need to beat it with a fork, which disrupts the structure of the eggs and spoils the appearance of the product. If you use a saline solution called brine, the grains will remain round and whole.

Caviar in bags is taken from the fish carcass, cleaned of films and placed in a deep vessel. Next, it is washed several times under hot and cold water to destroy parasites.
A saturated saline solution is prepared in a separate container. For 1 liter of water you will need several tablespoons of salt. It is better to use boiling water to further disinfect the caviar.
Pour the prepared solution into pike caviar and let it steep for 30 minutes. Next, the mixture is poured into a sieve to remove excess liquid. Caviar is ready to eat.

You can add a small amount of vegetable oil to the finished caviar. Additional ingredients include green or onions and spices to taste.

Recipes for salting pike caviar are not much different. This is due to the fact that pike caviar has its own rich taste and aroma and does not require the addition of spices. The main purpose of salting it is to get rid of parasites and other microorganisms that may be in it and transmitted to humans. Caviar can be served on the table in a separate container, and pancakes can be placed on a nearby dish. There are also recipes for sandwiches and tartlets with butter and pike caviar. It goes well with fresh vegetables and green onions.

Read also: Is it necessary to prune a tree peony for the winter?

How to quickly salt pike caviar

When quickly salting, removing the film is not necessary; you just need to thoroughly rinse the caviar. You can enjoy its delicate taste in just half a day.

To quickly pickle caviar, prepare:

300 g caviar;
salt;
water.

The method is as follows:

Dry the pre-washed eggs.
Add salt to taste, but not too much.
Transfer the workpiece into containers and keep it in the refrigerator or other cold place for six hours.

Afterwards, you can serve the delicacy in a small bowl or spread on elegant sandwiches with butter.

How to prepare a product for salting

First of all, any pickling process begins with the preparation of raw materials. If we are talking about pike caviar, then any winter pike product is suitable for salting. In this case, larger eggs will come from the catch received from January to February, since after the start of ice drift the predator already begins to spawn (Figure 2).

It is worth remembering that the film itself is very thin and breaks easily, and the eggs are quite small. However, it is necessary to clean the caviar from the bags as thoroughly as possible, because the appearance of the finished dish, its consistency and taste depend on it.

Using vinegar

It is caviar, salted with the addition of vinegar, that is most often served for the holidays.

To implement this recipe you need:

0.5 kg of caviar;
3 tbsp. l. sunflower oil;
3 tbsp. l. 3% vinegar;
1 onion;
ground black pepper.

The washed and peeled caviar should be placed in a pan and crushed with a fork. Then pour boiled water - the product will turn white.

After draining the water, transfer the snack to a glass or enamel container, add salt, vinegar, onion and pepper. Stir everything. The resulting salted caviar should be placed in the freezer in small containers for two hours.

Some tips for beginners

Pike caviar is rightfully considered a delicacy that can decorate any table. And in order for this product to retain its beneficial properties, it is worth listening to professional advice on how to properly and efficiently pickle caviar at home.

You can do it like this:

The product must be fresh, that is, caviar from freshly caught fish is used for salting.
The larger the caviar, the fattier and more pleasant it tastes.
Before cooking, caviar must be peeled from the shell using any known method.
To clean the caviar from the film, you cannot use an aluminum colander, because its sharp edges can damage the eggs.
Caviar should be handled with care, since damage to the outer shell of the eggs spoils the appearance of the dish and affects its taste.

Salting pike caviar at home is discussed in more detail in the video.

Five-minute recipe

For this recipe you will need:

a liter of water for every 200 g of caviar;
2 tbsp. l. fine sea salt per liter;
200 ml. sunflower oil for 200 g of caviar.

Step-by-step description of preparation:

Boil water with salt and add spices. Pour half the solution over the cleaned caviar and leave for 10-15 minutes. This part of the water is drained - it has fulfilled its disinfecting function.
Strain the caviar through cheesecloth and pour in the rest of the newly boiled marinade, leave for half an hour. You can periodically stir the product with a fork, and after the specified time, drain the water so that the caviar is completely cleaned.
Add salt (now to taste) and oil. Stir until a foam forms - it is better to carefully collect it with a spoon. Then, in a transparent container, keep the snack in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Cooking pike caviar in a salty solution

This method allows you to keep all the eggs intact, because you don’t need to grind them with salt for a long time.

Ingredients:

pike caviar – 500 gr.;
salt – 4 tbsp;
boiling water – 1 l.

Preparation:

Peel the caviar from the films, place in a bowl and rinse several times with cold water.
Boil water, dissolve salt in it and pour hot brine over the caviar.
Cover the bowl with a lid and leave for half an hour.
Strain the finished caviar through a fine sieve to remove excess liquid.
Hot brine will help disinfect the product and increase the shelf life of caviar.
Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator.

This appetizer can be served with pancakes or simply spread on soft white bread.

Hot salted pike caviar

For salting you need the following ingredients:

500 g caviar;
2 tbsp. l. sea salt;
1 liter of water;
lean refined oil.

Salted pike caviar is prepared in a hot way as follows:

Boil water and pour salt into it.
Without removing the container from the heat, add caviar to it and hold for a couple of minutes. It is not recommended to wait longer, otherwise the eggs will boil over.
Then strain the appetizer, cool and serve.
Don't forget to add oil before serving.

The dish can be kept in the refrigerator, but no longer than three days. However, as practice shows, pike caviar is eaten much faster.

On a note. When using the hot method, it is better to take young fish caviar, consisting of very small eggs.

Recipe for homemade pickling of pike caviar

Time of active actions – 30-40 minutes.
Salting time – 12 hours.
Ripening time is one day.
Yield – 330 g.
Energy intensity – 87 kcal/100 g.
Kitchen utensils: a spacious cup, a knife, a board, a strainer, a piece of gauze, a tablespoon, a container for storing food.

Ingredients

Name	Quantity
Caviar bags from one pike	300 g
Coarse salt	2 tbsp. l.
Filtered water	1 stack

Step-by-step rustic salting of fish roe

If you have absolutely no doubt about the quality of pike caviar and are afraid to simply “cook” the product, I offer another recipe for salting pike caviar at home without using hot water.

But if you are still afraid of helminth infection, the insides can be frozen. Freezing pike eggs for three days below -18°C helps to completely get rid of possible damage to the insides of the fish from parasitic infections.

Preparing for pickling

Cut each caviar bag (about 300 g of product) from one pike into three or four large pieces.
Using the back of a knife, release the eggs from the film and place them in a cup.
Beat the film-free eggs with a fork, periodically removing film residue from the teeth.

We wash the eggs

Pour cold water into the cup with the caviar mass so that its volume is twice the amount of eggs, and stir.
Remove small pieces of film from the surface of the water (the caviar will settle to the bottom of the cup). Let the eggs stand in the water for 30-40 seconds and drain the water.

Salting process

Pour 2 tbsp into washed caviar. l. coarse salt without a slide.
Add 1 stack. cold filtered water and mix well until large salt crystals are completely dissolved.
Soak the eggs in brine for 10-15 minutes. After a quarter of an hour, place the caviar on a strainer, adding an additional double layer of gauze, and leave in the strainer for 60 minutes to completely remove the liquid.
Place the cup with the contents in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours to ripen the pike caviar. After a day, the product can be eaten. Bon appetit.

The recipe contains a number of important points. To learn how to properly salt pike caviar, watch the video with explanations and recommendations for preparing pike caviar.

Video recipe

This video demonstrates the rules for preparing pike caviar using the “cold” method, and also provides a number of useful tips for preparing brine - a salt solution for pickling.

You can also take an interest in the classic recipe for salting pink salmon caviar and prepare a real delicacy at home.