Many people want to make it so much more than it is. It’s simply fish eggs from the ovaries of the fish. After extracting the eggs, they can be delivered and packaged fresh or pasteurized before eating. Each method of storage has its advantages and disadvantages — however, the fresher the product, the more costly to purchase.
Since it will always be rather expensive, pasteurized forms might not be as fresh, but it can allow you to be able to purchase the sturgeon caviar at a better price. This can make eating this delicacy a frequent occurrence as compared to only on special occasions.
Depending on different national laws, the caviar label can be attached to the roe of different fish such as trout, steelhead, salmon, whitefish and lumpfish.
Historically speaking, production of the commercial product came at the price of clubbing the sturgeon caviar to extract the ovaries. In today’s commercial environment, fish farmers can extract eggs without hurting or killing the fish. This process is carried out by a procedure known as stripping. This allows the farmer to take out the eggs without any surgery or harm to the fish. This is a very humane approach, and more and more producers are using this method all the time.
How do you know you’re receiving a quality product?
With all fish, the fresher it is, the better it is going to taste. Sturgeon caviar is no different. There are a few things that you can look for that will determine the quality of your product.
Color
The brighter or distinct the color makes it better quality. If it is black for example, it needs to be distinctly black without any dull looking eggs. It’s lower quality if the shades of black or red vary.
Taste
If it tastes fishy, it’s lower quality. Also, all of the eggs should be whole. You can usually know if there are broken eggs by seeing too much oil around the eggs. Also, every egg should be firm to the pressure of the tongue and make a popping sound when you break it.
How long will it last?
How long it will last has a lot to do with whether it’s fresh or pasteurized. If it’s fresh, make sure that you properly store it in the refrigerator before serving. If you do this correctly, it can be stored for a week or two before consuming. It might not last as long after, so you need to make sure that you don’t buy too much at a time.
Pasteurized Brands, on the other hand, will only start to spoil after opening. It’s still a good idea to not open too much at a time if you don’t think you will eat it all. Fortunately, most reputable stores that sell it allow you to buy it in many different sizes and containers. If you buy it regularly, you’ll get to know how much you need and how long it will last, depending on freshness or pasteurization.
In summary, sturgeon caviar is a wonderful food for special events as well as everyday use. Although it is expensive and depending on the type that you purchase, it can still be affordable to eat more often than just every once in a while.
