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Dried ram is a favorite homemade delicacy. Taranka: the secrets of cooking dried-dried fish at home Winter cooking of dried rams according to Astrakhan recipes

Cooking secrets

Fragrant and tasty fish taranka (taranka, ram) from the carp family has always been popular in southern Russia and Ukraine - it was dried and served with beer. Subsequently, any dried fish, such as roach and roach, began to be called a ram. Dried taranka was the most affordable and cheapest snack in Russia, so it was very popular. All residents of the Kuban and Azov region know how to make a taranka: first, the fish is salted and then dried, as a result of which it acquires a special spicy taste and aroma. You can't find better beer snacks!

How to cook a taranka: choosing and processing fish

Since ramming is now called any dried, for this dish you can take not only ram, roach or roach. Other types of fish are also suitable - bream, podleschik, sabrefish, pike, crucian carp, rudd, ruff and gudgeon. A very tasty taranka is obtained from blue bream, silver bream, top-melt, vomer, perch and goby. The fish should be of medium fat content and small in size, otherwise it will not be salted and spoil. The fattest fish is bream, vomer, and sabrefish have medium fat content, ruff is very tender and has few bones, dried perch is sweetish, and pike is richly tart and spicy.

It is not required to process the fish in a special way in order to salt the ram - it is enough to rinse it and remove the entrails if the fish is small. Some gourmets love the raw ram - they all have their own tastes. However, in summer, when the inhabitants of rivers and lakes feed on greens and microorganisms, it is better to gut even small fish, otherwise an unpleasant smell will appear during the drying process, and the taste of such a ram will give off bitterness. By the way, it is also better to remove the gills - they can spoil the taste of the fish. How to salt a ram if you still decide to leave the insides? To do this, before salting, pour a saturated saline solution into the fish's throat - for this reason, many people prefer to salt the ram live. The fish opens its mouth and swallows the brine, which makes it possible to qualitatively salt the internal organs.

First, the fish is salted and then dried. How to salt a ram at home? There are different recipes for salting taranka, but usually they are used in two ways - wet and dry. The wet method is suitable for small fish, dry for large fish weighing more than 1 kg.

Wet salting of fish

According to this recipe, the ram is salted in a sufficiently concentrated brine, and the degree of salt concentration is checked with a raw egg - it should float to the surface. A strong solution for salting fish is called brine, and the fish is kept in it for about 3-4 days, and so that it does not float and salt evenly, it is covered with a metal mesh on top or a grate is placed on which the load is placed. The bucket, basin or pot where the ram is salted should be placed in a cool place to prevent the fish from spoiling. For wet salting, fish weighing less than 0.5 kg are usually taken. In general, the question of how much to salt the ram depends on the size of the fish - the larger it is, the longer the salting process will be.

After that, salted fish are washed well and soaked in fresh water - small for 30 minutes, and large for several hours. At the same time, it is recommended to change the water several times, and after the first change of water, let the fish lie in the air, come to their senses and allow the salt to be evenly distributed in the tissues. Then you can put it back in the water, and when the fish begins to float, the soaking process can be considered complete. Do not worry about how to salt the ram without oversalting it - it is believed that it will absorb as much salt as needed. Salted and soaked fish becomes slightly transparent and takes on a light amber hue.

How to make a taranka correctly: dry salting method

First, the fish is rubbed well with salt, salt is poured into the abdomen, into the incision in the back and into the gills, if you decide not to remove them. Pierce the carcass with a fork or knife and rub salt into the holes. Pour about 0.5 cm of salt into a large stainless steel metal bowl, place the ram in tight rows with the back facing down and sprinkle generously with salt on top to create a real 1 cm thick layer of salt. 1 kg of fish requires about 250 g of salt.

Add another layer, and then place a plate smaller than a saucepan or a wooden board on top to provide fresh air for the fish. Place oppression on the lid and place the fish in a cold place, such as a refrigerator, cellar, or balcony. At the same time, make sure that the sun's rays do not fall on the fish. By the way, at first it is better to put a little oppression, after about 6-7 hours it can be increased - this way the fish will be salted evenly. It is interesting that in Russia, in villages, fish was salted in a wooden box with holes, which was placed in a spacious container.

In the process of salting, a liquid is formed, which will have to be drained, and the salting time depends on the size of the ram. Fish weighing up to 100 g are salted for 1-2 days, for medium-sized fish weighing 600-800 g, 3-4 days are enough, and large fish will need from 5 to 14 days until they are completely salted. As soon as the ram stops secreting juice, it is ready, but first it should be rinsed well and soaked in cold water for 2 hours, then held in vinegar water for an hour - take about 50 ml of vinegar in a bucket of water. This is done to prevent the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms, because of which the ram quickly deteriorates.

How to dry a ram correctly

Make a double string and string the fish on it at a distance of at least 7 cm from each other, passing it through the eyes so that the valuable fat and brine do not flow out through the mouth, but remain inside. Some fishermen dry the ram on hooks, and put the small fish on a wooden surface and turn it over as it dries. Such a ram is especially tasty, tender and rich. Fish "garlands" should be hung in a well-ventilated place, but in the shade - in the attic or on the balcony, taking care of the absence of insects. By the way, soaking in vinegar water is a reliable prevention against flies, because the smell of vinegar scares them away. If flies land on fish, it is better to discard it immediately, as they may lay eggs on it. For more reliable protection against insects, it is better to put together a special box for drying fish and cover it with a fine mesh.

Many people dry fish in Isidri dryers - in this case, you need to slightly open the gills of the ram (if they are not removed), cut the abdomen and strengthen it open with toothpicks.

After 3 days, it can be considered jerky. If you want a dried ram, wait 2 weeks. A properly dried ram is not soft or hard, has a pleasant taste and smell, has a reddish-amber shade without yellow spots, and glows slightly in the light. Wet salted fish becomes juicier after drying, while salting without water gives drier fish.

How to make a ram delicious: gourmet secrets

For salting, use coarse salt, which has the ability to draw moisture out of the fish. The less liquid there is in the fish, the faster it will dry up later and it will be more tasty. In addition, fine salt forms a crust on the surface of the carcass and prevents the fish from salting.
The addition of a small amount of sugar to the brine makes the fish very tender, spicy and tasty.
What weight should the bending be during salting? Usually they put a load weighing 3-20 kg, depending on the size of the fish and personal preference. If you will salt the fish in the summertime, cover it with a cloth or gauze to keep insects out.
If you want the fish to dry well, cut it slightly after salting. This applies mainly to large fish, because small fish dries much faster.
During dry salting, many housewives drain the brine from the pan or bucket by hand, which is not very convenient. The ideal option is to drill holes in the bottom of the pan, and then the liquid will drain on its own. Then this dish can always be used for salting fish.
If you dry the ram, moisten it with water and wrap it in parchment for 2 days, periodically moistening the fish. Too dry fish can be ground to a flour consistency and sprinkled on salads, soups and main courses.

We store the ram correctly

A dried ram is stored for up to 4 months if it is cooked according to all the rules. You can lay it in layers in sterilized jars, roll up the lid and put it in the cellar - so it stays fresh for up to 10 months. Often the fish is kept in a basket, bag, wrapped in parchment paper, and a dried taranka feels good only in a cool place in a plastic bag or foil, and its shelf life is shorter. In the refrigerator, the ram is stored in the freshness zone - for this, the fish is greased with olive oil and placed in glass jars. You should not keep salted fish in the air for a long time, because the fish oil is oxidized, and the taranka acquires a not very pleasant taste. At low humidity, the fish grows moldy, at high humidity, it dries up, so the ideal storage conditions are 80% humidity and a temperature of 3-8 ° C. In kraft paper, covered with polyethylene on one side, the ram is stored for 8-10 months.

Taranka is a completely dietary and very useful product containing protein, valuable fish oil, iodine, chromium and many other useful substances. Dried fish protein provides a full-fledged metabolism, and omega-3 fatty acids protect against cancer, stroke and heart attack. Taranka makes unusually tasty soups and snacks. Considering that the calorie content of a taranka is only 88 calories, you can afford to eat it at least every day without fear for your figure!

Salted fish is an ideal beer snack. And to be sure of its quality and taste, it is better to carry out the salting yourself. Find out how you can salt the ram.

Which fish is right for you?

Small and medium-sized fish are suitable for salting, since the large ones will not be completely salted and will remain raw inside, which will affect the taste and increase the likelihood of contracting intestinal infections when eaten.

Instead of ramming, you can use any other medium-sized fish for salting, for example, redfins, scabbards, ruffs, sabrefish, minnows. The average fat content is optimal, since at low fish it will turn out to be very dry, and at high it will have an unpleasant taste.

Should you gut the fish?

Opinions are divided about gutting the fish in front of the ambassador. But if the ram was caught in the summer, then in the reservoir it probably fed on freshwater microorganisms and greens, and in this case, if the insides are not removed, an unpleasant odor may occur. In addition, the pulp will acquire a characteristic aroma and bitter taste, so evisceration is still desirable.

You do not need to cut off the tail and head, it is enough to make a small incision in the abdomen and get everything unnecessary. Then the fish is thoroughly washed and dried. This completes the preparation, and you can go directly to the ambassador.

How to salt?

How to salt ram at home? The process is simple, but requires patience. In addition, there are three main methods: drying, dry and wet. All options are considered in detail.

Dry method

This option is simple and requires a suitable container (it can be a wooden box or an enamel basin), salt and fish itself.

Method description:

Pour a layer of salt about 7-10 millimeters thick on the bottom of a clean container.
Rub the whole fish with salt, pushing it into the mouth and gills. You can also make multiple holes for better salting.
Put the fish on the salt, sprinkle it with a centimeter layer of salt. Laying for better compaction is done with heads to tails and backs to abdomens, so that there is no free space.
Having laid in layers and sprinkled with salt all the fish, cover it, for example, with a thick cardboard, a perforated board or a lid with a diameter smaller than the container itself. Place the oppression weighing about 7-10 kg.
Send the container to a cool place, such as a refrigerator, cellar or balcony (during cold seasons).
How much salt to fish in this way? The duration depends on the weight of one carcass: about 100-150 grams - two days, 500-700 g - three to four days, more than 800 grams - from five to seven days to two weeks (for large specimens).
During the salting process, juice will be released, which must be drained daily. Readiness can be determined by the lack of liquid.
Now wash the salted fish and soak in water to remove excess salt, and then in vinegar solution (50 ml of 9% tabletop per 10 liters) to kill bacteria and scare away flies.
It remains to hang the carcasses in a ventilated room and dry to the desired state. You can also dry fish in wooden open boxes or on trays, turning it over regularly.

Advice! If the mass of oppression is increased after a day or two, then the fish will be salted more fully and well.

Wet way

This recipe involves salting in a concentrated saline solution. And you will need this:

a fish;
water;
table salt (100-150 g for each liter of water).

Instructions:

Immerse the washed and, if desired, gutted fish in a prepared saline solution so that it completely covers the carcasses.
Press down on top of the fish to avoid floating.
After two to five days (depending on the size), remove the carcasses, rinse thoroughly, or keep them in cold water for half an hour and dry.

Drying

This method is also simple. All you need is fish and salt. The process is simple too:

Rub the fish very thoroughly on all sides with salt. Make holes and tamp the salt into them.
Prepare a wire or rope, string salted carcasses on it.
Now hang the strung fish in the courtyard of a private house, on the balcony or in a constantly ventilated room. To protect against flies, you can cover the structure with gauze or make something like a tent or dome out of this material.
The ram will be salted for at least two days. And the longer the period, the drier the pulp will be, so adjust the timing at your discretion, taking into account your taste preferences.

Finally, some useful tips:

If you decide not to gut the fish, then for a high-quality salting inside, pour a strong saline solution through the mouth through a syringe. Some fishermen do this as soon as they get their catch.
Various seasonings can be added to the salt if desired to add aroma and piquancy to the finished salty ram.
It is best to use coarse salt, as fine salt will increase the salting period and can form a crust on the surface.
If, when using the wet method, add a little granulated sugar to the brine, then the finished fish will be softer and even tastier.
If you plan to dry large fish, make several longitudinal cuts in it to speed up the process. Small carcasses will dry out anyway.
If the fish is very dry, then it can be made softer if moistened with a brush or sponge, and then wrapped in parchment. Next, periodically moisten the paper to draw in moisture from the pulp. You can also fix the situation with underdried ram by wrapping it in newspaper, which will absorb excess liquid.
A properly salted ram is stored for up to 3-5 months, and in a cold and sealed package - up to 9-10.

Salted ram will succeed wonderfully if you choose the right recipe and follow all the salting rules.

Taranka is a delicious fish. It is especially good when dried. But first, the product must be properly salted. How to do it? Of course, there are some nuances, but everything is incredibly simple. Let's take a look at the options available.

How to properly prepare a ram for salting?

It is best to salt freshly caught fish. However, this is not always possible, so you can also use frozen food, which you must first defrost at room temperature. This completes all the preparatory work. No need to wash, clean or gut anything.

How to salt a taranka correctly?

There are several ways to pickle a ram. Let's get it all in detail.

Dry method of salting the ram

In this case, there are two options. Both are simple. So choose which one you like best. So:

Option number 1

Take the prepared fish and rub it with salt from the tail to the head. Try to let the husks rise. Fill the mouth and gills of the ram with salt. After that, string the carcasses on a thick thread or wire and hang in the shade in a draft. So we salt and dry at the same time. The fish should hang in this state for at least 2 days.

Option number 2

Prepare deep enamel or glassware. Wash and dry the container. Now add some (25 g) salt to the bottom. Arrange the ram in one layer. Next is the salt. Followed by a fish. And so on until the main product ends. As for the ratio of fish to salt: from 1: 0.1 to 1: 1. It all depends on the season and conditions. If you can send the prepared semi-finished product to the refrigerator, then put less salt. And if it's summer outside and you don't have a cool place, then pour 1: 1. After that, put the oppression on top and take out the fish after 1-2 days. Then rinse off the salt. You can soak the ram a little. And again, hang in the shade in a draft.

Wet way of salting ramps

There is nothing complicated in this method of salting fish either. Just dilute water with salt in a 1: 0.1 ratio. Now fill in the prepared fish so that it is completely covered. Press down on top with something so that the carcasses do not float. Soak the ram in brine for 2-3 days. Then take it out (you can soak it for 20-30 minutes in cold water) and hang it in the same way as in other cases.

Of course, a wide variety of spices can be added to salt. For each kilogram of fish, take about 1 tablespoon of chopped spices. Sprinkle whatever you like.

Salting fish requires patience and time, as well as how much effort it takes to find "your" recipe among those offered. Try it, maybe you will like this method of salting.

Or order the crab-flavored squid, a delicious snack to accompany a cool glass of beer in the summer heat. Not expensive at all and no cooking necessary.

Crab-flavored squid

Any suitable capacity, in which the ram will be salted. A bowl, plastic or enamelled, a bucket, a large saucepan will do. The dishes must be NON-galvanized. You will need salt only large and, of course, the fish itself - ram... by ram, most mean any small fish. However, in the Astrakhan region, ramming is a separate species of fish. The fish according to this recipe will turn out delicious in both the first and second cases.

The bottom of the container is sprinkled with plenty of salt, then the first layer of fish is laid on it. The salt must be coarse. You can also use salt with the addition of herbs, but this is optional and to taste. Note that each fish must be thoroughly rinsed before salting, rubbed with salt, generously pouring it into the gills. They do not save on salt in this business.

Salt the ram correctly

Then a not too heavy oppression is installed on the container, and left to be salted in a cold place. For each fish, the salting time is different, for example, roach is salted for 2-3 days, for undergrowths for 3-4 days, and bream for 5-6 days.

The time for salting has passed, and the fish is thoroughly washed in running water, you can just soak it, but the water should be cold. One day of salting will be equal to an hour of soaking. At this time, of course, the water is changed every 20-30 minutes.

It is important not only to properly grease the ram, but also to dry

Drying the ram

Salted fish is ready for drying, it is advisable to hang it in the room where there is a possibility of draft, i.e. well ventilated. - everyone decides for himself.

Getting rid of the attacks of flies

To prevent annoying flies from overwhelming the almost ready-to-eat delicacy, you can do the following:
1. vinegar water will scare away flies, it is sprayed with fish at short intervals, while the ram hangs on the rope,
2. cover the fish with a gauze cloth,
3.Use a special box with a mosquito net designed for drying fish,
4. there are no flies at night, which means you can safely hang it in the evening, putting it in the refrigerator in the morning.

Take a note, lovers of salted taranka, it is best to salt and dry the fish caught in that month, in the name of which there is the letter "r". Now is the time. Outside the window, September, then October, then November.

How to cook a taranka: choosing and processing fish

Since any dried fish is now called a ram, for this dish you can take not only ram, roach or roach. Other types of fish are also suitable - bream, podleschik, sabrefish, pike, crucian carp, rudd, ruff and gudgeon. A very tasty taranka is obtained from blue bream, silver bream, top-melt, vomer, perch and goby. The fish should be of medium fat content and small in size, otherwise it will not be salted and spoil. The fattest fish are bream, vomer, and sabrefish have an average fat content, the ruff is very tender, and there are few bones in it, the dried perch is sweetish, and the pike is richly tart and piquant.

It is not required to process the fish in a special way in order to salt the ram - it is enough to rinse it and remove the entrails if the fish is small. Some gourmets love gutted ram - they all have their own tastes. However, in summer, when the inhabitants of rivers and lakes feed on greens and microorganisms, it is better to gut even small fish, otherwise an unpleasant smell will appear during the drying process, and the taste of such a ram will give off bitterness. By the way, it is also better to remove the gills - they can spoil the taste of the fish. How to salt a ram if you still decide to leave the insides? To do this, before salting, pour a saturated saline solution into the fish's throat - for this reason, many people prefer to salt the ram live. The fish opens its mouth and swallows the brine, which makes it possible to qualitatively salt the internal organs.

First, the fish is salted and then dried. How to salt a ram at home? There are different recipes for salting taranka, but they are usually used in two ways - wet and dry. The wet method is suitable for small fish, dry for large fish weighing more than 1 kg.

Wet salting of fish

According to this recipe, the ram is salted in a sufficiently concentrated brine, and the degree of salt concentration is checked with a raw egg - it should float to the surface. A strong solution for salting fish is called brine, and the fish is kept in it for about 3-4 days, and so that it does not float and saline evenly, it is covered with a metal mesh on top or a grate is placed on which the load is placed. The bucket, basin or pot where the ram is salted should be placed in a cool place to prevent the fish from spoiling. For wet salting, fish weighing less than 0.5 kg are usually taken. In general, the question of how much to salt the ram depends on the size of the fish - the larger it is, the longer the salting process will be.

How to make a taranka correctly: dry salting method

In the process of salting, a liquid is formed, which will have to be drained, and the salting time depends on the size of the ram. Fish weighing up to 100 g are salted for 1-2 days, medium-sized fish weighing 600-800 g take 3-4 days, and large fish will need from 5 to 14 days until they are completely salted. As soon as the ram stops secreting juice, it is ready, but first it should be rinsed well and soaked in cold water for 2 hours, then held in vinegar water for an hour - take about 50 ml of vinegar in a bucket of water. This is done to prevent the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms, because of which the ram quickly deteriorates.

How to dry a ram correctly

Many people dry fish in Isidri dryers - in this case, you need to slightly open the gills of the ram (if they are not removed), cut the abdomen and strengthen it open with toothpicks.

After 3 days, the fish can be considered jerky. If you want a dried ram, wait 2 weeks. A properly dried ram is not soft or hard, has a pleasant taste and smell, has a reddish-amber shade without yellow spots, and glows slightly in the light. Wet salted fish becomes juicier after drying, while salting without water gives drier fish.

How to make a ram delicious: gourmet secrets

For salting, use coarse salt, which has the ability to draw moisture out of the fish. The less liquid there is in the fish, the faster it will dry up later and it will be more tasty. In addition, fine salt forms a crust on the surface of the carcass and prevents the fish from salting.
The addition of a small amount of sugar to the brine makes the fish very tender, spicy and tasty.
What weight should the bending be during salting? Usually a load weighing 3–20 kg is placed, depending on the size of the fish and personal preference. If you will salt the fish in the summertime, cover it with a cloth or gauze to keep insects out.
If you want the fish to dry well, cut it slightly after salting. This applies mainly to large fish, because small fish dries much faster.
During dry salting, many housewives drain the brine from the pan or bucket by hand, which is not very convenient. The ideal option is to drill holes in the bottom of the pan, and then the liquid will drain off on its own. Then this dish can always be used for salting fish.
If you dry the ram, moisten it with water and wrap it in parchment for 2 days, periodically moistening the fish. Too dry fish can be ground to a flour consistency and sprinkled on salads, soups and main courses.

We store the ram correctly

A dried ram is stored for up to 4 months if it is cooked according to all the rules. You can lay it in layers in sterilized jars, roll up the lid and put it in the cellar - so it stays fresh for up to 10 months. Often the fish is kept in a basket, bag, wrapped in parchment paper, and a dried taranka feels good only in a cool place in a plastic bag or foil, and its shelf life is shorter. In the refrigerator, the ram is stored in the freshness zone - for this, the fish is greased with olive oil and placed in glass jars. You should not keep salted fish in the air for a long time, because the fish oil is oxidized, and the taranka acquires a not very pleasant taste. At low humidity the fish grows moldy, at high humidity it dries up, so the ideal storage conditions are 80% humidity and a temperature of 3–8 ° С. In kraft paper, covered with polyethylene on one side, the ram can be stored for 8-10 months.

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