How to Choose Good Fish ? Here are the tips!
How to Choose Good Fish ? Here are the tips!. Besides being delicious, processed fish dishes also have many benefits for the health of the body of Mom and family. Fish is rich in protein and omega-3 fats that are good for brain and heart health.
So, how do you choose a good fish? Let’s look at some tips for choosing it so that family members at home are more willing to eat it!
- Look at the Physical Appearance of the Fish
In choosing fish, Mommy needs to pay attention to its physical appearance, such as eyes, scales, and gills. First, look at the freshness of the fish from its eyes. If the eyes are clear, it’s a sign that the fish is still fresh, otherwise if it’s opaque, it means it’s not good.
Also look at the scales, if they fall off, it means the fish has been sold for a long time or is no longer fresh. Finally, look at the gills. If they are reddish, it means they are fresh. Avoid choosing fish whose gills are gray or brownish.
- Smell the Scent
The next way to choose good fish is to distinguish the aroma. It’s not like all fish smells fishy, right? That’s true, ma’am, but in general, the smell of quality fish and fish that are not fresh can still be distinguished. Fresh fish does have a fishy smell, but the aroma is not pungent. Meanwhile, fish that are not fresh usually have a very fishy, sour, and pungent smell.
- Check the Chewiness of the Meat
The texture of fresh fish meat is generally soft, and chewy, but still solid. You can check this by pressing the belly of the fish with your finger. If the meat returns to its original shape, then the fish is still fresh. Vice versa, when pressed the fish meat does not return to its original shape, meaning it is not fresh. Also, look at the bones. It’s best to choose one whose meat is still firmly attached to the bone.
- Look at the Color of Fish Meat & Skin
The next way to choose good fish is by looking at the color of the fish meat. Some types of fish have bright white meat color and some are reddish. Regardless of the type of fish you choose, you should choose one whose meat is brightly colored or not dull. The color of fresh meat usually looks shiny and bright. Also, pay attention to the color of the fish skin. It’s best to choose one with a bright color too.
- Put it in Water
The last and easiest way to do this is to place the fish in water. If the fish sinks, it’s fresh. If it floats on the surface of the water, it means it’s not fresh or even close to rotten. This trick is indeed more difficult to do, especially when you are shopping at a vegetable vendor or the seller at the market does not have a basin of water. If possible, Mom can try it.
But, if it’s not possible, you can simply apply the four ways to choose good fish that have been mentioned before. This method might be Mom’s trick to ensure that the fish purchased is still fresh before cooking, especially when the fish is used as stock in the freezer.
Those were five ways to choose good fish that can be processed into nutritious dishes for the family. Now, after buying fresh and good quality fish, you are ready to process it into your family’s favorite dishes.
Hopefully, the tips and how to choose good fish above can help you. Good luck!
