Sardines

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Sardines / Sardina pilchardus / is a species of herring sea fish, which is also known as anchovies. This fish is very common in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, is found in small quantities in the Black Sea. Sardines feed mainly on plankton.

Sardines reach a length of 26 cm. Sardines caught in the Atlantic Ocean are about 25 cm, and Bulgarian fishermen catch mostly sardines between 17 and 18 cm in size and weighing 25 to 50 g. A line of unequal scales forms on the abdominal wall of sardines.. Behind the upper part of the gills are round dark spots, which are arranged in a row in the direction of the tail.

Sardine is a fish that is thermophilic and lives in flocks. It reaches sexual maturity at the age of two, when its average length is 13 cm. From May to December, sardines shed about 50,000 caviar grains. It grows very fast, makes long reproductive and food migrations.

Sardines are caught mainly at night, when they rise to the surface to feed on the plankton present there. After capture, the fish are immersed in brine to be transported to shore. In our country, sardines have no economic significance, they are even believed to be accidentally caught by fishermen.

Composition of sardines

Sardines, like other fish, are extremely rich in nutrients. Sardines are one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They are also one of the richest dietary sources of vitamin B12. Many valuable amino acids have been found in sardines, such as aspartic and glutamic, leucine, lysine, methionine, valine, threonine. They contain a large amount of folic acid, vitamin E and biotin.

Through a can sardines, approximately 90 g provide as much as 137% of the daily requirement of vitamin B12, 69% of the needs for selenium, 62% of vitamin D, 57% of the need for omega-3 fatty acids and about 45% of the need for the day of phosphorus and protein.

Selection and storage of sardines

In our country sardines are most often found in the form of canned food. When buying a can, look at the expiration date label and information about the manufacturer. However, from some places you can buy and sardines in fresh form.

Like other fish, sardines should not have a bad odor, the eyes should be clear. This is a sign of fresh fish. Canned food sardines Store for a longer time, once you open them it is best to keep them in the refrigerator. Fresh sardines should be prepared immediately after purchase or the next day.

Sardines in cooking

In countries where they are of particular economic importance, sardines are preserved in different ways. In canneries, fish are cleaned and then steamed or deep-fried and dried. In Spain, Portugal and a number of other countries, after this primary treatment, sardines are preserved in olive or soybean oil, while in the Scandinavian countries they are smoked. They can also be canned with mustard or tomato sauce.

The main purpose of sardines is for human consumption, but sardine oil, for example, is widely used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, linoleum and others.

Fresh sardines require cleaning before cooking. For this purpose, the scales are removed by scraping, the entrails and heads are removed. Wash well cleaned fish under running water.

If you want to marinate yourself sardines, we offer you a very easy and fast way. The cleaned sardines stay overnight in very salty brine, and the next day they are moved for 6 hours in vinegar. Then drain them and arrange them in small jars. Drizzle with heated oil and put 2 black peppercorns and 1-2 bay leaves in each jar.

We offer in a great Mediterranean recipe for roasted sardines. For it you need 500 g of fresh sardines, a few olives, a clove of garlic, 2 tomatoes, 10 basil leaves, salt, olive oil and pepper.

Arrange the cleaned sardines in a tray. Tomatoes, garlic, half of the basil and olives are stewed briefly in olive oil. Finally, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the resulting mixture into the sardines in the pan and bake for about 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven. Serve hot sardines sprinkled with the rest of the basil.

Benefits of sardines

As mentioned, sardines are one of the valuable sources of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. Omega-3 lowers blood triglycerides and cholesterol. Sardines maintain the balance of homocysteines and through this effect has a beneficial effect on heart function.

Sardines are an excellent source of protein, which is vital for building muscle, connective tissue. In addition, they support the immune system, thus ensuring good human health.

Sardines with particularly useful in the fight against the growing osteoporosis. They supply large amounts of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus - the whole complex needed to build and maintain healthy bones. Sardines have such large amounts of vitamin D that they can only be compared to milk enriched with it.

In addition, vitamin D is involved in the regulation of cellular activity. For this reason, it is believed that it plays an extremely important role in the prevention of some cancers. Selenium in sardines is also valuable in the fight against cancer.