How to quickly clean perch from scales? This question is of interest not only to the hostesses, but also to many fishermen who often go fishing for this particular tasty fish. In the presented article, we decided to reveal several secrets of cleaning the mentioned product. If you take advantage of our tips, you will never need much time to complete this time-consuming and not very pleasant process.
General information
Before telling you how to quickly clean the perch from the scales, I want to say a few words about the product itself.
As you know, this fish belongs to the perch family. She has sharp fins in the lower as well as in the upper torso. It should also be said that perch differs from other fish in that it has rather small and firmly sitting scales. That is why so many housewives are interested in the question of how to quickly clean perch from scales.
As a rule, the weight of the freshwater fish represented ranges from 850 g to 1.4 kg. But often experienced fishermen come across larger specimens. The perch lives in fresh rivers, ponds and even in the sea.
Cooking Application
Perch is a very tasty fish that can be boiled, steamed, salted and fried. So, there is an incredible amount of all kinds of recipes, using which you can make completely different dishes and snacks. And then the logical question arises as to whether to clean the perch at all. Yes, of course. But, unfortunately, as mentioned above, the scales of the presented fish hold on to the body very tightly. In addition, the perch fins are so sharp that they can be easily injured during processing. In this regard, in the presented article, we decided to tell you about how to quickly clean perch from scales. If you follow these tips, this process will not seem so difficult for you.
Details on how to clean perches from scales
The first thing a hostess should know is that a fresh perch is much easier to clean than a cold one. To begin with, you should cut off all the fins from the acquired fish, using scissors for this. This is necessary in order not to prick them in the future. Next, you need to cut off the head of the fish. After that, you need to wear gloves and arm yourself with cutlery. Having pressed the tail of the perch to the cutting board, using a fork, with a sharp knife it is necessary to pry off the scales and carefully remove it. It is most convenient to carry out this procedure from the belly to the back.
Negative features of this method
Now you know how to clean the scales at the perch. However, this method has a significant minus. It consists in the fact that the scales fly around almost the entire kitchen. In addition, the presented method requires special efforts and a lot of free time. In this regard, we want to tell you about another tricky way.
How to remove scales from a perch along with skin?
This method can be used if you do not want to disturb the order in your kitchen. To do this, in fresh fish, it is necessary to cut off all the fins and the head, and then briefly place it in the freezer. When the perch freezes slightly, it should be taken out, put on a cutting board and, prying off the skin with a knife, it is easy to remove it together with all the scales.
Cons of the method
The presented cleaning of perch from scales is well suited for those who plan to make minced fish or simply salt it. As for frying and cooking, this method is undesirable.
Cleaning fish in the field
If the question of how to clean the perch from scales is asked not by the hostess, but by the fisherman, then we suggest using the following method.
So, to a convenient and simple wooden stick, it is necessary to nail iron caps taken from beer bottles with nails. For this, you may need about 5-7 caps. By the way, instead of such a device, it is permissible to use the usual old grater.
After the device is ready, it can be immediately used for its intended purpose. Ribbed lids need to scrape off all the scales from the perch. However, it is advisable to carry out this process on the street, as the scales will scatter in all directions.
The easiest way
If you do not want to clean freshwater fish with a knife for a long time, but also do not want to make special devices, then they can be purchased at any hardware store.
It should be noted that today in the market for goods there is a wide range of universal devices specially designed for cleaning fish. A huge advantage of such devices is that they have a pocket for collecting scales. That is why they can clean perch not only in the field, but also at home. However, when buying such devices, special attention should be paid to their quality, including the thickness of the metal. After all, if this product is made of thin material, then while cleaning the fish it may bend or even break.
Sea bass cleaning
As mentioned above, perch can be found both in freshwater rivers and in salt seas. However, they can be cleaned in exactly the same way. Although it should be noted that sea bass is a very prickly fish that has poisonous glands on its fins. And if a person pricks about them, then the wound can hurt a lot for a long time. That is why before cleaning this fish should always wear gloves and pre-cut all the fins.
To everything else, you can safely add a few of the following tips:
- Before immediately cleaning the sea bass, it should be lowered for several seconds in steep boiling water. The main thing is not to overdo it. Otherwise, the skin of the fish may peel off along with the scales.
- To greatly facilitate the cleaning process of such fish, it should be laid out in a container, covered with large rock salt and left in this form overnight. In the morning, perches can be easily and quickly freed from scales using an ordinary knife.
- If you plan to smoke perch, then do not peel it at all.
We clean small fish
Surely many fishermen know that in the winter season they usually catch small fish. It is, of course, very tasty, but there are too many problems with it. It is better to clean such a perch immediately after fishing with the skin. To do this, make 2 cuts along the upper fin (from head to tail). By the way, the knife should be as sharp as possible. Next, the skin along with the scales should be carefully removed, helping yourself with both hands.
Using this method, you can clean a large number of small fish in a few minutes. However, it should be noted that the main disadvantage of this method is that you will not get a crisp when frying perch in a pan. Although nothing dares to prevent you from enjoying the tender meat of freshly caught fish.