About saberfish in general
Chekhon is a schooling, semi-anadromous fish of the carp family. Chukhon, Czech, boknya, saber fish, sablica - that’s how it can be called in different places. It has a long narrow saber-shaped body up to 60 cm long and weighing up to two kilograms.
Chekhon spawning occurs in early May - mid-June, when the water temperature reaches 12 - 15 °C and above. Before this, a massive spring movement of sabrefish begins, which in huge flocks rises along the rivers, adhering to the upper and middle water horizons.
The largest catches of sabrefish occur during the spring and autumn runs. The sabrefish are caught using a spinning rod and a float rod with a maggot or worm as bait. On the Volga, to catch sabrefish, fishermen use bottom tackle “rubber band”.
Habits and lifestyle of saberfish
This species is a valuable semi-anadromous schooling fish that spends a lot of time in estuarine areas rich in food. It is not uncommon to see sedentary river and sea forms of saberfish, which do not differ from each other in any way except for the growth rate and color of the back. But in any case, the fish spawns exclusively in fresh water, often upstream for many hundreds of kilometers.
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The favorite habitats of saberfish are medium and large bodies of water with an abundance of deep and spacious places without dense vegetation. Most often these are large rivers, lakes or reservoirs with complex bottom topography and numerous holes, which serve as a natural night shelter or a place for long-term hiding in bad weather, heat, and severe frosts.
The main activity occurs in the late morning, daylight and early evening. This is due to the feeding habits of sabrefish, which prefers to hunt fry and insects in the middle layers or near the surface of the water. The fish is quite cautious and very rarely swims to the shore or goes into shallow water. But if you deliver the bait to the school’s feeding area using long-range gear or from a boat, you can expect a bold and confident bite. At great depths of 5-30 meters, the mower behaves carelessly. Even the noise of the struggle of a relative caught on a hook does not frighten him. This is explained by the fact that one of the favorite hunting methods of saberfish is catching insects in flight. To do this, she jumps high out of the water and then falls back with a loud splash.
If there are rapids or rapids on the river, depth ceases to be of key importance. Such places attract fish, which, thanks to their excellent maneuverability and stability, can deftly snatch helpless fry, insects, and aquatic invertebrates from a fast flow. In autumn, in September, saberfish begin to feed intensively, and then gradually migrate to deeper places, preparing for wintering. In the cold season, it remains quite active and can be caught well on the ice.
Dried chekhon
You can make anything from saber fish, but the most delicious is salted and dried sabre. In this form, chekhon has a very pleasant aroma and taste. Dried sabrefish is famous for its fat content; when cutting the fish, the fat literally runs down your hands.
The entire process of obtaining dried saberfish consists of two stages:
- Salting;
- Withering.
There are two ways to salt saber for drying:
- Dry salting;
- Salting in brine (in brine).
Salting sabrefish is not much different from salting other types of fish, but there are some nuances. All of the salting methods described are suitable for drying any fish.
Dried sabrefish is the best choice for a dietary diet
This fish belongs to the carp family and is a valuable product distributed throughout the world. The greatest benefit comes from dried sabrefish, if it is salted using the right technologies. Chekhon is found in large numbers in the Caspian, Black, Azov and Baltic seas, preferring clean water bodies without algae.
In winter, this fish prefers to lie in pools and holes. The main food is insects, worms, fry and eggs of small fish. There is also a freshwater variety, caught in the clean waters of the north of our country. The size of an adult individual reaches 60 centimeters in length and weighs about 400-600 grams.
Calorie content and beneficial properties
The low calorie content of dried sabrefish allows this product to be actively used in all kinds of dietary dishes. The calorie content is 88 kcal, it also contains 17 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat.
Chekhon has moderately fatty meat, which contains a huge amount of healthy proteins and amino acids. The fat content of the product depends on its type - for example, the Volga variety has low fat content, and Don fish is large in size and has high fat content.
Dried sabrefish meat contains a wide range of useful microelements and substances, including chromium, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus and calcium. Thanks to this, eating fish has a beneficial effect on metabolism, strengthens bones and promotes their growth, and also helps remove harmful acids from the body. At the same time, the price of dried sabrefish is quite moderate and corresponds to the cost of other dried fish.
The composition of the product also contains fluorine and nickel, which eliminate skin pigmentation disorders, form tooth enamel, have a positive effect on the nervous system, help regenerate cells, and improve the quality of nails and hair. Including saberfish meat in your daily diet will normalize metabolism, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
How can you use this fish?
The most widespread in many countries of the world is the dried version, which has excellent taste properties. After the correct salting procedure, meat acquires a rich taste and aroma, thanks to which sanitary fish can be perfectly used in dietary and camping menus.
Before sending the dried saber fish wholesale in Moscow for sale, the carcass is gutted, leaving the scales. The meat is then placed in a saline solution and covered with small weights. The brine is sent to a cool place for 10-20 hours, based on its size.
Czech fish can be of great benefit not only when consumed, but also when organizing a fishing business. Dried products sell out very quickly and bring in a solid income. To access the best wholesale fish products, you can contact.
Our 20 years of experience in creating delicious dried and smoked fish allows us to offer our customers the opportunity to wholesale dried sabrefish of the highest quality. Carefully selected fresh raw materials, modern equipment and technologies, as well as the best craftsmen - these factors ensure the best properties of the finished product, and also allow us to offer customers the most affordable prices.
Dry-salted saber
Dry salting means that the juice secreted by the fish will drain from the container in which the saber fish is located. Chekhon is salted without brine. For 10 kg of fish, approximately 1.5 kg of salt is required.
For dry salting, a wooden box with slits through which the fish juice will escape is suitable. A clean canvas cloth is placed at the bottom of the box, which is sprinkled with a layer of salt on top.
For dry salting, saber fish rolled in salt is placed in a row with heads to tails, bellies on top, tilted to one side. The casserole laid in this way is sprinkled with an additional layer of salt on top.
Salt consumption – 150 grams per kilogram of fish. After this, the fish is covered with a lid or board in the shape of the container and lightly pressed down with pressure. You should not place a large load; the weight of the lid itself will be enough if it is heavy and the fish are pressed tightly together.
The fish is salted in a cool place (cellar or refrigerator) for 3 to 10 days, depending on the size. After this, the saber fish is ready for soaking and drying.
Description and size
Chekhon (lat. Pelecus cultratus) differs from other cyprinids in its sickle-shaped body, which gave rise to several popular names: mower, cleaver, saberfish. Endearing and diminutive nicknames are also widespread: Czech and Czech.
To understand what saberfish looks like, it is enough to focus on several external features of the fish:
- narrow long body with strongly compressed sides;
- straight back with a short fin shifted towards the tail;
- convex abdomen with a steep keel;
- big eyes;
- low-lying lateral line of a zigzag shape;
- upper position of the mouth with an elongated lower jaw;
- large, easily falling scales (90-115 pieces in a row);
- swept pectoral, forked caudal and elongated anal fins.
The main color of the saberfish is a silver-white shade with a pearlescent tint, against which the gray-brown or greenish back contrasts noticeably. The color of the fins is gray or smoky-reddish. The extraordinary shine and ability of the scales to refract light is explained by a special skin secretion - guanine, which has the properties of a mirror-like oxide film.
The fish is characterized by increased maneuverability, speed and strength, which is well felt when fishing. Even an individual pulled ashore continues to tumble, often vibrate its tail and jump.
Modern trophy fishing for sabrefish allows you to catch half-meter specimens weighing up to 2 kg. But this is a rare exception to the rule. To reach such dimensions, the fish needs to live more than 10 years in comfortable conditions. Usually the catch is represented by standard specimens aged 3-5 years and weighing 300-600 g with a height of 30-40 cm. At the same time, there is reliable information that the largest sabrefish in Russia weighed 3.5 kg and had a length of over 60 cm. This record-breaking specimen accidentally fell into the nets of a fishing crew more than 100 years ago in one of the southern provinces.
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Chekhon "wet" salting
This is the most popular method - saber fish is salted in its own juice. For 10 kg of sabrefish, you will need approximately 1 kg of salt.
In both wet and dry salting, the fish is placed in a container, the surface of which does not undergo oxidation upon contact with salt - an enamel or plastic basin, bucket, or large pan will do.
The bottom of the container is sprinkled with a small layer of salt. The fish is laid sideways, or belly up at an angle, as in the previous method. Each layer of fish is sprinkled with a separate layer of salt. Salt consumption is approximately 100 grams per 1 kg of saber fish.
After placing the fish, it is covered with a lid. Over time, the fish will release juice and become completely covered in it. The weight is only necessary to prevent the saber fish from floating up. The fish should not be pressed with excessive pressure.
During salting, the fish is put into the cellar or refrigerator. Small sabrefish are salted for up to 2 days, medium - from 2 to 4, large - from 4 to 8 days. After salting, the saber fish is soaked and dried.
Spicy Ambassador
Spicy-salted chekhon is prepared in a special brine (tuzluk) - a kind of marinade for fish with spices.
For salting, for 2 kg of fish, we need:
- water – 1.0 liters;
- coarse table or sea salt - 4 tbsp. spoons;
- sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon;
- table vinegar - 1 tbsp. spoon;
- spices.
Spices for brine:
- Bay leaf;
- ground black pepper and peas;
- ground coriander or beans;
- allspice peas;
- carnation.
The list of spices can be expanded; use any that are suitable for fish.
Brine preparation:
Place the container with water on the fire. After the water has warmed up, add 2 tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of sugar. After the water boils, lower the bay leaf and other spices into it for 10 minutes. Let the brine cool before using it.
Laying the fish:
Fish is placed in layers on the bottom of an enamel, glass or plastic dish. Each layer of saberfish is sprinkled with salt. After placing all the fish in a container, pour the chilled brine into it.
We put the container with fish in the cellar or refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. After this, the saber fish can be eaten or dried.
Drying
the stage of washing and soaking follows . After washing the fish from any remaining salt and brine, it is left in clear, cool water to soak. This is important and necessary to get rid of excess salt. If you do not soak it, when it dries, the fish will become covered with a layer of salt, dry out and “rust”.
In terms of time, soaking takes as many hours as the number of days the fish was salted. Typically this time ranges from two to five hours. It is best to soak the fish in running water, or change the water every 30 minutes.
It should be borne in mind that during the drying of sabrefish, a lot of fat drains from it; this must be provided for.
You can string saber fish onto hooks by the head or tail. In the latter case, more fat will drain from it.
During drying, the fish should be in the shade and ventilated. If it is hung outdoors in the summer, care should be taken to protect it from flies. In this case, it is best to hang the fish overnight - this way it will have time to weather. Two days after hanging, you can look at small fish and try.
