Among the total shortage of food in the Soviet Union, there were individual names of products that could not only be found on the shelves in almost any store, but they also had a unique taste. These include canned food called squash caviar. By the way, and at its cost, it was available to everyone. Zucchini caviar, as in the store, is still remembered for its taste, which cannot be surpassed even by homemade caviar, which is prepared from fresh, young zucchini harvested in their own garden. Many people, in an attempt to restore the same taste of caviar, have tried many recipes, but in vain. The caviar that is now sold in stores cannot be compared, according to experts, with caviar from Soviet-era zucchini. Some, trying to recreate the same taste, find caviar recipes according to GOST, but even in this case, many do not always get the original taste.
What is the mystery here?
The main components of squash caviar
First of all, it is worth noting that the GOST did not indicate the recipe, and the technology for preparing squash caviar. This document usually considered the requirements for the quality of the initial and final products, for packaging, storage conditions, and more. So, GOST 51926-2002 describes all of the above characteristics that are relevant to the production of any vegetable caviar. And specific recipes and technological processes were usually described in detail in special documents.
To best answer the question, how to cook squash caviar according to GOST, it is necessary, first of all, to consider what real zucchini caviar should consist of. Below is a table in which all the main components of caviar are given as percentages in relation to the total volume of the finished dish.
Components | Percentage |
|---|---|
Sauteed zucchini | 77,3 |
Roasted carrots | 4,6 |
Roasted white roots | 1,3 |
Fried onions | 3,2 |
Fresh greens | 0,3 |
Salt | 1,5 |
Sugar | 0,75 |
Ground black pepper | 0,05 |
Ground allspice | 0,05 |
Tomato paste 30% | 7,32 |
Vegetable oil | 3,6 |
As can be seen from the table, the composition zucchini caviar includes white roots and greens. It is these components that are usually rarely used in the manufacture of caviar at home. But it is the white roots, moreover fried in oil, that give the caviar from zucchini that amazing, barely perceptible mushroom taste and aroma, which, apparently, brought a zest to the taste range of store caviar of ancient times. The recipe for white roots included parsnips, parsley root, and root celery. Moreover, the percentage of parsnips was twice as high as parsley and celery. The greens included in squash caviar consisted of leaf parsley, dill and leaf celery. At the same time, the content of parsley was twice that of dill and celery.
For those who find it difficult to translate the percentage of components into real weight values, below is the amount of product in grams that must be taken to prepare caviar in accordance with GOST, for example, from 3 kg of zucchini:
- Carrots - 200 g;
- White roots -60 g (parsnips -30 g, parsley root and root celery 15 g each);
- Onions -160 g;
- Greens - 10 g (parsley -5 g, dill and celery 2.5 g each);
- Salt - 30 g;
- Sugar - 15 g;
- Black pepper and allspice ground 1 g each;
- Tomato paste 30% - 160 g;
- Vegetable oil - 200 ml.
It must be understood that all weight characteristics are given in the recipe for vegetables fried in oil. Therefore, if initially most vegetables were taken by weight in their raw form, then since they will decrease in weight after frying and stewing, then the amount of salt, sugar and tomato paste will also need to be somewhat reduced. Because these three components are placed last in the manufacturing process.
This point is very important. Since when you cook caviar from zucchini in accordance with GOST, you must choose the largest, fully ripe fruits, with hard seeds and peel. It is their pulp that has the richest taste, which is passed on to the finished dish.
Cooking technology
Since mature zucchini are used for the preparation of caviar, at the first stage it is necessary to remove the skin from them and remove all the seeds. The remaining pulp is cut into small pieces, no more than 1 - 2 cm in length.
Carrots and onions are peeled and cut into small cubes, and the white roots can be grated or chopped in any convenient way, as they can be quite hard and tough.
Oil is poured into a frying pan and heated to a temperature of at least 130 °, so that white smoke emanates from it, and only then pieces of zucchini are fried in it until golden brown. If there are a lot of zucchini, it is best to fry in portions to improve quality and taste. Fried zucchini are put in another pan, a few tablespoons of water are added to them, and they are stewed until tender (softened).
Cooked and chopped other vegetables (carrots, white roots and onions) are fried sequentially in the same pan where the courgettes were fried before. Then, water is added to them, and they are also stewed until fully cooked.
It is interesting that when making squash caviar, as in a store, using the rules of GOST, there is not much difference in whether vegetables are fried individually or all together. Both options are allowed. But vegetables, fried separately from each other, have a richer flavor.
In the next step, all vegetables must be combined together and chopped using a blender or food processor. Then they are placed in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and put on fire. Finely chopped greens are added to the squash caviar and everything is boiled for 15-20 minutes with mandatory stirring. At the last stage, salt, sugar and both types of pepper and caviar are boiled in the pan for another 10 minutes until the spices are completely dissolved.
If you think the caviar is too runny, and are thinking about how to make it thicker, then you can use the following option. Heat a few tablespoons of wheat flour in a dry frying pan until golden brown. The resulting flour is gradually added to the finished caviar, constantly stirring and continuing to heat.
While still hot, the caviar must be decomposed into small sterilized jars (preferably no more than 0.5 l) and sterilized for about 40-45 minutes. Roll up with sterilized lids, turn over, wrap and leave to cool for a day.
It should be borne in mind that the real taste of store-bought squash caviar according to GOST is obtained only after the product is completely cooled, after about 24 hours. Therefore, at first, it is advisable to set aside a certain amount in order to be able to try it in a day. If the taste is completely satisfied, then you can already make a preparation for the winter according to this recipe in larger quantities.
Cooking caviar from zucchini according to this recipe is not so difficult, but you will get the taste of the product that is remembered by the older generation that grew up in the Soviet era. And there was something in him, if many still cannot forget him.
