How to clean scales from small perches. Simple tips on how to clean scales from a perch: recommendations from fishermen and housewives

Perch belongs to the fish of the perch family, which have sharp fins on the upper and lower parts of the body, and small scales that sit firmly on the body. Typically, the weight of freshwater perch ranges from 900 g to 1.3 kg, but larger specimens are also found. It lives in fresh water bodies, rivers and seas.

This is a very tasty fish that can be steamed, boiled, fried and salted. And in general, there are many recipes for preparing perch dishes. But a logical question immediately arises: is it necessary to clean the perch? Definitely yes. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the scales of this fish are tightly held to the body, and the fins are very sharp, so you will have a difficult task. We will still risk giving some advice and tell you how to quickly clean the scales of a perch.

How to clean fresh river perch?

Fresh perch is a little easier to clean than old perch. First, we cut off all the fins with scissors so as not to prick ourselves. Then we cut off the head. We arm ourselves with a knife and fork and start cleaning. Before starting work, we put on gloves, as the fish slides. We press the tail to the cutting board, use a fork or knife to pry up the scales and remove. It is more convenient to clean not from the tail to the head, but from the abdomen to the back. The downside of this method is that there are scales all over the kitchen, and it’s a bit difficult. But there is a faster way to easily clean a perch: after you have cut off all the fins and separated the head, put the carcasses in the freezer for a while. When they are slightly frozen, we take them out and lift the skin with a knife and easily remove it along with the scales, like a stocking. And the kitchen is tidy and there is no trash. This method is good if you are cutting fish for minced meat or salting. This method is not suitable for frying and baking. How, then, to properly clean a perch? Folk craftsmen offer this method. We nail iron caps from beer bottles to a simple but convenient wooden stick, as shown in the figure. It is not necessary to use so many stoppers; 1-2 caps are enough. Or another device: cut a panel from an old vegetable grater and nail it to a wooden block. With such devices, fish is cleaned easily and quickly. It’s true that it’s better to do this outside, because the scales fly in all directions. And in general, the product market now offers a wide range of universal fish cleaners, which have a pocket for collecting scales. When purchasing, pay attention to the quality of the product and the thickness of the metal so that it does not break or bend.

What is the best way to clean sea bass?

In principle the same. True, sea bass is a prickly fish and has poisonous glands on its fins, and if you prick yourself on them, the wound will hurt greatly and take a long time to heal. Therefore, be sure to wear gloves and cut off the fins. In addition to this, here are a few tips:

1. Before you start cleaning the fish, dip it in boiling water for a few seconds. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the skin will come off along with the scales.
2. You can also sprinkle the fish with coarse rock salt overnight. In the morning you can quickly and easily remove it with a knife.
3. If you are going to smoke perch, there is no need to clean it at all.

How to clean small perch?

In winter, small perch are most often caught. The fish is, of course, tasty, but it’s a bit of a hassle. It is better to clean it immediately and remove the scales along with the skin. To do this, we make two cuts along the upper fin, from head to tail. In this case, the knife must be very sharp. In this way, cutting one fish takes several minutes. True, you won’t get a crispy crust when frying, but we will enjoy the tender meat of the perch.

Gut the perches from the abdominal side, making an incision from the head to the anal fin. After this, we take out the insides and wash the abdominal cavity. Then we make cuts on both sides of the dorsal fin and pull it out. The carcass is ready.

We hope that these simple tips on how to clean perch will help and make it easier to prepare wonderful and tasty dishes from this fish.

If a young housewife decides to cook a dish from perch, her idea may end in failure. The scales of this fish are very difficult to remove, so they often litter the entire kitchen, and the fins hurt your hands. What to do - refuse a tasty and healthy dish? No, just remember how to quickly scale a perch.

Historians claim that perch was a frequent guest on the table of our ancestors. Nothing has changed since then, because dishes made from this fish are very tasty and nutritious, they are called real dietary delicacies. However, due to the difficulty of cleaning, cooking these inhabitants of reservoirs may seem like too much trouble. But don’t professional chefs really know how to quickly peel scales from a perch? Of course, they have this skill, and everyone can learn from their experience.

We clean perch without any problems

Many housewives are pleasantly surprised that there are many easy ways to force river fish to lose their scales. But no matter which one you choose, it will have its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with all the secrets of performing this culinary task.

Before cleaning the perch, you must wear knitted gloves to avoid slipping, contamination and injury to your hands. You should also first cut off the sharp fins and separate the head of the fish.

Using kitchen equipment

Nowadays, stores are filled with wonders of technology. Technological progress has not spared those who like to cook dishes from perch. The following will help remove scales from this inhabitant of the river or sea:

• special scissors or scrapers;
• kitchen board with clamp.

Secure the fish to the board and feel free to use a cleaner or, if you don’t have one, a well-sharpened steel knife with a wide and thick blade. It is advisable that the handle of the device be made of non-slip metal. But at the same time, be prepared for the fact that the perch’s “clothes” will fly away in different directions. To prevent this from happening, instead of scissors and a board, you can buy a drum machine for cleaning fish: just place the perch inside and pour water on it to solve the problem without any extra effort.

Removing scales along with skin

Before removing the scales, keep the perch in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Then proceed to the main work:

• place the fish on a cutting board;
• Using a sharp knife, cut the skin of the perch towards the head;
• Lift the skin with a knife and carefully remove it, moving from the top of the back to the tail.

Thanks to the dexterity of your hands, the scales will disappear along with the skin.

If you need to remove one from small perches, it is enough to make 2 cuts along the upper fin to the tail. Now the fish is ready for salting or grinding for minced meat. But if you fry perch without the skin, it will be less tasty: eaters will have to do without the aromatic crispy crust.

Temperature changes

Most housewives believe that the best method to tell how to clean a perch from scales is to pour boiling water over it. Indeed, temperature changes in this case work wonders. Proceed this way:

• place the fish in a single layer in the sink;
• boil 1.5 liters of water;
• pour boiling water over the perches;
• Using a spatula, turn the fish over and pour freshly boiled water over it again.

After 2 minutes you can start cleaning. Don't be surprised - removing the scales will be so easy that you can do it with your fingers! But before that, you need to use scissors to cut off the spiny fins and remove the gills.

Perch should not be scalded for too long, otherwise the skin will begin to peel off along with the scales. By the way, when it comes to cleaning this fish, cold is a worthy competitor to heat. The fish will shed its scales “without protest” if it is placed in the freezer for an hour.

Surely cooks wondered how they cleaned perch in the old days. Maybe then it was already known about the amazing power of temperature changes or special scissors? Of course not, but our grandmothers coped with this task no worse than their contemporaries. They put the perches in a basin and generously sprinkled them with salt, and then calmly went to rest. The fish was ready for cleaning only in the morning.

Read also:

If you do this, then overnight a significant part of the river mucus will be removed, the scales will become much softer, and it will not be difficult to remove it with a sharp knife. Don’t worry that within 7-8 hours the catch (even a store-bought one) will become stale, because salt is a strong preservative. But for those who want to cook a fish dish immediately, this method is not suitable.

Perch for field dishes

If the father of the family is fishing, and you are admiring nature on the shore and waiting for a rich catch for fish soup, you need a special way to quickly clean river perch from scales. After all, you can’t put a kitchen table or a kettle of boiling water in a travel backpack. But it will fit an old grater or such a homemade device: 5-7 beer bottle caps are attached to a wooden stick with nails. Using these items, you can easily scrape the scales off the perch. But it’s best to do this outdoors, not in a tent. Otherwise, you risk ruining your vacation because of scales that will definitely start scattering across the walls.

Creative approach

It turns out that to separate the scales from the perch, you may need... a small drill. This tool perfectly replaces the best knives and food processors, reduces the risk of cuts and does not require dexterous hand movements. To use a drill for the following purposes:

• select an attachment in the form of a metal brush and insert it into the device;
• secure the fish on the table surface;
• turn on the tool and clean the perch.

The downside is that after such a process you will have to urgently clean the room.

The methods listed are excellent for cleaning sea bass. But do not forget that the prickly inhabitant of salty waters has poisonous glands on its fins. Be very careful when handling this type of fish!

Do you love perch fish, but are you afraid that it will be difficult to clean? Read the article, in it you will find several ways to remove scales from it.

River perch is a very tasty and healthy fish. It makes incomparable fish soup and many other dishes. What may stop you from buying fresh or frozen perch is its small, closely spaced scales, as well as extremely sharp fins. Cleaning takes a long time, often hurts your hands, and leaves the kitchen a complete mess. This hassle discourages many from cooking perch at all. But we offer you several ways to help you cope with this task.

How to clean scales from fresh river perch easily and quickly yourself: methods

If you have purchased fresh bass, consider which method of cleaning it is best for you.

IMPORTANT: We will please you right away: if you want to smoke fish or use it for the first addition to fish soup, you can skip the cleaning procedure. In these cases it is not required.

If you have a fisherman in your family, and he has caught a catch of river perch, do not put off cleaning them: the fresher the fish, the easier it is to rid it of its scales while it is soft and not sticky. And you can freeze already prepared carcasses for future use.
Before you move on to the cleaning process, consider where you should do it. Many people prefer to do this right in the kitchen sink, which can then be easily washed to remove dirt and odors. If it is more convenient for you on the table, remove everything unnecessary from it, cover the surface with cling film, paper or regular newspaper sheets. And you should definitely have a separate cutting board for fish!

IMPORTANT: If you like to eat perch or other fish, buy a special board with clamps for it, it will make your work easier. Also purchase scissors and scrapers for cleaning carcasses. This can be done at any hardware store or on Aliexpress in this section of the catalog.

So, no matter which method you choose from the ones described below, start with this:

• wash the fish
• put on work gloves
• place the perch on a cutting board, grab the head and tail
• stretch the carcass until you hear the crunch of the fins
• take kitchen scissors and cut off all the fins of the fish
• cut off the fish's head and tail fin

IMPORTANT: Be sure to wear gloves when working with a perch carcass, even if you are not a girl with delicate hands, but a strong man. Firstly, it will slip in bare hands and will be inconvenient to clean. Secondly, the fins can leave deep cuts on the skin.

Choose one of the methods for cleaning fresh perch from scales that you find most convenient:

• with a special knife or homemade brush
• grater
• water and vinegar
• boiling water
• salt

How to peel frozen sea bass easily and quickly from scales yourself: methods

A frozen river or sea bass carcass can be cleaned in the same way as fresh fish, with a knife, grater, salt and boiling water.
There is another method that is suitable in this case - try to remove the scales along with the skin, after freezing it will be very easy.

1. Rinse the frozen carcass in warm water. Or dip it in boiling water for a few seconds. This is necessary so that the skin of the fish thaws, but the inside of the carcass remains frozen.
2. Remove all of her fins.
3. Cut off the head and tail of the perch.
4. Carefully make cuts in the skin of the fish on its back and belly.
5. Take a sharp knife, hook the skin of the fish in the area where the head is cut and gently pull it towards the tail.
6. Remove the scales along with the skin from one side and then the other.

IMPORTANT: You can also peel fresh perches along with their skins. To do this, they are frozen in the freezer for an hour. This method is the easiest and least dirty. But if you want to fry the fish until golden brown, it is not suitable for you.

How to quickly remove scales from a perch with salt: description, photo

Didn't have time to clean your freshly caught perch and bought them at the store? Then, before cleaning the scales, go through the preparatory stage.

1. Rinse the carcasses, do not cut off the fins.
2. Place the fish on a tray sprinkled with salt. Roll it with salt on all sides. Salt should be coarse, rock salt.
3. Leave the perch like this overnight.
4. In the morning, rinse the carcasses; the scales on them should soften and slightly move away from the skin. The procedure for preparing carcasses and removing scales should become easier.

How to quickly remove scales from a perch using boiling water: description, photo

Another old-fashioned method: before cleaning the perch from scales, they must be placed in boiling water for 2 minutes. But do not overcook the fish, otherwise the boiling water will cause its skin and the top layer of meat to become loose and may separate from the carcass during cleaning.

How to quickly remove scales from a perch with a knife: description, photo

If you have a special knife or fish scraper, use it:

• fix the prepared perch carcass on the board
• run a scraper along one side of it, hooking the scales against their growth
• turn the carcass over, clean it on the other side
• rinse the carcass under running water

If you don't have a special scraper, you can make your own:

• from a canning lid, making notches in it
• from beer bottle caps, bolting them to a wooden strip or handle, such as a paint brush

VIDEO: Homemade fish cleaner

How to quickly remove scales from a perch using a grater: description, photo

Instead of a scale scraper, you can use an ordinary metal grater. Walk it against the growth of scales.
If you are uncomfortable holding a bulky grater in your hands, ask your husband to design a device for you - attach part of a small grater blade to a wooden handle, as in the picture below.

Although the scales of small perches are not as rough as those of large specimens, it is very difficult to peel without damaging the skin. Most likely, you won't succeed.

VIDEO: How to clean small perch very quickly?

How to easily and quickly remove scales from a perch yourself: video

Perhaps one of the least favorite activities of any housewife or wife of an ardent fishing enthusiast is processing fish. If everything is extremely simple with sea fish, since it is sold already practically prepared, you just need to rinse it and you can start cooking.

Things are much worse with river fish. You have to process it yourself manually - it’s not the most pleasant task and not everyone will like it. Removing scales, gills, entrails, cutting off the tail and fins of large fish is much easier and does not take much time, while working with small fish turns into a long and tedious process. You wouldn't even dream of something like this even in a nightmare.

One such nightmare is the bass. This is a predatory fish, found in schools. If you find a perch hunting spot, you can catch several kilograms in a couple of hours.

Basically, these are individuals from 100 to 700 grams, larger ones are less common. In order to avoid being eaten, it has a number of means to protect itself: very sharp fins, small and durable scales, which serve as armor against the teeth of other predators.

Note! Perch has white and very tasty meat. Suitable for any type of cooking. It makes the taste of dishes very rich and fishy, ​​but in order to enjoy it, you have to tinker a lot with cutting.

Nowadays there are a huge number of technical means and methods developed over the years for quickly cleaning fish. Let's try to figure this out.

Is it worth scaling a perch?

Yes, sometimes you shouldn't clean it as it would be a waste of time, just removing the gills and innards is enough to get rid of the bitterness. And it’s not even a matter of how the fish will be eaten: with or without skin, therefore, it can be cleaned or not. Anything unnecessary can be removed during the cooking process. For example, if you cook fish soup or other fish soup, then you can safely add the whole perch without preliminary cleaning.

When the fish is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon, strain the broth, and serve the fish separately or remove all excess meat with your hands and add clean meat back to the broth. In the end, we will get a rich soup with a pronounced fishy taste.

Good to know! Sometimes, leaving fish uncleaned is primarily dictated by the cooking method itself. When baking or frying fish, for example, on a barbecue grill, you should always have the scales on. Firstly, this will prevent the fish from burning. Secondly, during the heat treatment process, the fish will not disintegrate and will retain its original appearance.

From this we can conclude that the need for cleaning depends on the final product that we want to obtain.

What tools will you need for cleaning?

If you can use improvised tools at home, you can no longer take them with you when fishing. The most important and necessary thing for cleaning a perch is, of course, a knife.

It must be sharp so that it can easily rip open the belly, cut off the fins, tail and head, and have small notches. They do an excellent job with small scales.

To clean fish at home you will need:

• Cutting board for placing fish.
• Scissors for neat trimming of fins and tail.
• Knife for further cleaning.
• If you have mechanical means for cleaning fish, you can and even need to use them. If they are not available, a fine vegetable grater, a metal brush or other homemade tools will help.

The scales easily come off the fish carcass while the fish is fresh, so this process should not be postponed until later. In any case, sooner or later you will have to clean it, and it is better to do it right away.

When your family budget allows, you can purchase a special device for cleaning fish. It will pay for itself very quickly, especially when you have to work with large volumes. The principle of their operation is different, but the result is always the same - clean fish without scales.

The most budget option is manual devices that clean off the scales and place them in a special container.

More expensive and efficient mechanisms can handle larger volumes at once. They have a special rough drum into which water is poured and the fish is placed; rotating, it helps peel off the scales.

If it is not possible to use such a tool, then there are a number of proven methods.

Tricks for cleaning while leaving skin

1. The most common and well-known method is to use a knife with fine teeth, which perfectly remove small scales.
2. For small scales, a wire brush will also work.
3. Some people use a fine grater for vegetables. You need to rub the fish against the scales.
4. You can use regular table salt. The fish is rolled in coarse salt and left for a day. After rinsing, the scales should come off easier after this procedure.
5. You can also use regular hot water. The fish is immersed in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Chitin, as in the previous case, softens and comes off easier.
6. Sometimes vinegar is added to boiling water. The principle of operation of this method is similar.
7. Some craftsmen make scrapers with their own hands. Several metal bottle caps are attached to a small wooden block with nails or self-tapping screws. And that’s it, the effective tool is ready.

Clean with skin

This method can take much more time for inexperienced people than regular cleaning, but still, this method should be considered:

• "Restaurant option." When a cut is made along the fish's spine with a knife. Then the first half of the carcass is cut along the cut. The same is done with the second half. The rib bones are cut off with a knife, then, holding the carcass with a finger in the tail part, the meat is cut off from the skin with a knife. This method requires dexterity, skill and ability to handle a knife. By the way, the knife must be perfectly sharp, otherwise nothing will work. At the end, we always get a fish fillet that is clean from bones, skin and scales.
• Before skinning the fish, the head, fins, and tail are cut off, and a small incision is made along the fin. Further, the methods may vary, since this can be a thermal or chemical effect on the fish, but the essence is always the same - to force the skin to peel off from the body. Next, you need to slowly peel off the skin with your hands.

Small fish are much more difficult to scale than large fish. There may always be uncleaned areas that you only find out about during the meal.

You can pre-treat the fish with boiling water, salt or a mixture of boiling water and vinegar so that the scales begin to come off, and then proceed to remove them. It is best to use a knife with fine serrations or a wire brush. Other methods are not suitable or will be less effective.

How to clean sea bass?

Cleaning sea bass is no different from cleaning regular river perch. Their only difference is size. Sea bass is larger than river bass, so it is much easier to clean. To do this, you can use a regular knife, vegetable grater, scrapers. You can also remove the bones and skin, leaving only the fillet.

What delicious dishes can be prepared from perch?

Perch baked in the oven

1. River perch - 4 pcs.
2. Tomato – 3–5 pcs.
3. Onions - 2 pcs.
4. Garlic - 4 cloves
5. Wheat flour - 100 gr.
6. Lemon - 1 pc.
7. White wine - 100 ml.
8. Coriander seeds - 7 pcs.
9. Ground ginger - 2 teaspoons
10. Salt - to taste
11. Black peppercorns - to taste
12. Olive oil - to taste
13. Dill greens - to taste
14. Parsley - to taste

Perch cooked in batter

1. Fresh river perch (fillet) – 1 kg
2. Chicken egg - 5 pieces

This dish amazes with its aroma and taste. Fried perch with a crispy golden crust. What could be better?

Those who have caught and cooked this fish know well that cooked perch is simply delicious. However, there is a real problem in preparing this dish - cleaning the fish. Do I need to clean my perch? Of course yes. But after cleaning, your hands will be pricked by sharp fins, and besides, the scales of the perch will be literally everywhere. How to clean a perch without difficulty and hassle? The easiest way is to put the caught fish in boiling water for just a second. After this procedure, the scales will be removed quickly, but, alas, along with the skin. This means that you can forget about the crispy crust that most cooks strive for.

There are several ways to clean fish. During them, the taste of the perch will not be affected, and your hands will remain safe and sound. You can clean river and sea bass using the same methods, but for such an “operation” each of these types of fish has its own little secrets.

How to clean a perch. General rules

If you have to cut up perch at home, first remove the head and fins, and then put the fish in the freezer. After the fish freezes and has already had time to defrost a little, pry off the skin with a knife. The scales can be removed quite quickly in this way, without the scales flying in different directions. That is, the entire kitchen will not be covered with them.

A fork, like a knife, is always at hand in every kitchen. It can also be used as a weapon to combat scales. Long teeth can easily pick up the dense scales of a perch. And here it doesn’t matter what size the fish is. However, despite the fact that this method seems simple, it is actually quite labor-intensive and a little inconvenient.

How else can you clean perch?

How to quickly clean a perch?

This device can be used to clean fish of any size, and not just perch. However, according to experienced fishermen, you don’t have to pretend to be a handyman and clean the perch with a simple vegetable grater. Another version of a special grater can be made from beer caps from glass bottles. They need to be screwed to a board or wooden paddle. All. The perch cleaning tool is ready. The sharp teeth of the cork can cope with fish scales.

Secrets of cleaning sea bass

The best method is when the perch completely gets rid of both scales and skin. However, you can leave the skin in place, armed with a sharply sharpened knife. Particular attention should be paid to the so-called waterline. There, as a rule, a lot of scales accumulate there that need to be dealt with. To avoid injuring your hands on the prickly fins when cleaning fish, wear knitted construction gloves.

Secrets of cleaning river perch

Recipe for perch with vegetable julienne

Once the scales have been removed from the perch, you can begin cutting the fish. Some people advise gutting the fish through the back. But this method can cause some inconvenience, so remove the insides of the perch through the belly or the place where the head once was. Then cut the perch to the right and left of the dorsal fin and pull the fin towards you firmly. The same procedure should be repeated with the anal fin of the fish. In general, to quickly and painlessly clean a perch you need a certain skill, experience and, most importantly, patience. After just a few fish you will have all this, and cleaning will no longer seem like hell.

How to cook perch?

When frying, the perches remain intact, that is, they do not fall apart. The dish can even be cooked with scales. When eating, it can be easily removed in layers. Caviar is fried in whole lumps. Fried perch can be eaten hot or cold. Fish can be served on the table with a side dish (mashed potatoes or just boiled potatoes are perfect) or without it. You can decorate the dish with dill and parsley.

First you need to clean the fish. Pour cold water over the tail and head and cook for about half an hour. Then take them out and forget about them (they won't be needed anymore). The broth can be strained if desired. Cut the perch crosswise into small pieces. The length of each should be no more than 4 centimeters. Chop the onion and sauté. Grate the carrots on a medium grater and add them to the onions.

Cut the potatoes into cubes and add to the boiling broth. Salt and pepper everything. When the broth with potatoes boils, add the fish and cook for about 10 minutes. Next you need to add bay leaf and peppercorns. And let the soup brew for about 30 minutes. Serve with greens.

The editors of the site wish you easy cooking and an excellent catch!
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