Lemon juice is a very acidic liquid that you can use to "cook" your fish without the use of heat, creating a dish called ceviche that is common in Central and South America. The acid in the lemon juice chemically denatures the proteins in your fish, similar to the way that the proteins are denatured when heated.
As the pieces of fish sit in the marinade, the citric acid from the juice slowly causes the flesh's proteins to denature, in very much the same way that heating will. The result is raw fish with the opaque appearance and firmed texture of cooked fish.
The acid from the limes and lemons changes the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially "cooking" the fish without using heat.
But, how does lemon juice remove the fishy odor? The citric acid from lemons neutralizes the amines from fish by converting them into perfectly healthy salts that will not be airborne like the amines.
Adding lemon juice to aquarium water is not a recommended method for treating fish health issues or maintaining water quality. Lemon juice can lower the pH of the water and can cause fluctuations in the water chemistry, which can be harmful to the fish.
Both heat and citric acid are agents of a chemical process called denaturation. In this process, citric acid changes the proteins in the fish which alters its chemical and physical properties. When fish is submerged in citrus juices, it turns the flesh firm and opaque, as if it had been cooked with heat.
Citrus fruits are often used in cooking to “brighten” flavors and work well to counter many of the briny flavors present in seafood. This is why lemon and fish can go so well together. The salt and the acid balance each other while doing a little flavor dance on the palate.
A common misconception is that the acidity in the lime juice rids the fish of bacteria. Untrue, according to parasitologists. The lime juice will not kill any type of parasites in fish; if at most, the juice will make the worms taste better. How do you make sure that the seafood will not produce any foodborne illness?
It can also help to tenderize the fish and make it easier to cook. But how long should you soak fish in lemon juice? Soaking time will depend on the type of fish you are using. For thinner cuts of fish, like tilapia or flounder, you will only need to soak for about 15-30 minutes.
By giving a fillet a vinegar rinse (or even a full-on soak while you prepare the rest of your meal's components), you can bring out all of the fish's best qualities and textures, neutralizing any fishy scents while seasoning it.
Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes
In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.
Ceviche is not only delicious and flavorful, but it also has several health benefits due to its high nutrient content. Since ceviche contains primarily raw ingredients, it is packed with essential vitamins and minerals found in seafood, such as iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin E and B12.
Marinating times make a difference when you are making ceviche. Depending on the size of the fish pieces, you will need at least 30 minutes and normally an hour for the citrus to “cook” the fish. Two hours is fine, but beyond that the ceviche, while still good, becomes more of a pickled fish thing.
No, marinating chicken in lemon juice overnight is not a good idea. Lemon juice and similar acidic components start "cooking" the chicken which can make it mushy if left too long. If you want to marinate in Lemon Chicken Marinade overnight, skip the lemon juice and double the amount of lemon zest instead.
Commercially prepared ceviche sold to retailers is made by pasteurizing the ingredients first. Typically, cut-up fish and shellfish are first blanched, then rapidly chilled to remove spoilage and pathogenic microbes.
Ceviche is a very safe preparation to dip your toe into the waters of raw fish, as the high amount of acid in a typical ceviche coming from citrus juice will cook the fish without any heat if it's allowed to sit for long enough.
If you want to remove odor from the fish pieces add lemon or vinegar during marination. Use juice from one lemon for 10 fishes.
Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste.
Fish odour on the hands is due to chemicals called amines. But if reacted with citric acid in lemon juice, they form salts that do not become airborne. Washing hands with lemon juice therefore eliminates fishy aromas.
At its core, ceviche is basically fresh seafood steeped in an acidic marinade, most commonly lime or lemon juice. The acid in the citrus forms an extremely low pH condition to denature the fish protein networks, much the same as heating would. This results in the seafood becoming opaque and more firm in texture.
Lime acts as a buffer maintaining the pH between 7 and 8.5. Broader swings in pH can be very stressful to the organisms in the pond. Lime also changes the chemistry of the water and pond soils making nutrients more available to aquatic organisms, especially algae.
Ceviche is a seafood dish where diced cubes of raw fish, marinated in a lemon or lime juice mixture, react with the citrus juices to cure the fish protein and causes it to become opaque and firm while absorbing flavor.
What sets ceviche apart from so many other seafood dishes is that it's flavored and cooked in citrus juice. We can't stress enough how important it is to find that sweet spot between over-marinaded and just right. The ideal marinade time is 10 to 20 minutes to cook the fish through but keep it from falling apart.