Bitter Sea Urchin

For you guys that grab urchin regularly, how, if at all, do you tell the good sweet tasting ones from the bitter ones?  This year is the first time that I have ran across a few that were so bitter I had to discard them.  I've looked at Red vs Purple, long spikes vs short spikes, small vs large, but haven't come up with a solid method to pick the right ones.  Anyone have any experience in this area? 

No clue....I haven't really found ones that tasted bad to me?

They were all from the same area and taken the same day and not left in the sun or nothing?

Sincerely,

Jim

a while back, I bought some sea urchins that were still alive from Ranch 99.  They were out of the water, in plastic bins, and still moving.  They were bitter and nothing like the sea urchins I've had in the past.

I had some over this past weekend at Albion, Thanks to BigJim, and none of it was bitter. 

- J

sounds like Jim has some magic sweet hands!

No clue....I haven't really found ones that tasted bad to me?

They were all from the same area and taken the same day and not left in the sun or nothing?

Sincerely,

Jim

Taken from different areas (Sonoma as well as Mendocino Counties) on different days.  Both times were consumed same day, went from goodie bag straight into cooler then to dinner table.  Only once was it bad enough to have to toss, but other times was slightly bitter. Just interested to know if I ran into a streak of bad luck or if there is some method to choosing them.

I haven't really found ones that tasted bad to me

Uhhh, yeah. Does ANYTHING ever taste bad to you?!

I haven't really found ones that tasted bad to me

Uhhh, yeah. Does ANYTHING ever taste bad to you?!

LOL!

Mayonnaise and sour cream. Nasty. 

Sincerely,

Jim

The only times I've had bitter uni is when they've been kept too long out of water.  The ones I've eaten right away were always fine. 

Also, I learned from a commercial urchin diver that there are times to harvest for optimal flavor.  When he finds a bed of urchin, he will take his tool and crush a few.  If the roe comes out in milky (think lava lamp) then the urchin are gravid and are good to harvest.  If they roe brakes up and is crumbly, they they are not optimal and he doesn't harvest. 

Nate

I've had ones that had a strong iodine flavor which I don't like at all is that the bitter flavor you're talking about?  I've always found it to be a good thing to try one of the five roes that you get on the beach.  If its good the other 4 are good if its shit then you can toss it.  The major issue is storage, but those small gladware are ok for a short period of time.  I'm not sure what the commercial guys use to firm up the uni but if you can find that I'd assume you could have the same shelf life sushi restaurants get.

This abstract also has some hints on keeping uni sweet.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.03133.x/abstract
the summary"

Sea urchin gonads also known as roe or uni are a high-valued food, considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. To determine the impact of stress caused by exposure of live urchins to air on the subsequent shelf-life of recovered gonads, urchins (Evechinus chloroticus) were held in air at either 4 °C for 144 h or 15 °C for 72h. The coelomic fluid of urchins held in air showed a decrease in pH and increase in lactic acid concentration, percentage solid, turbidity level, colour and coelomocyte numbers. Gonads recovered from urchins held in air exhibited enhanced rates of deterioration over time, as assessed by a loss of surface definition and a decrease in their water-holding capacity and height-to-surface ratio (melting). Gonad deterioration was minimised by implementing a brine + alum wash upon immediate removal of gonads from live urchins. This research has shown that the manner in which live urchins are held and processed has a dramatic impact on the subsequent shelf-life and quality of the recovered gonads.

Also keep your urchin in a bucket of cold sea water if you keep them whole according to this article.

Good info guys.  It's really odd, I've never ran into bad ones until this year.  Usually we'll take them whole, and crack them open just prior to eating them.  This seems to keep them the freshest. The bitter taste is just that, bitter.  Of course, I've never tasted straight Iodine, so maybe that's what it is?

Mayonnaise and sour cream. Nasty. 

Sincerely,

Jim

I guess I should not pass you my home made blue cheese dressing made with Mayo and sour cream? 

Mayonnaise and sour cream. Nasty. 

Sincerely,

Jim

I guess I should not pass you my home made blue cheese dressing made with Mayo and sour cream? 

 



Sincerely,

Jim

ps...Eugene I got your chairs from Glen. 

So there IS something you won't eat!  Was starting to worry!

~Bill

I am just starting to acquire a taste for urchin. I dove with Bloodbath, Lorenzo, Fishmaster, and one other guy I don't remember, we ate urchin right on the water, with some cold brews, and it was BOMB!!!! We ate one more back at the launch ramp and it too was BOMB.

Besides being out of the water for a while, the only other difference that I can think of is white sperm vs. yelow-orange eggs? Male or female? I like them both