Anastasia Gold Caviar
The farmers – Marilyn Evans, 80; daughter Jane Evans Davis, 61; and granddaughter Lauren Davis, 33 – raise some cattle, but it’s their fish farm that gets most of their attention. “There’s a healthy market for our live tilapia and hybrid striped bass,” says Jane. “But two-thirds of our operation is sturgeon,” and their caviar business, Anastasia Gold Caviar.
When her parents originally started the farm in the late 70s, they made sure aquaculture was part of their plans. Jane got her degree in aquaculture and landed a job at Epcot Center, eventually landing at the Living Seas, a 5.7-million gallon seawater tank, now called The Seas with Nemo & Friends. “It was a dream job,” she says. “We built good programs, like one for manatee rehabilitation.” After 37 years working at Walt Disney World, Jane says it was time to come back to the farm.
In fish farming, the time from egg to harvest varies depending on the species. Tilapia take 6-8 months to get to market size. Hybrid striped bass take 18 months. Sturgeon become mature in 8 to 10 years. Their farm has three species, Ossetra, Siberian and Sevruga, all originating from other farms in Europe.
Getting eggs for caviar is very labor intensive, she says. They spawn their fish themselves, called assisted spawning, raise them for six years. She uses an ultrasound to check the size of the eggs and determine whether the fish is a caviar fish to be harvested for eggs, or a spawner that will be used to repopulate their tanks. “Once they have eggs, they go inside the cold tank for three months,” says Jane. Eggs are removed in a biopsy to determine whether they’re firm and “pop.” The fish is cut open and cleaned in a processing room, where the eggs are removed, strained to remove any membrane, lightly salted, packed in polyethylene so it doesn’t pick up a tinny flavor, sealed and kept at 30 degrees for up to two years.
Some caviar producers pasteurize their product, but at Anastasia Gold Caviar, they prefer the Old World technique of keeping it fresh. “It’s like butter. I press the eggs on the roof of my mouth. I get a little salt,” she says. They are working with researchers to see how sturgeon diet influences the flavor in an effort to find a feed that’s more sustainable. Most of their caviar is sold directly to customers, chefs and restaurants. They sell sturgeon meat, too, a particular favorite with Ukrainian customers. “They eat every part of the first, and bake it for special occasions,” Jane says. Whatever they don’t sell, they use to make smoked fish dip.
Caviar is a luxury product – 30 grams of their Imperial Siberian caviar goes for $75, Ossetra is $90 and Sevruga is $135 – but you won’t find such freshness elsewhere, she says. “Fresh is better! Seek out local farms. We believe everyone should know where their food comes from.”
