Smoking/canning fish

[CaliforniaGirl]

I have used a big old land based smoker, and I have canned thousands of jars, but I've never done and did preservation while on a boat. I've read lots on the internet but would like some input from the forum.

I'm wondering about the large amount of time on a burner that a hot water bath takes. Can you use a pressure canner for high acid items to minimize propane use?

Also, I've never canned fish. The flesh is so delicate. How is it's texture after the pressure canning process?

How about smoking fish? What type of smoker and how long will it keep? Ever dehydrated fish?

And canning smoked fish... Wtf? I can't even imagine what that process looks like

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[newhaul]

Canned salmon is easy and tastes just as good as fresh except the bones are edible in canned and smokeing fish adds flavor and canning it adds years to its shelf life there is a really good thread on sail net about canning and general preserving check it out

[newhaul]

As far as texture of canned fish have you ever had a tuna fish sandwich try a can of albicore tuna straight from the can its just as good as the fresh

[Cheechako]

I made fish jerky extensively while cruising. Just sun dried it actually. brine it for a few hours or overnight ( I like some soy in the brine) and dry in the sun on deck on oven racks. If not dry the first day bring it inside overnight and put it out the next. Very good... but very hard also!

[RaymondR]

I have bottled tuna using my pressure cooker and it turned out well. Mainly used it in curries as the tuna retains it's texture.

Tried bottling mackerel but it was not a success, it keeps well but loses it's texture.

I have salted mackerel and it kept well but required a lot of fresh water to remove the salt before cooking.

Mullet smokes well and if you dry it whilst smoking and keep it dry will keep for a long time and is pretty tasty.

If you are going to smoke fish green, unseasoned she-oak will continuously smoulder and provide a good source of smoke without much tending.

[weavis]

I smoke fish using a sugar cube.

Taught to me in Finland after commenting how great the fish I was eating tasted.

One cube of sugar on the shelf of a closed metal smoker with the fish, and placed on an open fire........... sugar melts, smokes over the fish and gives it a wonderful sweet wood flavouring..........

[Lancerbye]

I use a large pressure cooker to can(jars) salmon every year. I have done this for both fresh and smoked salmon. I have made special wooden boxes to hold the jars that prevent breakage in rough weather. I use a large outside propane burner in the cockpit. It takes an hour to pressure cook canned fish at 10 lbs. pressure. Once you have the pressure achieved it takes very little heat to maintain the cooking.(easy on propane)

[ryon]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I made fish jerky extensively while cruising. Just sun dried it actually. brine it for a few hours or overnight ( I like some soy in the brine) and dry in the sun on deck on oven racks. If not dry the first day bring it inside overnight and put it out the next. Very good... but very hard also!

Sounds too easy! I've gotta try that. Have you tried seawater as a brine?

[Randyonr3]

I tried smoking fish once but found it was very hard to get into the pipe, and impossible to keep lit..

[Mr42]

To smoke fish really well, you need hot knives. Just like you would with hash, where you heat two table knives until they're glowing red on the hob, then pinch little balls of fish between the glowing tips. It helps to suck the smoke through a funnel, like a bottle with the bottom cut off.

The flavour is horrible and the buzz is non-existant. You're better off eating the fish.


Peace.

[Mr42]

Jerking fish is easy. When it's on the line, just give it a jerk.

I find most fishes are pretty jerky when you get them in the boat. I like to stop them jerking with a big ole spike through the head.


Peace.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by ryon

Sounds too easy! I've gotta try that. Have you tried seawater as a brine?

No I havent. I forget the ratio but any sugar/ salt water mix works pretty well.

[Fishigan]

I smoke a lot of fish. For brine you only need water, salt and brown sugar. White sugar is fine but brown is better. For 5# of fish usually 1/2 cup of Kosher salt or Sea Salt (not table) and 1 cup of sugar. Mix with a gallon of warm water (cold is ok too) in a glass or plastic container NOT metal. Fish should be submerged and a plate can be used to hold it under water. Soaking over night is best. You can cut it into smaller chunks before soaking too. Low heat like 150 to 190 is best for 4 to 8hrs. Fish smokes best with fruit woods like Apple wood. It lends a mild smoke flavor. Soak the wood chips in water or apple juice or beer. You can put the wood chips in something like a used soup can and poke holes in half of it or wrap with aluminum foil and leave an opening for the smoke to come out the top. If using a grill use indirect heat. As in put the wood on the burner side and the fish in the non burner side. I have a 3 burner grill so far right is on with wood and the other 2 are off with the fish on the left. When finished I cool and vac seal it. Smoking fish is very easy to do. Leave the skin on too.

[CaliforniaGirl]

Do you refrigerate it after you vac seal it?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I made fish jerky extensively while cruising. Just sun dried it actually. brine it for a few hours or overnight ( I like some soy in the brine) and dry in the sun on deck on oven racks. If not dry the first day bring it inside overnight and put it out the next. Very good... but very hard also!

We do something slightly different with Dorado. We filet it, wash it in sea water and then put it in a ziplock with soy sauce, brown sugar and let sit overnight in the fridge. We have a 5 tray collapsible drying rack used for fruit or fish that we hang in the rig. It has a black cover over it with screen vents that allow airflow but no flies. Copied from the guy that wrote "sailing the farm". At night we just close the top vents and open them in the morning. Depending on the area usually 1 1/2 - 2 days. Great snacking, store it in a paper bag. The longer it's stored the harder it gets.

Close friends use the same marinade but then just string the fish with a sail needle and some thread. Hanging up in the rig worked almost as good but they needed to take it down at night.

Chuck
Jacaranda


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum