Pickled Fish Food

HOW TO PICKLE FISH

Steps:

• Cut your fish into chunks. While you can pickle full fish or large fillets, you won't get the same control over the process that you do when you cut up the fish. If your fish is freshly caught, clean and gut it first. Then, use a sharp, clean knife to cut your fish into large chunks before you start the brining process. The chunks should be about the size of a large bite of food. You want to be able to eat them, but you don't want them to be so small that they dissolve during the pickling process. For smaller fish like anchovies or herring, you may be able to pickle the whole filet without cutting it up.
• Use salt and water to make a weak brine. Your fish will go through a weak brine before it goes in the heavy, more flavorful brine. Make a weak brine by adding 1 cup of kosher salt or sea salt per every quart of water (about 200 grams per every liter of water), and bringing the solution to a boil. Let the salt dissolve before removing it from the heat. Then, allow the brine to cool. You will need enough brine to completely cover your fish.
• Cover your fish with the weak brine. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, put your fish fillets or fish chunks in a ceramic or glass container. Pour in enough brine to completely cover the fish, but not so much that you cannot move the dish.
• Refrigerate the fish in brine for 8-24 hours. How long you choose to keep your fish in the weak brine will be a matter of preference. The longer you brine, the more of a pickled flavor you will get. This can work well for stronger fish like pike but may be too much for a more delicate fish like bass.
• Drain the brine from the container. Carefully drain out the brine from the dish into the sink or another container. At this point, you may or may not choose to rinse the fish. Rinsing helps get rid of some of the salty flavor from the brine. If you do rinse, pat the fish dry completely. If you don't rinse, you should still pat the fish to absorb any excess salt.
• Cover pike and strongly flavored fish with white vinegar for up to a day. More delicate fish including salmon and trout don't need to go into vinegar, but stronger fish often do. After you've removed the brine and patted dry your fish, cover it with 5% acidity distilled white vinegar. Put the fish back in the refrigerator and allow it to sit for at least overnight and up to a full day. Once your fish is ready for pickling, drain the vinegar, but don't rinse off the fish. Other fish that may benefit from a vinegar soak include mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.

PICKLED FISH

Steps:

• 1. The Fish: Clean and rinse the fillets 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. If fillets are thick slice on the bias to about 1/8" to 1/4" thick, then cut to size of quarter coin. Fish remain raw for this recipe. No cooking of fish. IMPORTANT: The fish bones will dissolve don't worry about them.
• 2. The Brine: Bring 2 cups white vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup pickling or canning salt to a boil and stir. Allow to cool to room temperature. If using stainless steel pan don't add salt until it comes to a high simmer. Otherwise salt can pit stainless steel cookware.
• 3. Put Fish into one gallon size zip-lock bag or sealable container and add the cooled Brine. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 days. Then drain and rinse twice. Then allow to soak in fresh cold water for 5 to 10 minutes.
• 4. The Pickling Liquid: Combine 1 2/3 cups white vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 1 2/3 cups sugar and bring to high simmer-low boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of Pickling Spices and 2 teaspoons Mustard Seed and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then add the 3/4 to 1 cup of Riesling White Wine (I used Black Swan Brand), or use sweet to very sweet white wine of your choice. Strain and reserve both liquid and spices.
• 5. Packing Fish and Onions: In pint jars place a couple layers of Fish, then layer of onion and a small bit of the reserved spices. Continue layering until jars are full to 1/4 inch of top, pack firmly. Then fill with Pickling Liquid to 1/4 inch of top. Seal and refrigerate for 6 to 10 days. Refrigerated will keep months.
• 6. You can use the excess Pickling Liquid and Spices to make Sweet Refrigerator Pickles with Onions. Just combine sliced Cucumbers and Onions, and refrigerate.
• 7. Note: I posted this prematurely prior to editing and checking everything for this recipe on 3/5/10. I will do that and remove this note 3/6/10. Allow me to proof soon before trying this.

PICKLED FISH

Steps:

• Put fish in gallon jar, Add pickling salt and 1 cup white vineger.
• Put into refigerator for five days.
• Shake every day.
• Salt will not dissolve.
• After five days, rinse with cold water, drain and blot dry.
• Mix white suger, wine, 1 cup white vinger and pickling spice in sauce pot, heat just to a boil.
• Take off stove and let cool.
• Add fish and onions to clean gallon jar, then add brine.
• Shake occasionally.
• Fish will be ready to eat in 2 days.
• But the longer it sets the better it is.
• If you want to double this recipe, double everything but the spices.

DELICIOUS PICKLED FISH

Steps:

• Cut fish in 1" long strips.
• In a large jar, alternate layers of fish, onions and carrots until loosley full.
• Combine vinegar, sugar and seasonings in a pan and boil until sugar is dissolved.
• Cool.
• Pour over fish and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

PICKLED HERRING

Steps:

• Put some salt in bottom of small bowl. Place fish skin down. Continue layering fish and salt finishing with a layer of salt. Put weight (dish or plate) on top and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Wash herring well and skin. Soak in cold water 1 hour, changing 3 to 4 times. Cut in 1-inch pieces. Drain and pat dry. Boil 3 tablespoons water with 1 teaspoon allspice. Add sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and pepper. Mix until sugar is dissolved. In a one quart jar put 2 cups pickling solution, some onions and herring pieces, laying them and topping with onions. Fill to top with solution. Keep in tightly closed jar in refrigerator 2 to 3 days until ready to serve.