How to make brine for salting fish. How to salt fish correctly

Drying and drying fish are methods of preparing it for subsequent storage. The difference is this:

drying is a preparation process in which fish can be salted or unsalted. The resulting unsalted product is a kind of semi-finished product that requires further preparation. Salted dried fish can be consumed immediately.
drying - drying of raw materials, which must have previously been salted. The meat seems to mature in the process. After drying, the product becomes suitable for consumption without additional processing.

Usually when we talk about dried fish, we mean dried fish, which is considered an ideal snack for beer. Many types of fish are suitable for preparing dried fish. The main thing is that it is of medium size (no more than 1 kg) and not very fatty, since the thicker the carcass, the more salt is required, and the longer the drying process will take.

You can use both river and sea fish. The following river species are considered most suitable for these purposes:

rudd
ram
roach
vobla
saberfish
Vomer
perch
zander
white bream
gudgeon
crucian carp
blue
carp

Please note that only fresh river fish, which is no more than a day after catch, is suitable for drying. Otherwise, the product may spoil before it has time to cook.

Among the variety of sea fish for drying, it is preferable to use:

mackerel
capelin
bull
smelt
sprat
herring
sprat
samsa
sea bass
red mullet
osprey
horse mackerel
sea ruffe

Before using frozen sea fish, it must first be thawed at room temperature.

How to salt and dry fresh fish: preparation for drying, salting recipe

Before drying (curing) fish, it must be properly prepared.

This process includes several stages:

treatment
pickling
soaking

Treatment is as follows:

Select carcasses weighing up to 1 kg. If you have a lot of fish, it is advisable to sort them by size, as they will take different times to cook
Gut the carcasses. For large fish, it is better to make the cut on the back, in its thickest part, and for small fish, on the belly. Some fishermen prefer not to clean the fish, believing that the tripe makes it meaty and fatty. This product will have a slightly bitter taste. But on the other hand, specimens of the spring catch contain caviar, which is very desirable in dried fish. However, the one that feeds on vegetation still needs to be cleaned, otherwise the algae inside the carcass will begin to decompose and rot.
If you decide to dry a large fish uneviscerated, use a syringe to pour a strong salt solution into its belly through the mouth opening.
For large specimens, cut along the back for quick drying

Pickling:

Before drying fish, it must be well salted. The purpose of this process is to remove excess moisture from the raw material.
In this case, oppression is necessarily used (150 g per 1 kg of fish), which is necessary in order to prevent the appearance of cavities in the raw materials where putrefactive bacteria can develop
Also, salted raw materials must be kept in the cold so that the unsalted parts of the fish do not spoil.

There are different methods of pickling. The most suitable for home use are:

dry(suitable for large fish):

Gut the carcasses, then generously rub with salt on all sides, also pour into the gills
prepare a basket or box with holes
cover the bottom with thick fabric (burlap or canvas)
lay the fish in layers, be sure to place the belly up
generously sprinkle the layers with salt (for 10 kg of fish approximately 1.5 kg of salt)
put in a cold place for 5 – 7 days
the resulting liquid will flow through the holes (take this fact into account when installing the box)

Pour coarse salt into the bottom of a vessel (such salt is absorbed more slowly, but draws moisture out of the fish faster)
Rub the inside of the gutted fish with salt
fold in layers (“jack” and so that the back of one covers the belly of the other), generously sprinkling each with salt. In this case, place larger fish on the bottom, and small ones on top.
salt should cover the carcasses evenly, but not lie on it in a heap (on average, 20% of the weight of the fish). Each subsequent row of salt must be increased by 15%. And the latter should cover the fish by 0.5 cm
Place a plate or an inverted lid with a weight on top. At the same time, the carcasses should not fit tightly against the walls of the dish so that air flow remains possible
refrigerate for 3-7 days depending on the size of the fish

brine(in saline solution) – suitable for small fish (up to 0.5 kg):

make brine - dissolve enough salt in water so that an egg placed in a container floats to the surface
put fresh fish in there. In this case, the brine should cover it completely (approximate volume - 1 liter per 3 kg of raw materials). The fish can be immediately strung on ropes and salted directly in the bundles
cover with a net and put oppression on top
keep it like this for 3 days in a cool place

During salting, you can add a little sugar, bay leaf, pepper and other spices to taste. Fish topped with horseradish leaves turns out aromatic. You can check if the fish is salted like this:

press your finger on the back. If a hole has formed, it means it’s ready.
holding the head and tail, stretch the carcass. Salted fish will have crunchy vertebrae

Soaking:

In order to remove excess salt from salted fish, it must be soaked in fresh water. In addition, this process will saturate the carcasses with liquid to preserve flavor and desalinize the surface layer so that they do not become soggy when finished. Do it like this:

remove the fish from the brine and let it sit for about an hour so that the salt is evenly distributed throughout the meat
rinse in fresh running water and thoroughly remove mucus
fill with cold water and leave it like that, periodically changing the water (on average, the number of hours is equal to the number of days of salting). It is believed that when the carcasses begin to float, they are ready for drying
wipe dry and place on a paper towel to drain excess moisture

Now the salted and soaked fish can be hung out to dry.

How and where to properly dry river and sea fish at home in summer, spring and winter, and how long to dry?

The process of drying salted river or sea fish is of two types:

artificial - in special installations in which the required temperature is maintained (60-90 degrees)
natural - under the influence of air outside or in well-ventilated areas

At home, use a natural method. In order for the final product to delight you with excellent taste, you need to dry the fish correctly, taking into account some subtleties:

pierce the prepared fish (salted and soaked) and string it on a strong fishing line or twine. You can hook the carcasses onto a paper clip, hooking it onto the fish’s lip and hanging it on a rope. For large specimens, for uniform drying, you can make spacers in the abdomen from toothpicks, and dry small fish on a mesh stretched over slats or a frame

Place the bundles in a ventilated, dry place. Do not expose them to the sun, as while the fish is wet, it may simply “cook” in the heat. In addition, fatty carcasses may leak fat.
in spring and summer you can dry it in the shade or under a canopy, and in winter - on a glazed balcony, kitchen, attic
The optimal temperature for drying fish is considered to be from 18 to 20 degrees
Please note that the fish should hang without touching each other
do not place your catch near strong-smelling objects (painted walls, etc.), as the fish will very quickly absorb unpleasant odors
In hot weather, the product cannot be dried, as it may go rancid.
During storage, finished fish loses more and more moisture and becomes drier

The period of drying fish until ready depends on its size and conditions:

in the spring and summer, in the air with a slight breeze and no damp weather it will take about 5-8 days, and for very shallow weather - 2 days
in winter at frosty temperatures outside - about a month and a half (moisture from the fish will gradually freeze out), and in a heated apartment - 7-15 days

Where, how and how long to dry dried fish?

Some people like very dry salted fish, while others prefer soft, as if under-dried, dried fish. Drying, in essence, is an incomplete process of drying a product.

Main drying conditions:

relatively low temperature
quite a long period

The best time for drying fish is considered to be autumn and spring (before spawning) for two reasons:

fish during this period is especially fatty and tasty
there is no heat, in which carcasses can deteriorate during prolonged drying

Process Features:

It is best to dry fish outdoors under a canopy, away from sunlight
depending on the size of the specimens and weather conditions, the product is ready in 7-15 days
Large specimens take a long time to dry and may deteriorate before they have time to dry. Therefore, they need to be dried at low temperatures (preferably in a cellar). The process takes up to 3 weeks

in winter, the process should take place in a room that needs to be frequently ventilated, creating drafts so that the fish is exposed to air. In addition, it is necessary to periodically spray the room and carcasses with cold water, since when heating the air in the apartment is dry, and at low humidity the fish will not dry, but dry.
It must be taken into account that drying in a warm room occurs faster, and the fish does not have time to acquire the amber color and transparency that is so valued
Well-cured fish does not have the smell of raw meat, and the back remains a little soft
the finished delicacy should be stored wrapped in paper or canvas
dried fish can be consumed immediately, but lovers claim that for the best taste it needs to be “ripened” for at least two weeks in the cold and wrapped in parchment

How to dry fish in the summer without flies landing?

When drying fish in the summer, there is a high probability of spoilage of the product by fly larvae. The aroma released by fermenting fish is very attractive to insects. To prevent this from happening, take the advice of experienced fishermen.

Before hanging fish carcasses to dry, lightly grease them (optional):

vinegar solution (3%)
sunflower oil
weak solution of potassium permanganate
a mixture of vegetable oil and vinegar in a ratio of 1:3

In addition, dry your catch this way:

hang the fish out to dry late in the evening - then there are no flies. During the night, the carcasses will dry out, and their gills will become covered with a dry crust. Insects will no longer be scary
cover the drying fish with a gauze cloth so that there is free space between them (use small spacers for this)
Keep in mind that the longer the fish dries, the less attractive it becomes to flies. Therefore, it is very important to protect the product in the first days

Many fishermen use special boxes for drying, which are very easy to make yourself:

make a box out of slats
cover it with gauze or mesh
make one side of the box with a lid so that you can take out the finished fish as needed

How to dry fish correctly: head down or up?

Often a dispute arises between fishermen about how to string a fish on a rope: through the tail or the head? In fact, both of these methods are correct, and the choice of drying depends on your preferences:

head down– the fish will dry more evenly and faster, since the moisture will drain through the mouth. The final product will be less fatty, and such fish will be stored longer. In the fall, it is recommended to hang it this way, because during this period the fish is very oily and can take a long time to dry.
head up– the fat remains inside the carcass and saturates the meat. This product will take a little longer to dry, but it will be more fragrant. This is how it is recommended to dry low-fat fish. However, if it is not gutted, then the bile found in the tripe can negatively affect the taste of the finished product, and it will be bitter.

Is it possible to dry fish without scales?

Usually, when drying fish, scales are not removed for the following reasons:

it protects the internal tissues of the carcass from deformation and contamination
when salting, this will protect the meat from being severely corroded by salt
the absence of scales will lead to excessive drying of the product

In some cases, the scales are removed from the fish. As a rule, this is done with large specimens or for the purpose of more convenient use of the finished product. However, experts say that such fish is less tasty, as it turns out to be too dry and unflavoured.

How and how long to dry fish in an apartment, on a balcony in a garage?

Often, city residents have to dry their catch indoors, especially in winter. At the same time, there are often cases when the fish turns out to be tasteless or even spoiled. To prevent this from happening, and to prevent your efforts from being in vain, consider the following features of drying indoors:

Before salting, it is better to remove the entrails from the fish. In an apartment, gutted fish is guaranteed to be salted and not spoiled
after salting and soaking, hang the carcasses over the bathtub to drain the liquid
Start the drying process in the evening: hang the fish and open the window at night. This will reduce the unpleasant smell in the apartment
the balcony on which you dry the fish should be well ventilated. If it is glazed, then open the windows more often. In summer, be sure to provide protection from insects. No matter what floor you live on, the aroma of fish is sure to attract flies
In winter, you can hang the fish in the kitchen above the stove, but not very low (at least 80 cm). So it will dry in 3-7 days

For drying indoors, you can use a fan to circulate air
some dry fish behind the refrigerator, hanging it on the radiator
Keep in mind that during the drying process, moisture and fat will drain from the raw material. Therefore, place some container or cover the floor
be prepared for the fact that during the first few days of drying there will be a specific fishy smell in the room
It is impossible to say exactly how long the fish will dry indoors. This process can take from 3 days to two weeks. Check the readiness of the product by periodically tasting it.

How and for how long to dry fish in the oven?

Using an oven is a simple way to speed up the process of drying salted fish in an apartment.

The correct way to dry it in the oven is as follows:

gut the fish
salt and soak the carcasses in the usual way
turn the oven on convection mode
set the temperature to low (about 40 degrees)
place the fish on a baking sheet, having previously covered it with parchment or foil
Place the pan in the oven, leaving the door ajar about 7 cm
After a couple of hours, cover the fish heads with foil so they don’t burn.
leave to dry for another 3-4 hours depending on the size of your fish
take them out and string them on a wire or rope
dry in a well-ventilated area or outside (it will take about a day)

You can get an excellent snack for beer by drying too small a fish in the oven. This is done simply:

prepare 500 g of very small fish (smelt, sprat, samsa)
remove scales if necessary; carcasses do not need to be gutted
rinse well
dry thoroughly with paper towels
mix 1 tsp. salt, 0.5 tsp. sugar and 0.5 tsp. lemon juice
distribute the spices evenly over the fish, rubbing them in thoroughly
cover with a plate and refrigerate to marinate overnight
grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil
Place the fish in one row so that they fit tightly together
preheat the oven to 200 degrees
place the baking sheet there for 15 minutes
after this time, carefully turn the fish over to the other side
bake for another 15 minutes
cool

How and for how long to dry fish in an electric dryer?

Many people use an electric dryer to speed up the process of drying and drying fish. Such a device is convenient in that elevated temperature and forced ventilation help accelerate dehydration of the product.

Features of this method:

It is not necessary to marinate the fish for a long time, 7 hours is enough
at 50 degrees the fish is dried for about 5-7 hours. At a higher temperature, the carcass can simply steam and the meat will separate from the bones. Some advise not to turn on the heating awning at all, but to set the device to the blower mode. This way the fish will dry longer – about a day.

To speed up the process, you can dry the fish not whole, but by cutting it into layers
Dried fish, pieces of which were marinated in a marinade of 0.5 cups of lemon juice, 5 tsp, is very tasty. salt, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley and 1 chopped onion

How and how long to dry fish on a radiator?

During the cold period, when the heating season begins, it is convenient to dry salted fish using hot radiators. Typically, the product is ready in 4 to 8 days using this method. There are several options for such drying:

under the battery - lay the carcasses on the floor on a double layer of paper or cardboard. When one side of the fish is dry, turn it over to the other.
on the battery - cover the radiator with a rag so as not to get it dirty. Hang a bunch of fish on it like a Christmas tree garland. After a couple of days, turn the other way
near the battery - hang the prepared fish on the clothes dryer and place it next to the battery

With this method, you need to ensure that the fish does not dry out. Otherwise, the meat will separate from the bone, and it will not be very tasty. If the radiators in your apartment are very hot, place the fish half a meter away from them.

How and how long to dry fish in the microwave?

The microwave oven is difficult to dry fish. This is due to the fact that for this process it is not so much temperature that is important as air circulation. And it is almost impossible to achieve this in a microwave. In addition, while this kitchen appliance is operating, you cannot open its door, as is the case with an oven. And there will be no additional air flow.

Therefore, only a microwave with convection can be suitable for drying fish. The temperature should be set low (no more than 40 degrees), and the fish should be laid out in one row. Drying time depends on the size of the fish and the features of your oven.

At the same time, there will always be a high probability that your fish will simply be baked and not dried.

How to properly dry perch, crucian carp, sabrefish, kutum, roach, bream: tips and recipes

Each fisherman has his own method of salting and drying his catch. It is believed that different types of fish require their own drying subtleties. We bring to your attention some tips on drying fish from experienced fishermen.

Perch- one of the most common fish in our reservoirs. Not everyone likes it, since its meat is not very fatty, even a little dry. However, properly cured perch has a pleasant, specific aroma and excellent nutritional properties.

How to dry perches correctly:

carry out the process in spring or autumn, since in the summer heat the scales of this fish turn into a dense crust, and the meat inside begins to deteriorate
Before salting, large specimens are cleaned of entrails, small specimens are not cleaned
stack the carcasses in rows, generously rubbing and sprinkling them with salt and sugar (500 g of salt and 5 tablespoons of sugar per 2 kg of fish)
keep in the cold under pressure for 3-4 days
soak in fresh water for about a day
dry for about a week

crucian carp is a popular fish that is very tasty when dried. It must be gutted before drying, otherwise it will be bitter. For pickling, take 1 kg of salt and 1 tbsp. sugar for 7-10 kg of raw materials. They dry, as a rule, for about 6-7 days, head down, placing spacers in the gills.

Chekhon is a valuable commercial fish that has an elongated shape and resembles a saber. When dried, it has wonderful flavor characteristics, although not everyone likes its bony nature.

Features of preparation and drying:

You need to clean the fish from the insides very carefully, without damaging the film inside the belly, because it prevents fat from leaking out of the meat
for salting, take about 100 grams of salt for 1 medium carcass
Some fishermen do not soak the fish in water after salting, but only wipe it or put it under pressure to remove the moisture
dry for about 10-14 days, while the first two days - head down so that the liquid flows faster than glass, and then change position

Kutum- a rare Caspian fish, very tasty and valuable. Its meat is tender, without small bones. But it is very difficult to properly salt and dry it due to its high fat content and meatiness. Therefore, when salting, do not spare salt and dry it at a low temperature.

Vobla– a type of roach, belongs to the carp family. Very often used for pickling and drying. It is usually salted for about 3 days, then soaked for about 6 hours. This way the fish turns out lightly salted and tender. It is dried for 13 to 30 days.

Bream– probably the most popular fish snack for beer in our area. We offer several ways to dry it.

Method 1 - Volga-Akhtuba (suitable for drying at the fishing site)

gut the fish
spread the carcass along the ridge
roll in salt on both sides
hang in the sun and wind

The bream dries very quickly, but does not have a special taste or aroma.

gut the carcass, being sure to remove the black stripe along the ridge
rinse thoroughly inside
take 250 g of salt per 1 kg of raw materials
salt the carcass well
place in an enamel bowl, the bottom of which is also covered with salt
place the weight on top
after 2 days, rinse the fish
hang to dry at a temperature of about 15 degrees for 7 - 14 days

Gut the carcasses
make a saline solution (2 cups of salt per 2 liters of water)
put bream in it
press down with a weight on top
salt like this in the cold for at least 2 days
rinse well in cool running water
dry in the shade for 2 weeks

Carp– very tasty when dried. However, not everyone knows how to dry it correctly:

remove scales and gut
cut off the tail and head
salt using dry or wet method for 10 days
strain
mix salt with saltpeter (0.5 - 1% of the volume of salt)
rub the fish well
dry in a ventilated area for at least 2 weeks

Not everyone knows that dried salted fish can be consumed not only as a beer snack. Try to diversify your menu:

grind dried carcasses into flour and add the resulting powder to soups, salad dressings, fish cakes
cook fish soup based on this fish (salt the dish with caution)
prepare a paste for sandwiches: mix chopped fish with sour cream, mayonnaise, herbs and a clove of garlic
make a casserole: soak the fish in water for about a day and cut into pieces, place on thinly sliced potatoes, pour in a mixture of milk and eggs, bake in the oven

heaclub.ru

Selection and preparation of raw materials

The drying process involves drying pre-salted fish. At the same time, the pulp is dehydrated, soaked in natural fat and fermented (as fishermen say, “ripened”), acquiring a piquant taste and a very attractive aroma. You can dry fish both sea and river. These can be smelt, goby, flounder, sprat, bison, etc. Of the river inhabitants, representatives of partial species are most often harvested in this way: roach, saberfish, silver bream, white bream, rudd, roach, ram, etc. According to experts, very Dried catfish are tasty (it is better to make balyks from it), pike, carp, perch and bream, as well as chub, asp and ide.

Before drying fish, it must be prepared. This stage comes down to carefully cleaning the catch from dirt and mucus. There is no need to wash the fish or remove its scales. Small specimens (weighing up to 500 g) are usually not gutted. In large fish, the entrails are usually removed. In this case, the incision is made not from the abdomen, but from the back, cutting through the meat to the ridge and separating the ribs on one side from the spine. This method was invented in order not to disturb the fat layer, which is located under the skin of the abdomen. You should not dry fish that has been cleaned from the belly: it will turn out dry and tough.

Now you can begin the main process, which is divided into three stages: salting, soaking and drying itself.

Basic rules of drying

When salting fish, it is important to follow several rules:

The container in which you place the raw materials should be steel, enamel, glass, ceramic, wood or made of food-grade plastic. The use of galvanized containers is unacceptable;
When processing fish, choose coarse salt that does not contain iodine. Iodized salt gives the product an unpleasant taste, and fine salt penetrates too quickly into the tissues, preventing them from dehydrating;
the container in which the fish is salted must be kept in a cool place;
Under no circumstances should the recommended salting time be reduced. It depends both on the method and on the size of the raw material, but it cannot be less than a day for small fish and 5 days for larger specimens. Violation of this condition is fraught with serious health problems (for example, infection with opisthorchiasis or poisoning).

These are general principles. There are many techniques for salting fish, and almost every experienced fisherman adds his own nuances to them.

Drying stages

Let's start drying fish: salting recipes

Dry

The fish (usually large ones) are placed in a wooden or plastic box covered with cloth in layers, belly up. You can also use a basket or even a clean bag (jute or plastic). It is important that the container has holes through which the juice released from the fish will flow out. The raw materials are sprinkled with salt on all sides (the heads need to be treated especially carefully). For 10 kg of fish take at least 1.5 kg of salt. Cover the container with a flat lid, put pressure (for example, a three- or five-liter jar of water) and put it in a cool place. Salting usually takes from 5 to 10 days.

Tuzluchny

The fish, tightly placed in a basin or pan with their tummies up, is sprinkled with salt in layers (1 kg per 10 kg of raw material) and pressed under pressure. In this case, the brine (brine) that is released from the fish remains in the container. After 1-2 days it rises above the raw material. After this, the container is left in a cool place until the fish is salted, that is, at least another day for small ones and a week for large specimens.

Wet

The fish, prepared and placed in a container, is poured with a cold solution prepared from coarse salt and water (about 350 g per 1 liter). The suitability of the brine can be checked: a fresh egg immersed in liquid should remain on the surface. Small fish are kept in a salt solution for 2-3 days, and large fish for about a week. After the product is removed from the brine, it must lie in the air for 1-2 hours so that the salt is evenly distributed throughout the tissues.

"Provesnoy"

As a variant of wet salting, the so-called hanging salting is used. In this case, small fish are strung on rods, a cord or fishing line through the eye holes and lowered into the brine so that they do not press on each other. In medium-sized (non-gutted) specimens, the abdominal cavity is filled in advance with a strong salt solution, pumping it through the mouth opening using a syringe so that the flesh is salted out more reliably and evenly.

In addition, there are varieties of dry and brine salting, in which sugar, dill or spices (ground pepper, bay leaf, coriander and even cinnamon) are added to the salt with which the fish is sprinkled. If you dry fish processed in these ways, you will get products that are distinguished by a particularly refined, “spicy” or “balyk” taste.

The readiness of the fish for the next stage is determined as follows: the carcass is taken by the head and tail and stretched in the longitudinal direction. In a well-salted fish, the spine “crunches”, producing a specific sound. You can press your finger on the back of the fish: if salted correctly, there will be a hole left on it.

Soaking the fish

Before you dry the fish, you need to soak it. This is done in order to remove salt from the subcutaneous layer of pulp. If you skip this step, your skin will not dry properly. In this case, the surface of the finished product will become damp, and the fish simply cannot be stored.

The easiest way is to soak the raw materials under the tap, while simultaneously washing it from any remaining mucus. The washed fish are placed in a bowl of cold water. If they do not sink, it means that the pulp already contains the optimal amount of salt for drying. The total period of washing and soaking should not exceed 1 hour for every day of preliminary salting. Large, fatty fish should not be kept in water continuously for 7-10 hours, so as not to reduce the taste of the final product. Every 2-3 hours it is taken out and kept in the air for some time, and then soaking continues.

We bring to your attention a video in which a fisherman talks about how he soaks fish.

Drying (at what temperature to dry fish)

The fermentation that fish tissue undergoes during drying occurs in the absence of heat treatment. That is why the final stage (drying of salted raw materials) should take place at a temperature no higher than 18-20 ℃ and constant ventilation. It is best to do this in spring or autumn. In this case, the fish does not overheat in the sun.

To protect against flies that can spoil the product, a variety of means are used: the fish is covered with gauze, sprayed with vinegar, sometimes even coated with a mixture of vinegar and vegetable oil. Experienced fishermen hang out their catch to dry in the evening. At this time, there are almost no flies, and during the night the surface layer of the raw material hardens, and insects can no longer damage it.

You can dry fish in winter. Connoisseurs appreciate the product obtained by freezing moisture. At temperatures close to 0 ℃, fish takes a long time to dry, and its taste differs from that typical for spring, summer and autumn catch.

Where to dry fish?

A product with the best taste is obtained if the fish, strung on short fishing lines or wires of several pieces, is dried in the open air. An open veranda, a well-ventilated barn or attic, a balcony or loggia of a city apartment are suitable for placing low floors. Drying fish can also be hung in the room, but then the residents will be bothered by its smell.

Some fishermen construct dryers in the form of boxes, the walls of which are made of fine window mesh to protect against flies. Bottoms with fish are pulled inside the box. The device is convenient because it can be easily moved from the yard to the house and back when the weather changes. Owners of dachas and village houses often dry fish in cool cellars. In this case, the raw materials dry out very slowly (from 2-3 weeks to a month), and the gradual fermentation has a beneficial effect on the taste of the finished product. In the open air, small fish are completely dried in 1-2 days, and large ones reach readiness in an average of 1.5-2 weeks.

Drying using household appliances

We should also talk about methods of drying fish using household appliances. You can dry pre-salted raw materials as follows:

in the oven. The fish is laid out in one layer on the grill. Dry it at a temperature of 80 ℃ and the door is slightly open or the convection mode is turned on. Two hours after the start of processing, the heads are wrapped in foil and the product is heated for another 5-6 hours. The fish turns out to be a little soft, and it has to be brought to readiness by hanging it indoors for a few more days;
in an electric dryer. Only a device in which you can set the temperature to 30 ℃ and powerful airflow is suitable. The process takes at least two days;
above the stove. A small amount of fish can be hung under the kitchen ceiling. If you have a household hood, it will be constantly blown with air and dry out in 4-5 days.

It should be noted that drying fish using household appliances is not the most successful way. In this case, it reaches readiness too quickly, which negatively affects the taste and smell.

There is an opinion that fish can be not only dried, but also dried-smoked. This is wrong. Drying and smoking are fundamentally different processes, both in terms of the changes to which the raw material fabrics undergo, and in the sense of the consumer qualities of the finished product. Perhaps the reason for the confusion was the similarity of the stages of pre-processing of fish (salting and soaking), which are necessary to prepare both for drying and “cold” smoking. There is no separate product called “dried-smoked fish”.

Assessment of the quality of the finished product; storage

Properly dried fish has smooth and strong scales without traces of salt. Her skin fits well and is easy to remove. The pulp is dense, flexible and elastic, slightly shiny, translucent, amber or pinkish in color. The taste is lightly salted, the aroma is sharp and piquant. This product can be wrapped in thick paper or cloth and stored in a cool place with moderate humidity for up to six months.

Read more about how to store dried fish here.

Now you know how to dry fish correctly. Share your opinion and experience in the comments.

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How to salt river fish - tasty and correct?

The most common method of heat treatment of catch is frying.

But what if there is simply no one to feed with a large number of fried trophies?

This is where salting comes to the rescue.

This process is quite simple and will allow you to extend the pleasure of eating fish for a considerable period of time.

Let's try to figure out how to quickly and tasty salt some types of river fish with our own hands.

Types of river fish optimal for salting

Fish is the healthiest product in nature, rich in various vitamins and microelements.

It is ideal for drying or salting.

River fish caviar is also very useful.

Let's look at what types of river inhabitants love salt, and as a result, they make an excellent snack.

For salting, it is good to use all representatives of red river fish and all various small types of river fish (perch, roach, crucian carp, etc.)

Remember that the shelf life of salted fish is not very long.

As a rule, freshness is maintained for two weeks, depending on the type of fish and the salting recipe.

Methods for home salting river fish

There are various types of salting fish at home.

There are many types of homemade pickling, we will look at the two most popular:

dry salting or cold salting;
salting in brine;

The main rule before preparing salted fish is the right utensils and high-quality ingredients.

In order for the salting to be completed successfully, several rules should be taken into account:

Utensils for mixing should be enamel or glass.
It is necessary to choose rock salt and coarse enough, because... it will thoroughly saturate all layers of the fish.
Freshly caught catch will be tastier, but if the fishing season has already passed, you can purchase a freshly frozen specimen and defrost it under hot water or at room temperature.
Not every breed needs to be thoroughly cleaned and washed before salting.

Dry salted fish

Most often, river fish is salted using the dry salting method. We'll tell you about it.

Detailed recipe:

First, let's prepare a homemade marinade: put 150 grams of salt on a plate, and also add pepper, bay leaf and 50 grams of sugar.
Thoroughly rinse the defrosted fish carcass under a cold water tap.
Remove skin and bones (if possible);
The carcasses should be placed on a plate with their back down and sprinkled with all the seasonings indicated in the list of products;
We close our preparation and leave it in the refrigerator for three days.

In any salting recipe, you should always take into account that salt with small particles can only over-salt the fish fibers.

Another option for dry pickling.

Required Products:

wooden container (this can be a basket or a small box);
thick fabric;
fish;
sugar, salt

How to cook:

We clean, rinse and dry the sockeye salmon.
We place it on the bottom of the basket, having previously spread out a coarse cloth.
We coat each of the fish with salt on all sides and not forgetting about the mouth and abdomen.
Lay the carcasses evenly on the prepared surface. There should be no distance between the bodies.
When everything is laid out, you need to close the box and press it down with a fairly heavy weight.
Leave in a cool place for a week so that each fish is well salted.
As soon as the scales become a little hard to the touch, they must be removed from the resulting juice and left to air dry.

How to salt perch for drying?

Preparing dried perch:

We wash the perches under cold running water.
Pour coarse salt into the bottom of an enamel pan.
The salt layer should be no thinner than 0.5 cm.
Place the fish tightly on top of the salt.
Sprinkle with salt again.
Once again we lay out the perches, etc. until we post everything.
The final row should consist of salt.
We close the container and press it with significant weight.
Leave the pickling in a dark place for about a month or 40 days.
After the above period, the carcasses must be distributed along the length.

More well-fed representatives need to be soaked for about 1.5 days, changing the water in a barrel (or any vessel suitable for pickling) three times.

Water calculations are based on 5 liters of cold water per 2 kg of fish. The salting process itself should take place in a dark place with average temperatures. It is not recommended to close the lid completely!

Drain all the water and let it dry a little.

We stretch a strong rope in a well-ventilated area with low humidity. You can prepare wire hooks in advance or use old plastic clothespins.

We hang the perches by pinching their upper lip.

To slightly protect the product from drying out, you can cover them with gauze. If drying occurs in the summer, it is worth protecting the fish in advance from sudden precipitation.

To do this, you need to cover all perches and crucian carp with plastic material. But at the same time, after the sun appears, such “cover” must be immediately removed.

And here you should rely on your instincts and personal preferences. It happens that a couple of days are enough for good drying, and sometimes it may take 4 or even 5 days.

Salting river fish yourself is not difficult and very tasty.

Properly selected ingredients and proper proportions will give ordinary river fish a unique aroma and unforgettable taste.

The problem, however, can be caused by the meticulous removal of bones from the fleshy veins.

But if you have a little patience, the result will exceed all expectations.

We hope now that you know how to salt river fish, you will do it more often.

Bon appetit!!!

We will talk about how to salt and dry fish correctly and tasty, which salting of fish is better, how to avoid common mistakes and how to store fish after drying.

What kind of fish can be salted and dried?

Absolutely any fish can be salted and dried, but it is generally accepted that fatty and medium-fat fish turn out the most delicious. These types include:

Bream, white bream;
Roach, roach, ram;
Bluefish, peled;
Chekhon;
Flounder;
Smelt;
Capelin;
Ide, chub, asp and some others.

Low-fat fish can also be salted, but when dried it turns out dry. Such a fish is, for example, pike. Although, there will always be pike lovers.

Despite the sufficient fat content of fish such as carp, tench, crucian carp, they are not always suitable for salting and drying, since depending on the habitat, their meat may have a specific lake smell. However, river carp and crucian carp are almost free of this drawback, and salting fish with spices can make any fish tasty.

According to the time of catch, the fattest fish are those caught in the fall and early winter. In winter, the fish feeds poorly and loses excess fat, but during the diet its meat is cleaned, and therefore spring fish is also valued in its own way. The meat of fish caught in late winter and early spring is the cleanest, and after drying small fish it becomes translucent.

What about red fish? You can salt red fish in the same way as typical river fish. Any type of anadromous or local salmon is excellent for salting and drying.

Methods for salting fish

There are two main ways of salting fish for drying - “wet” and “dry” salting. Both methods make it possible to get equally tasty dried fish.

Dry salting is more often used for preparing large fish, and salting in brine is used for small and medium-sized fish. Another feature of salting fish in brine is that the meat of the finished fish is more tender.

For dry salting, you will need a container with holes or slits through which the juice released from the fish will drain (a wooden box, a plastic container with holes).

For salting fish in brine, any container with a salt-resistant coating (plastic, enamel dishes) is suitable. Aluminum containers for salting fish are not suitable, as their surface will oxidize and release impurities harmful to health.

Any salting method consists of the following steps:

Preparing fish for salting;
Preparing fish for drying, soaking.

Let's look at each stage in more detail.

Preparing fish for salting

Fish selected for salting must be clean and exceptionally fresh. The fish is not of the first freshness, and as a result, it turns out to be smelly, or completely unsuitable for consumption.

Large and sometimes medium-sized fish are freed from their entrails. Very large fish are completely or half-spread. The incision is made from the back along the ridge and, less frequently, from the belly.

Layering the fish allows you to speed up the process of salting and subsequent drying. In addition, the risk of spoilage of layered fish during salting is reduced to almost zero.

Before salting, the fish is washed and excess water should be allowed to drain. Large fish are wiped with a dry towel.

To dry-salt fish, you will need 1.5-2 kg of salt per 10 kg of fish, for salting in brine - 1-1.5 kg of salt per 10 kg of fish. The salt should be coarse; fine table salt is not at all suitable for salting fish. You can use regular table salt or sea salt.

When salting fish, you should be guided by the principle “it is better to over-salt than under-salt,” since excess salt will be removed during the soaking stage, and its deficiency can lead to accelerated growth of bacteria and spoilage of the fish.

The process of salting fish must take place in cool conditions, so the fish is put into a cellar or refrigerator for salting.

Salting time depends on the size of the fish. Small fish are salted in two days, medium - 2-4 days, large - up to a week. Fish kept in a strong salt solution in cool conditions can be stored in it for a month or more.

Spices

In 99% of cases, fish is salted without using any spices, but if you want to give the fish an unusual or spicy taste, they can be added during the salting process.

Regardless of the salting method, the following spices can be added to the fish:

Allspice peas;
Bay leaf;
Nutmeg;
Broken black pepper;
Coriander;
Carnation;
Ginger;
Cinnamon.

To these spices, you can add red capsicum, mustard seed, dill, cumin and anise - they all go well with fish, but any spices are good in moderation. To obtain a spicy salting, in addition to salt, you will need up to 50% sugar.

It should be borne in mind that spicy salting is best achieved when using medium-sized fish.

Salting in brine

To salt fish in brine, you do not need to prepare a special brine; the juice released from the fish will be quite sufficient.

The bottom of the container in which the fish will be salted is sprinkled with a layer of salt;
The fish is placed sideways, in layers, each layer of fish is sprinkled with salt;
The top layer of fish is completely covered with salt, covered with a lid on which a small weight is placed.

The weight is necessary so that when the brine is released, all the fish are immersed in it.

Immediately after salting, the fish is put into a cellar or refrigerator and salted there for 2-8 days, depending on the size of the fish.

Salting fish using the dry method is not much different from salting it in brine, but the salt consumption and salting time are a little more.

The bottom of a box or other container with holes is covered with canvas fabric (optional) and sprinkled with a layer of salt;
Each fish is completely rubbed with salt and laid back down with a tilt to one side, or simply sideways, each new layer of fish is sprinkled with salt;
The last layer of fish is generously sprinkled with salt, the fish is covered with a lid on which a small weight is placed.

After the fish is salted, the container with it is put away in a cool place - in the refrigerator or cellar, where it will remain for three to ten days, depending on the size of the fish.

After the fish has been completely salted, it is necessary to get rid of excess salt - this is done by soaking. If this is not done, the fish meat will be dry and over-salted, its surface will be covered with salt crystals, and the released fat will quickly oxidize, and the fish will “rust.”

Soaking fish after salting is a very important step, on which the taste and quality of dried fish depends.

Before soaking, the fish is washed to remove any remaining salt. The soaking process is carried out in cold water, the volume of which should be significantly larger than the fish. Ideal conditions are soaking in running water, but if this is not possible, the water is replaced several times with fresh water.

The same amount of time in hours is allotted for soaking as the number of days it was salted, but it makes no sense to soak for longer than 5-6 hours.

After soaking, the fish is completely ready for drying.

Many fishermen build a special drying cabinet on the balcony, which provides forced ventilation. But if there is no such device, the only way out is to hang the fish in any convenient place on ropes.

The place in which the fish is dried should be in the shade, preferably ventilated and cool.

The fish is suspended by the head or tail using hooks that can be made from paper clips or wire. If the fish is hung by the head, the fish meat will retain more fat; if by the tail, the risk of bile getting into the meat of ungutted fish is eliminated.

If the fish is suspended by the head, it is pierced with a hook in the jaw area or through the eyes. When suspended by the tail, it is pierced at the base of the caudal fin. Some anglers hang the fish by the tail using clothespins.

When hanging fish, you need to take into account that during drying, fat will drain and drip from it.

To protect against flies waiting for the moment when you hang the fish, it should be covered with gauze so that it does not touch the fish itself. It is best to hang fish for drying at night when there are no flies. During the night, the fish will become airy and will no longer attract insects as much.

You need to remove the fish without waiting for it to dry completely, especially if you are not going to eat it right away. During storage, the fish will quickly reach the desired degree of dryness.

Any dried fish will dry out and become dried out over time, but this is not the only problem. When storing fish in conditions with access to light and air, salt is released on its surface, its fat oxidizes, the fish “rusts” and goes rancid. In conditions of high humidity, there is a risk of fish spoilage due to mold and the development of dangerous bacteria.

Ideal conditions for storing fish are almost impossible to create at home, but it is possible to preserve dried fish for a long time. For those who love dried fish, drying out is not a problem at all.

There are several types of storage of dried fish, each of which has its own pros and cons, and shelf life.

Package

Wooden boxes, corrugated cardboard boxes, wicker baskets, linen and multi-layer paper grocery bags, kraft paper laminated with polyethylene, etc. are used as packaging for storing dried fish.

Studies of different types of packaging have shown that polyethylene bags and aluminum foil laminated with polyethylene are unsuitable, while kraft paper with one-sided polyethylene coating passed the test.

Storing dried roach in laminated kraft bags at a temperature of about 0 degrees showed that the product, after 6 months, retains an attractive appearance, normal meat consistency, pleasant smell and taste.

Normal storage

The fish is stored at room temperature, in a corrugated cardboard box or paper packaging of several pieces. Without much damage to the properties of the fish, it can be stored for a week. If stored in this way for a longer period of time, the fish gradually dries out.

Longer storage is possible using a refrigerator. Humidity and temperature in the refrigerator compartment are optimal. The fish is packaged in paper bags of several pieces and can be stored in this form for up to a month.

Over time, the fish dries out and the fat oxidizes, so other methods are used for long-term storage.

Long-term storage

Long-term storage of dried fish is achieved in the following ways:

To vacuum pack fish you need a kitchen packer. These devices are now quite affordable, but if you don’t have it, you can use other methods.

In the bank

Many fishermen practice storing dried fish in a glass jar. This is done as follows:

Dried fish is tightly loaded into a suitable sized jar;
A piece of a small candle is placed inside the container and lit;
While the candle is burning, the jar is hermetically sealed with a metal lid;
As the air burns out, the candle goes out - the fish is ready for storage.

In the freezer

Cooking dried fish yourself is not difficult - you just need to know how to do it correctly at home. We will tell you further about how to salt this delicacy according to the rules in order to then dry it.

What kind of fish can you dry at home?

To dry salted fish, those species are suitable whose meat will “ripen” during drying in the open air, acquiring a specific aroma and taste. So, the best in dried form are the following inhabitants of the aquatic depths:

vobla,
ram,
glue,
saberfish,
carp,
bream,
asp,
blue,
fisherman,
zander,
ram,
rudd,
Podust,
dace,
guster,
perch,
roach, etc.

Here are some tips on the quality and size of fish suitable for drying, as well as some other recommendations:

The fish should be of medium fat content and not large.
It can be dried either whole or in layers cut along the vertebrae, or in pieces up to 100 grams.
Usually a small fish is salted and dried without being gutted, so that the fat, which is under the skin and on the insides, saturates the entire fish, making it even tastier.
It is best to cook fish in winter and spring, before spawning: during this period, its meat is fattier and has better taste. An additional plus is that at that time there were no flies that could lay their larvae on the delicacy.
If you decide to cook dried fish in the summer, you should not leave it ungutted. Because most fish suitable for drying are herbivores, the greens in their entrails will decompose during the cooking process, causing the meat to taste bitter and take on a musty odor.
For larger fish (1.5-2 kg), the entrails and gills must be removed, regardless of the season. The belly of the carcass is cut and an incision is made along the back.
After removing the entrails, the fish meat is washed and prepared according to recipes that we will describe a little below.

Determination of salted fish

When preparing a dried product, three types of salting are used depending on the amount of salt used:

Lightly salted (or lightly salted) - up to 10%.
Medium (medium salted) - 10-14%.
Strong (strongly salted) - more than 14%.

Did you know? Previously, people used salt sparingly. Merchants living in Rybna (the old name of Rybinsk) and engaged in the fish trade, having sold all the fish, floated them on bargesVolgathe brine remaining in the barrels back to Astrakhan. There it was further strengthened with salt, after which it was again suitable for use.

Salted fish after a concentrated salt solution must be soaked before use:

To soak a medium salted product, use cool water, chilled tea leaves or a mixture of milk and cold water.
Before serving, fish with more concentrated salting must be soaked by placing it in water at a temperature of 12°C to 15°C.
Horse mackerel, fatty herring and mackerel are usually prepared lightly salted. They are not soaked before serving.

Salting options

There are several options for preparing salted fish at home. Each of them has its own characteristics. Now we will talk about each option separately.

Important! For salting fish, only coarse salt is used, without impurities or additives.

Dry salting

During this method of preparing a salty delicacy, the salt actively draws juice out of it, and the pressure additionally squeezes it out, so a copious amount of saline solution is formed. Dry salting works best for fish weighing over 1 kg, which requires 200 g of salt per kilogram of product.
Mandatory requirements for the preparation of dry salting product:

The salt is used completely dry and coarse, first dried in the oven.
The oppression is taken with sufficient weight to be completely distributed over the entire surface of the fish carcasses and squeeze out all the air in them. If this is not achieved, rotting bacteria will develop in them.
Only a flat wooden (linden or aspen), porcelain or stainless steel form can serve as a circle for a load.

Important! It is unacceptable to use plywood surfaces under a load for salting fish: when wet, toxic glue will be released from it.

Step-by-step preparation of fish by dry salting

To do this you will need:

1 kg of medium-sized fish,
200 g salt,
wooden box with slots in the bottom,
circle for oppression,
oppression,
a piece of polyethylene
a piece of canvas fabric.

The following actions:

Rinse the carcasses thoroughly to remove mucus and allow the water to drain.
Cut them along the back along with the head and cut through the rib bones from the spine.
Carefully gut, without catching the gall bladder with the knife.
Blot excess liquid from the meat with a piece of canvas.
Rub salt under the scales and sprinkle salt inside.
Sprinkle a 2 cm layer of salt on the bottom of the box and place the fish layers in one row, scales up.
Larger fish are placed from below, first.
The carcass is unfolded like a book, with each layer stacked opposite to the previous one. This will allow the weight of the oppression to be evenly distributed over the surface of the salting batch.
Each new layer must be generously sprinkled with salt.
Place a circle with oppression on top of the last row.
Place the box in a cool place, having previously placed a suitable container under it to drain the released brine through the holes.
Cover the box with the product with polyethylene to prevent dust and debris from getting in.

A pound of fish will be salted in three days, a kilogram in 5 days, and for a larger fish it will take at least two weeks.

Some subtleties of preparing wet-salted fish carcasses:

Salting is done in circulating or permanent brine (table salt solution).
The product turns out lightly salted. Then lightly salted dishes are prepared from it, hot smoked, canned or pickled.
A significant disadvantage of this salting method is that the initial concentration of the brine quickly decreases during the preparation process. If you add salt to the brine, it will not give the desired effect, because the salt dissolves much more slowly than the liquid released from the fish meat.
Diffusion and stabilization of the salt concentration in the container is very slow, so the salting process takes a long time and unevenly, which can lead to a poor-quality final product.

Cooking fish in brine

You need to take the following ingredients:

10 kg of fish carcasses,
1 kg salt,
1 tbsp. spoon of sugar,
dishes that do not oxidize,
a suitable sized wooden circle or plate,
oppression.

Next steps:

Rinse the fish.
Mix salt and sugar.
Place the carcasses belly up, lay them out in layers in a container and sprinkle them with a mixture of sugar and salt.
Place a circle on top and put pressure on it.
After 2-3 days, all carcasses should be covered with brine.
Salting of carcasses occurs from the third to tenth days (depending on the size of the fish), after which they are suitable for consumption.

Did you know? Salt is mentioned as a preservative in the New Testament. Jesus Christ compared the effect of the apostolic teaching on people to the effect of salt on food, telling his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth.”

Some useful tips and features of the process:

At first, it is necessary to ensure that the released brine does not overflow over the edge of the dish. This must be done until the juice ceases to be abundantly released from the meat.
The brine with the finished fish should be kept in a cold basement, pantry or refrigerator.
The shelf life of the product when stored correctly is 2-3 months.
Before consuming the finished delicacy, it must be washed with water, then dried and stored.
Used brine is usually drained, but if it is light, it is additionally strengthened with the required amount of salt and reused.

Video: making dried fish with your own hands in brine

Drying

It is advisable to dry the fish in dry weather, with an air temperature of 18-25°C, in a shaded place. During drying, salted fish are gradually dried under the influence of light, air and heat. In this case, a complex change in the structure of the meat occurs:

Dehydration and compaction of meat fibers.
Even distribution of fat throughout all tissues.
The meat turns amber and acquires a special, unique taste.

Ingredients:

10 kg of fish,
1 kg salt,
leg-split,
containers of suitable volume (box, barrel, enamel pan, etc.),
cargo cover,
cargo.

Preparatory work process:

Wash fresh fish carcasses thoroughly.
For fish larger than 20 cm, remove the entrails, then cut them from the heads to the end of the abdomen. You can leave the caviar and milk.
Thread the twine through the eyes and tie both ends.
Rub each carcass with salt on all sides, and then arrange the bundles in layers in a suitable container, sprinkling the layers with salt.
After this, they need to be allowed to stand for 8 hours.
After the 8-hour period, cover the fish with a lid and press down with a weight.
After 3-7 days, the salting process will end. Fish carcasses can be removed from the salting container and washed under running water.

Important! Only salted fish are suitable for drying, otherwise the delicacy will go rotten without even having time to properly prepare.

How to dry the product:

Carcasses that have dried after being washed from brine should be moistened with vinegar and spread with vegetable oil to repel flies.
Wrap each bundle in several layers of gauze - this will act as a barrier to flies laying eggs.
Hang the bundles of fish under a ventilated canopy.
It should dry for two to four weeks (the range depends on the size of the fish and the ambient temperature).
The readiness of dried fish carcasses can be checked by bending the fish from head to tail. A “ripe” fish should spring back and straighten up. If this happens, it means the drying process is over and it is ready for use.

It is better not to immediately consume the freshly prepared product, but to leave it for two to three weeks in a cool and ventilated room so that the fish “ripens”.

Video: how to dry fish at home correctly

Pickling

You can marinate any fish you like. It is preferable to take the type of fish with fewer bones, a lot of fat and dense meat.

There are two types of marinating - cold and hot. We will describe these methods a little below. And now - some tips on how to prepare fish for pickling, and some subtleties of the process:

Small fish can be marinated without cutting them.
Large fish must be cut: cleaned of scales, gutted, separated tails and heads, cut into not very small pieces. Be sure to rinse well under running water.
If river fish is to be marinated, it can be soaked for 30 minutes in cold water with added salt (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water). This will remove the river smell from the product.
Be sure to strictly adhere to the recipe amount of vinegar so that the pieces do not turn out sour.
Spices should also be added in moderation so that their taste does not dominate.
During the marinating process, the fish must be periodically turned over to ensure even coverage with the marinade.
The finished product is stored in the refrigerator in containers with well-closing lids. The marinade does not drain.
You can store pickled fish for 4 months.

Video: recipe for marinated fish Now we will tell you step by step how to prepare the delicacy by cold and hot marinating.

In this case, heat treatment is not used. The fish is affected by a prepared mixture of spices and vinegar.

Required Products:

1 kg of prepared fish carcasses,
5 pieces of onions,
400 ml vinegar (9%),
100 g salt,
200 g sugar,
600 ml water (boiled),
10 pieces of black peppercorns,
5 bay leaves,
1.5 teaspoons dill seeds,
1.5 teaspoons coriander seeds.

Preparation:

Boil 200 ml of water with the addition of spices (pepper, coriander, dill) for 10 minutes.
Add salt, sugar, bay leaf and stir.
Let the marinade cool, then add the remaining cold water and vinegar to it.
Cut the onion into rings.
Place the fish cut into pieces in a bowl with a lid, place the onion on top and pour in the brine.
Cover and refrigerate.
For pieces, marinating time is 3 days, for whole fish - 5 days.

Hot marinating

Hot marinating can be used to prepare boiled, steamed, and fried fish.

Products:

1 kg of fish,
5 onions,
3 carrots,
400 ml vinegar (9%),
3 tbsp. spoons of salt,
4 tbsp. spoons of sugar,
2 liters of boiled water,
10 allspice peas and 10 black peppercorns,
5 bay leaves,
vegetable oil.

Step by step recipe:

Fry the prepared fish pieces in oil.
Boil water and put the peeled onions and carrots there. Boil for 10 minutes over low heat.
Add salt, sugar, vinegar, pepper and bay leaf. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Transfer the fried fish into glass jars with lids.
Place onion cut into rings on top.
Remove the boiling marinade from the stove and pour it into jars with fish.
Cover and let cool.
Place the product in the refrigerator and leave for 2 days.

Salmon ambassador of fresh fish

The most suitable species for salmon salting are red fish species: chum salmon, trout, pink salmon and others. The most acceptable in taste and price is chum salmon.

Ingredients and utensils:

1 or 2 medium chum salmon,
2 tbsp. spoons of coarse salt,
1 tbsp. spoon of sugar,
ground black pepper and bay leaf - to taste,
a square dish or baking tray with high sides for salting chum salmon,
spacious container with lid,
paper towels.

Preparation:

Clean and rinse the chum salmon.
Remove excess moisture with a paper towel.
Cut the fish into 2 separate fillets and remove the bones.
Rinse again and let the water drain.
Place each individual fillet on a baking sheet and sprinkle the salt, sugar and pepper mixture on both sides.
Place the prepared fillets in dense layers in a container, skin side up, placing each layer with a bay leaf.
Press down the fillet in the container with a weight to release the brine.
Cover the container and let it sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Then take out the container and swap the fillet layers: top with bottom.
Refrigerate again for a day.
After 3 days of salting, place each fillet in bags and place in the freezer for two weeks.
At the end of the 2-week period, the fish is ready for consumption.

Video: salmon ambassador of chum salmon

Balykov Ambassador

Salted balyk fish is considered a delicacy with high taste. Balyk is used to prepare snacks and ingredients for sandwiches. Typically, fleshy and fatty representatives of underwater fauna are used: salmon, sturgeon, herring, halibut, sea bass.

Ingredients and utensils:

1 medium fish carcass,
10 tbsp. spoons of coarse salt,
4 tbsp. spoons of sugar,
pepper, coriander, cinnamon - half a teaspoon of everything,
pallet,
paper towels,
a piece of gauze
leg-split.

Cooking process:

Wash off the mucus from the carcass under running water.
Gut it, cut off the head and tail.
Cut off the abdominal part, the so-called chosha, with scissors (it will pickle faster than the carcass, so it is cooked separately).
Wipe the carcass dry.
Mix the ingredients of the pickling mixture and distribute it thickly under the scales, also generously pouring it inside the carcass.
Wrap the prepared fish in gauze.
Tie the carcass along its entire length with twine.
Place on a tray at the bottom of the refrigerator.
The melted brine is drained.
Fish is marinated in the cold for at least ten days.
After ten days, you need to free the carcass from the gauze, rinse and dry with a towel.

To achieve an unusual and interesting taste, experts advise adding a little sugar.

After the roach has been carefully laid and salted, it must be covered with a flat lid and pressed down with a heavy weight to prevent the formation of gas bubbles and cavities in the roach, which contribute to the rotting of the fish. The brine that is released after several hours is called brine, which is why the method itself received the name “brine.”

It is important that during salting, the fish is stored in a cold place, preferably in the refrigerator, since table salt penetrates into the fish itself slowly, and the cold helps prevent spoilage of the fish. Depending on the size of the roach, it must be salted for several days.

To check readiness, you need to take out one of the fish and try to bend it.

In prepared salted roach, the back becomes hard, the meat becomes dark gray, and the caviar becomes yellowish-red.

The finished salted fish must be removed from the container, rinsed thoroughly under cold running water, strung on twine, or bent paper clips threaded through the eye hole, then hung in a dry, ventilated room, covered with gauze so that insects do not land on the fish. It’s not difficult to guess how to dry roach correctly. It is worth noting that some fishermen advise not to place it in the sun, but in a dry room with a draft, because that is when it will be juicy and fleshy.

How to salt roach for dry drying

For large specimens of roach, the dry salting method is used. Each fish must be cut along the back, cleaned of the insides and wiped with a dry rag or paper towel. Rub the inside with salt and place the carcasses in rows in a wooden box, namely, belly-to-top.

The scales of the fish also need to be sprinkled with salt, and the box itself should be left in a hole previously dug in a cool place and covered with cling film.

After the advice on how to properly salt roach is put into practice, however, it is best to soak it in clean, preferably ice water for several hours, while not forgetting to change the water, preferably 2-3 times. The fish is considered ready for drying when it begins to float in clean water, because it is then that the salting will be gentle, and the back will become amber-transparent, which is considered to be the “standard” for salting fish.

Almost every fisherman knows how to salt roach for drying, so if an experienced fisherman who knows a lot about salting fish advises you to add something of your own to the recipe, you should listen to his instructions.

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Salting any fish (several recipes)

I think you know a lot of pickling recipes, but some recommend one type of salt, others another. In this post I decided to publish several recipes for any fish, so that it would be more convenient for you to have one recipe, rather than looking in different places. Although now you can buy any fish in the store, sometimes you want to salt it yourself and try your own preparation.

Quick salting method

For a quick salting method, use any fish. After salting the fish using this method, you can eat it within 2 hours. But, if you are not in a hurry, you can leave the fish in the refrigerator so that it is better soaked in oil.

Ingredients: fish - 2 pcs., onion - to taste, water (room temperature) - 400 ml, salt - 2 tbsp. l., sunflower oil - 200 ml, bay leaf - 3 pcs., cloves - 3 pcs., pepper (peas) - 10 pcs., coriander (peas) - 1 tsp., table vinegar 6% - 9% ( apple) - 2 tbsp. l..

Preparation: Clean the fish from the insides and rinse with cold water. Remove the skin and carefully separate the fillet from the backbone and cut into pieces.
Dissolve salt in water. Place the fish in a bowl and add water and salt. Leave for 2 hours at room temperature.
Mix oil with vinegar. Cut the onion into half rings.
Pour out the brine and rinse the fish with running water.
Place the fish in a bowl (jar) alternating with onions and spices and finally add oil. The fish is ready, but after a few hours it will be even tastier.

Salting sea fish

For this method, take the following types of sea fish: mackerel, herring, sardine, horse mackerel, red fish

Quick salting method:

Ingredients: 1 kilogram fresh or frozen fish - 1 kg, salt - 1 tbsp. l., sugar - 2 - 3 tsp, garlic - 3 - 4 cloves, coriander - 1 tsp. grains, bay leaf - 5 - 6 pcs., ground black pepper..

Preparation: It is necessary to separate the head and tail from the fish, then clean it of the entrails and rinse in cold water. Then cut the fish processed in this way into 5 - 6 pieces. Mix salt and sugar and rub each piece with the resulting mixture. Then sprinkle with a little ground pepper. Cut the garlic into small pieces and place inside each piece of fish. The fish should be salted in an enamel or glass container, sprinkled with coriander grains, and a bay leaf placed between the pieces. The salting time for fish is 4 - 6 hours, after which it can be safely eaten.

Slow salting method:

The ingredients are the same as for quick pickling.

Preparation: In one liter of water at room temperature, you need to dilute 1 tbsp. l. salt and 2 - 3 tsp. Sahara. Cut the fish in the same way as in the previous recipe. Place in a bowl and add a teaspoon of coriander, 10 - 12 allspice peas, 15 - 20 black peppercorns, 2 - 3 cloves, 5 - 6 pcs. bay leaf, 3 - 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic. Then pour the marinade over the fish. Salting time is 4 - 5 days. Fish salted in this way has a delicious taste and aroma.

Salting herring

Ingredients: herring - 1 - 2 pieces, rock salt - as much as possible, vegetable oil, onion - to taste, cloves - 2 - 3 pieces, coriander - a pinch

Preparation: the fish must be decapitated, gutted and generously sprinkled with coarse rock salt. You can use fine salt, but the resulting product will not taste as delicate, so rock salt is best. Do not skimp on salt; the remains can always be washed off. It is necessary to cover the herring with salt not only on the outside, but also on the inside. Thus, the prepared fish should be wrapped in plastic bags and placed on a tray or any other portable surface, and then placed in the refrigerator. Important: all salted herring should be laid out in one layer

Next, take a saucepan (5 liters) and fill it with water; it will be used as a pressure. After three to four days, the fish should be washed with cold water and cut into pieces. In a jar (0.5 l), fish and onions cut into rings are placed in layers, after which vegetable oil is poured into the jar. Now all that remains is to close the jar with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for two to three days.

In this form, salted herring can be stored for at least 2 weeks, or even more. The bones from the fish are removed immediately before consumption, and this also affects the taste. For example, if you remove the bones before salting, the taste of the fish will no longer be as delicate. If you like spicy herring, then during salting you can add a little coriander and cloves to the salt (2-3 cloves and a pinch of coriander are enough for one herring). Spicy herring does not need to be soaked in oil.

Spicy herring

Use spices to suit your taste. Marinating time - 48 hours.

Ingredients: brine per 1 liter of water: salt - 4 tbsp, sugar - 1.5 tbsp, vinegar - 80 ml. Coriander - 1 tsp, juniper - 6 berries, cloves - 2 pcs., allspice - 4 pcs., black pepper - 0.5 tsp, bay leaf - 3 pcs., herring (fresh/frozen) - 2 pcs..

Preparation: Place all brine ingredients and water in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Gut the herring, cut off the head, wash well and put in a tray. Then pour in the cooled brine and leave in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning the fish from time to time. The herring is ready. Store in brine for no longer than a week in the refrigerator. Without brine, in a tray for 2 weeks.

Salting fresh frozen fish

Ingredients: pickling brine per 1 liter of water: salt - 2 tbsp, sugar - 1 tbsp, dill - 2-3 tbsp (can be fresh), black pepper - 2 tsp, basil (dry) - optional.

Preparation: Wash the fish, dry with a napkin and cut into pieces. Place the fish on cling film, first dipping it into the pickling mixture on both sides.
Press the entire fish tightly, wrap it in film and place it in a plastic bag for 1 day. Then place the fish on a dish, add a few drops of lemon juice and 2 - 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. The fish is ready.

Marinade for red fish

Ingredients: fish fillet 1 kg, sea salt - 4 tbsp, sugar - 2 tbsp, lemon zest - 1 pc., dill (greens) - 20 g, cognac - 0.5 - 1 tbsp.

Preparation: Rub a piece of fish fillet with salt and sugar. Roll in lemon zest and dill and place in a tray. Sprinkle with cognac and cover with cling film, tearing it slightly to allow air access.
Refrigerate for several hours: at least 4 hours for a slightly salty taste, preferably overnight.

Bon appetit!