How to smoke and can fish in a traditional style

[halibuthitman]

Ok, I decided that for my 500th post I would give up something of perhaps a little value. The fish Im using in this post is Blackcod/sablefish collars, but the style is exactly the same for kings or sockeye.. silvers and chum require a revision in the salt and brine times.

recipe is for 20 lbs of fish, you will have to do less for smaller batches.

2 quarts of cold water
4 cups rock salt
6 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cups soy sauce
1 1/2 cups karo light corn syrup ( do not add that disgusting molasses or teriaki sauce it will overwhem this recipe)

fill a five gallon bucket half full of fresh water
place a medium potato in brine.. add salt till it floats, there will be undissolved salt in the bucket when this is accomplished. ( I use a drill and paint stirrer to mix my salt)

heat brine mixture until it starts to simmer, add to bucket of salt and water.

place fish in brine for 35 minutes using cold water rinse and pat dry.

 

[halibuthitman]

Air dry fish for 6 hrs in a very well ventilated area. ( i dry mine in 3 hrs on a air hockey table)
now place evenly cut pieces of fish in smoker racks ( cut all pieces to same thickness and size... very important, if you have multiple sizes you will have to manage the racks in your smoker several times for consistency.
smoke for six hours with heavy smoke ( alder only )
remove from smoker and cool.
place fish in canning jars packed tight with skin to skin stacking, avoid flesh to flesh. leave half an inch of head space bettween lid and fish.

 

[halibuthitman]

Clean area where the lids seal very well!

heat lids and ring seals in boiling water and place on jars while still hot... maintaining the clean integrity of the lid seal area.

stack in canner 2 stacks deep and fill canner with water over the tops of the first jars. ( you have to use a pressure cooker.. not a normal canner )
put lid on cooker very tight and set pressure gauge to 10 lbs

cook at 10 lbs of pressure for 110 minutes.

turn off burner and allow the pressure cooker to come down to zero on its own.
as the jars cool down they will start "popping" this is a good seal, the ones that don't pop will have to go through the pressure cooker again.

and there ya go... feel free to ask any questions.

 

[halibuthitman]

for christmas I will post how to pickle sturgeon.

 

[Bohemian]

Thanks so much for this!

Thanks so much for this!

Really appreciate the details.
OFF should have a separate category for "Recipes".

Thanks again,

 

[Raincatcher]

Thank you

Thank you

HHH;
Thank you for a great bunch of info that I will definitely be putting to use ASAP!:dance: I really appreciate all the time and effort you and so many other members put into these wonderful additions to my life. Some are yummy,too... I made this one a sticky so it's always at the top of the page.

If anyone has or finds good recipes in the archives,please let me know so I can at least make them a "sticky". Maybe Anatoliy will see them and make a forum section for them like Bohemian suggested.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

I like the Recipies Idea too.

 

[SNDSLGR]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of Halibuts smoked king. I really thought my recipe was good but his... well it smoked mine! ha

 

[fishkiller]

Good post!! I like the potato idea, I'll have to try it.