Canned Trout

 

I have been canning fish for over 40 years, my favorites being trout, steelhead and salmon because they have a higher fat content and the meat holds up well during processing. Not unlike home curing or sausage making, pressure canning is easy provided you understand some basic principles and follow tested and approved procedures. The procedures for canning fresh meats and fish have not changed much in 50 years, but canning smoked fish is a different story.

BACKGROUND - When the USDA conducted testing of canned foods, they used common and popular products of the day, and the testing was performed using quart and pint Mason style jars with flat lids and sealing rings. Fresh meats including fresh salmon were used, but cured meats did not undergo testing. This meant that meats like ham, corned beef and smoked salmon did not have an official approval, and therefore were not recommended for the pressure canning technique. The basis for this decision was the fact that cured meats (including cured and smoked meats) may have a different moisture content and density, and may not reach the safe temperatures during processing. Because home canning of smoked fish is very popular in Alaska and the Northwest, several State Extension offices have conducted their own testing and developed procedures that are approved. I will discuss how I can both fresh and smoked fish below. Please note that I bend the rules about additional liquid in the jars. I do not think of this as an 'un-safe' practice but rather a practice un-tested by the USDA.

FRESH FISH

Canning FRESH FISH in the salmon family:  Keep your fresh caught fish on ice, and if using store bought fish buy the freshest available. The majority of the recipes you will see recommend pint or 1/2 pint jars because of the density of fresh fish.  Using jars larger than a pint may not heat thoroughly during processing. Processing time is 100 minutes for either size of jar using the recommended amount of water for your brand of canner.  I use wide mouth 1/2 pint jars. And my canner allows for double decking jars.  And here is the recipe I use.

Ingredients for canning FRESH FISH:

1/2 pint jars, lids and rings

Fish, boneless, skin-off, cut into strips about 1” shorter than the jar height

Bottled water

Garlic pepper seasoning

Seasoned salt

Black pepper, coarse or cracked

Jalapeno peppers, cut into 1/4" rings. Remove seeds for a milder flavor

Olive oil

Load your jars as follows: (You need to maintain 1” of head space in the jar.)

1. Jalapeno ring

2. Pinch of black pepper

3. Strips of fish, cut to fill gaps in jar.

4. A second jalapeno ring

5. 1/4  teaspoon of garlic pepper

6. 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

7. 1/2 tablespoon of bottled water*

8. 1/3 teaspoon of olive oil*

*Canning procedures for raw meats (called raw pack) of all kinds say “do not add liquids”. This is because none of the procedures tested by the USDA used additional liquid.  Many procedures state that fish canned in 1/2 pint jars “may be less acceptable than fish canned in pint jars”.

SMOKED FISH

Canning SMOKED  FISH in the salmon family:  Keep your fresh caught fish on ice, and if using store bought fish buy the freshest available. The majority of the recipes you will see recommend pint or 1/2 pint jars because of the density of lightly smoked fish.  Using jars larger than a pint may not heat thoroughly during processing. Processing time is 110 minutes for either size of jar. It is recommended that 4 quarts of water are used in the canner. The processing time is increased, and more water used in the canner because the density of cured and lightly smoked fish is different than raw fish. I use a silicone trivet in my canner to keep the 1/2 pint jars from being submerged. I use wide mouth 1/2 pint jars and my canner allows for double decking of jars.  And here are the recipes I use.

Smoking your fish is all about flavor, and this process firms the flesh slightly and produces a very light smoke flavor, and the fish remains in the semi-raw state. This process will take 2 days.

This is the recipe for the dry cure I use. This makes enough cure for about 10 pounds of fish, so adjust accordingly. This is the same cure I use for hot smoked salmon.  My "Dry Cure for Trout, Steelhead, and Salmon" page has a full set of detailed photos showing the curing process. Extra cure can be stored in the freezer.

Dry Cure Ingredients

1 cup Mortons kosher salt (if you use Diamond Crystal, you will have to use more as it has larger grains)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground ginger (I prefer to grind this myself in my mortar and pestle from cracked ginger)
1-2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1/2  teaspoon pulverized bay leaf

On a cutting board, sprinkle a little of the salt onto the chopped garlic, and mash to a paste with the point of a knife. In a small bowl, combine the garlic mixture with the remaining salt, the sugar, ginger, pepper and bay leaf. Mix this very well. Extra can be stored in the freezer.

Procedure - Take a piece of plastic wrap at least 6 or 7 inches longer than your fillet and lay it out on your counter. In the center of the plastic, sprinkle a layer of cure about 1/8" to 1/4" deep onto the plastic wrap, making sure the layer of cure is a little longer and wider than your fillet. (You will be using the extra plastic on the ends when wrapping the fillet). Place one fillet on top of the cure (skin side up), then fold the sides up and then the ends, leaving the seam on top. The wrapped fillets can be stacked. (I put them on a shallow tray just in case one leaks). Put the fillets into the fridge to cure using the curing times above.  Follow instructions for rinsing, soaking and pellicle formation.

Day 1: I use a dry cure method with fish fillets wrapped in plastic wrap. Curing time is based on thickness, a trout fillet cures for 1 to 2 hours.  Steelhead fillets cure for 3 to 6 hours, and thicker salmon fillets cure for 6+ hours. After curing, the fish is rinsed, and soaked in water for 15 minutes, then placed on a tray on a rack and refrigerated overnight or up to 20 hours so it forms a pellicle before smoking.  You can add some cracked black pepper at this time.

Day 2:  Set up your smoker for cold smoking. Smoker temps of 80° or less are ideal.  Remove the skin with a fillet knife, and trim off the blood line if needed.  Be very conservative with smoking times on your first batch. Smokey flavor is intensified during processing. Trout fillets may only need 60 to 90 minutes of cold smoke. Steelhead will need about 2 hours, and thicker salmon fillets need 2.5 to 3 hours. After cold smoking, return fillets to the refrigerator for a couple of hours to cool down.  The fish is now ready for canning.  If you wait until the next day to can your fish, just wrap in plastic.

Ingredients for canning SMOKED FISH:

(There is no salt added to the jars because the cured fish has retained some saltiness, garlic powder is used because garlic pepper blends contain salt).

1/2 pint jars, lids and rings

Fish, cold smoked, boneless, skin-off, cut into strips about 1” shorter than the jar height

Bottled water

Garlic powder

Black pepper, coarse or cracked

Jalapeno peppers, cut into 1/4" rings. Remove seeds for a milder flavor

Olive oil

Load your jars as follows: (You need to maintain 1” of head space in the jar.) See photo above.

1. Jalapeno ring

2. Pinch of black pepper

3. Strips of fish, cut to fill gaps in jar.

4. A second jalapeno ring

5. 1/8  teaspoon of garlic powder

6. 1/2 tablespoon of bottled water*

7. 1/3 teaspoon of olive oil*

*Canning procedures for raw meats (called raw pack) of all kinds say “do not add liquids”. This is because none of the procedures tested by the USDA used additional liquid.  Many procedures state that fish canned in 1/2 pint jars “may be less acceptable than fish canned in pint jars”.