Sorry people, been chasing a couple of hot fishing tips last evening and today. And as the saying goes "You should of been here yesterday" kinda applied to both tips. ;:;banghead So here is the recipe I have for pickled northern pike, handed down to me from my dad and mom.
Filet any size northern, as normal (you do not need to remove the Y bones). I however remove the lateral line and ALL THE RED MEAT from the skin side of the filet. Do not freeze.
This recipe is for 1 quart of fresh northern, so you will need to take it times however many quarts of fish you have. I usually do 1 gallon at a time and I use an empty and cleaned 1 gallon glass dill pickle jar to brine my fish.
Cut fish into 3/4" by 2" pieces, place fish into a crock or class jar with 5/8 cup pickling salt and 1 cup white vinegar per quart of fish . Put into refrigerator for 6 full days ( I shake the jar twice a day). After 6 days, remove fish from brine and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Then cover fish in cold water for 1 hour ( I add ice cubes). After 1 hour drain very well.
Slice 2 (or more) medium onions, per quart of fish.
Then mix the vinegar sugar solution as fallows. 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Silver Satin wine. (Good luck finding Silver Satin wine anymore,;:;rofl the last time I used Tisdale white wine) and 1/4 cup pickling spice. (you can just put the pickling spice into the solution as is, but it will not taste the best when you chew into a piece of the spice when eating the fish, so I cut a piece of clean, thin, cotton dish towel, big enough to hold the 1/4 cup of spice and zip tie it shut), (4, for the gallon of fish that I am making) and add it to the solution. Heat solution until sugar is dissolved (do not bring to a boil) let this solution cool before adding to the fish. ,
In a quart jar, pack a layer of the brined fish, then a layer of onion, then a layer of fish, and so on, into the jar until the jar is full of fish and onion, (in the middle of the fish and onions, I put a "packet" of the pickling spice) then fill the jar with the cooled vinegar sugar solution until it is full.
After 48 hours in the fridge (or more) in the vinegar sugar solution, you can enjoy your pickled fish.
These jars of fish need to be kept in the refrigerator.
I know this is a lengthy process (and post) but if you want firm pickled fish, it is worth it.
PS. The guys that I work with, absolutely love this stuff.
Filet any size northern, as normal (you do not need to remove the Y bones). I however remove the lateral line and ALL THE RED MEAT from the skin side of the filet. Do not freeze.
This recipe is for 1 quart of fresh northern, so you will need to take it times however many quarts of fish you have. I usually do 1 gallon at a time and I use an empty and cleaned 1 gallon glass dill pickle jar to brine my fish.
Cut fish into 3/4" by 2" pieces, place fish into a crock or class jar with 5/8 cup pickling salt and 1 cup white vinegar per quart of fish . Put into refrigerator for 6 full days ( I shake the jar twice a day). After 6 days, remove fish from brine and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Then cover fish in cold water for 1 hour ( I add ice cubes). After 1 hour drain very well.
Slice 2 (or more) medium onions, per quart of fish.
Then mix the vinegar sugar solution as fallows. 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Silver Satin wine. (Good luck finding Silver Satin wine anymore,;:;rofl the last time I used Tisdale white wine) and 1/4 cup pickling spice. (you can just put the pickling spice into the solution as is, but it will not taste the best when you chew into a piece of the spice when eating the fish, so I cut a piece of clean, thin, cotton dish towel, big enough to hold the 1/4 cup of spice and zip tie it shut), (4, for the gallon of fish that I am making) and add it to the solution. Heat solution until sugar is dissolved (do not bring to a boil) let this solution cool before adding to the fish. ,
In a quart jar, pack a layer of the brined fish, then a layer of onion, then a layer of fish, and so on, into the jar until the jar is full of fish and onion, (in the middle of the fish and onions, I put a "packet" of the pickling spice) then fill the jar with the cooled vinegar sugar solution until it is full.
After 48 hours in the fridge (or more) in the vinegar sugar solution, you can enjoy your pickled fish.
These jars of fish need to be kept in the refrigerator.
I know this is a lengthy process (and post) but if you want firm pickled fish, it is worth it.
PS. The guys that I work with, absolutely love this stuff.
