Pickled Northern

[sleepymoewi]

This has probably been posted but anyone have a recipe for pickled northern that they're willing to share and how to?

[paul pachowicz]

this works pretty good:

fill a quart jar 1/2 full of white vineg

add a cup of sugar

1/4 cup salt

2 Tblsp pickling spices

shake til the saltand sugar is disolved

slice a large onion and layer onion/bite sized fish pieces. Capr the jar & refriderate for 2 weeks. Open jar and go find the bottom.

[Finns]

Pickled Pike

by Coldone years ago on fishingminnesota.

Freeze fish for 72 hours to kill micro organisms.

Prepare fish by filleting and cutting into bite sized pieces, it is OK to leave in the Y-bones as they will soften in the vinegar. Prepare a brine of 4 cups water to 1 cup pickling salt, cover fish with brine and let stand for 24 hours.

After standing, rinse fish with cold water, cover fish with white vinegar and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain fish, and place in containers with course chopped onion, (canning jars work well). Prepare pickling solution, 2 cups white vinegar, 4 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon pickling spice, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ¾ cup white sugar, 5 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons whole mustard seed. Bring solution to a boil, allow to cool somewhat, pour over fish. Keep refrigerated, ready to serve in about 5-7 days.

The recipe is actually 5 whole cloves, the spicy ones, they come dried, in small jars or canisters, in the herbs and spice section of your market(baking isle). Although, if you like garlic, it certainly would add some flavor. I added some garlic in addition to the spice cloves and other seasonings, to the last batch I made and It was fine.

What is great about this particular recipe, is that as long as you stick with the basic instructions, amounts and ingredients(freeze for 72 hours, salt brine, vinegar soak, and vinegar and sugar pickling solution) those are all necessary for preserving and chemically "cooking" the fish. I would shy away from any recipes that do not involve; freezing the fish first, or consecutive salt brine and vinegar soaks, you can modify the flavorings; garlic, jalapeno (or habenero for the brave) BBQ, teriyaki, soysauce, whatever your stomach desires. I like this recipe as is, although sometimes I add a little more of all of the called for seasonings.

Makes about 4 pints.

[53orbigger]

Finns thanks for the recipe, but I have a couple of quick questions. Do you let the pickling solution cool to room temp or cooler/warmer? And I am unclear about the freeze for 72 hours step as it is not mentioned in the recipe, but it is in your recap.

Thanks

53orbigger

[MarkAlm]

Yes you want to cool the brine so it does not cook the fish when you pour over the pieces or they will get mushy. I have heard that you freeze the fish right after cleaning so it kills mico-organisims in the fillets.

our moms old receipe

1st part

cut fish into small stips or 1 inch cubes

use 5/8cup pickling salt for each cup white vinegar to cover fish.

shake or stir each day for 5-6 days.

after the 5 or 6 days drain and rinse with cold water.

Then fill jar with cold water and let sit 1 hour.

2nd part

for brine:

2 cups white vinegar

1.5 cups sugar

1 bottle of = 1.5oz mccormicks pickling spice

heat these on low , DO NOT BOIL ! till sugar disolves , let cool.

layer white onion between fish and pour brine till it covers it all.

refridgerate for 48 hours then serve

one thing I like to do is wrap the pickling spice in a cheese cloth so the fillets do not have any spice stain marks on them . they are white and very good. ENJOY!

[MinDak Hunter]

Ingredients:

Empty/clean gallon plastic milk jug with lid

3-4 lbs pike fillets cut into ¼ to ½ inch pieces (don’t worry about bones the vinegar will dissolve them)

10 cups water

1 ½ cups pickling salt (or coarse salt)

1 Gallon white vinegar

1 jar pickling spice (I use McCormick 1.5 oz)

4 large onions

4 quart jars

4 cups sugar

Directions:

Dissolve 1-cup salt and seven cups cold water in the cleaned milk jug. Drop pieces of cut fish into the jug. Top with the remaining salt and fill jug to within 2 inches of the cap. Shake well. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, rotate or shake the jug several times during this waiting time. After a day or so remove fish from jug, rinse well (jug and fish), put the fish back in the jug, and cover with vinegar for 48 hours. Again, rotate or shake the jug several times during this waiting time. Empty fish and vinegar from the jug into a large colander with a bowl below to catch vinegar. Measure vinegar and add enough from the bottle to make 8 cups in a large saucepan. Add 4 cups sugar and pickling spice; bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes then let cool to room temp. Cut 1 onion for each quart jar (I leave the onion in rings). Start with a layer of onion on the bottom of the jar then alternate layers of fish and onion (I end with a layer of onion on top too). Pour room temp brine over the fish and put the lid on the jars. Make sure to completely cover the fish/onions with brine. Refrigerate for 10-14 days before serving.

[sleepymoewi]

Thanks everyone!

[Finns]

Will have to adjust the recipe to add the 72 hour freezing.

[BD110]

This is the recipe that I've had good luck with.

Pickled Northern:

3 lbs of Northern chunks per recipe. 3 lbs makes 3 Quarts of pickled fish.

1st step:

Mix 4 cups of water with 1 cup of canning salt (I use an ice cream bucket)

Mix your 3lbs of Northern into the water and salt mixture. This step lasts

for 2 Days (48 hrs) Stir the Northern chunks at least once during the 48 hrs

so all parts of the fish are covered.

2nd Step:

Drain and rinse Northern chunks well. Place back into ice cream bucket and

cover with white vinegar. This step takes 24 hrs. Mix chunks at least once

during this step and add more vinegar if needed to keep Northern chunks

covered.

3rd Step:

Make your brine. Pour 3 cups of white vinegar into a pot and add 3 of Sugar.

Bring this to a boil. The brine must cool before it is put in the jars so

allow yourself the amount of time you will need to do this.

4th Step: Drain the vinegar from your Northern chunks in your ice cream

buckets and cut yourself at least 1 sweet onions into slices. Now pack

your 3 quart jars layering them with fish and onions until the jars are

full. In each quart jar add 1 Tablespoon of Durke pickling spices and fill

each jar with your brine.

Cover your jars with lids and rings and place in the frig for 7-10 days and

it's time to enjoy some pickled Northern.

You can also add jalapeno peppers or mild banana peppers along with each

layer of onions if you would like to tang things up a bit.

You can also put a slice of lemon in each Quart Jar. I cut the lemon slice into thirds and layer it with the onions or peppers. I also layer my pickling spice. I put 1/2 TBLS in when the jar is half full and the other 1/2 TBLS just before the top layer of fish.

You can use pint jars if you like also just make sure you only use 1/2 TBLS of pickling spice.

[Dan189]

BEWARE of the recipes with less than 4 cups of sugar.... I've been playing around with multple recipes over the years...Don't skimp on the sugar!!!

Best to use American Crystal, tastes noticeable better than the cane garbage. Support the Locals!

[BD110]

Dan189,

Just wondering if you have tried the recipe that I posted? It doesn't really make sense for me to say I've always had good luck with this recipe and then have it followed by your comments.

My basic recipe can be changed to the amount of Northern chunks you have on hand. You need to have roughly a cup of sugar to a cup of vinegar per pound of Northern and the rest of the recipe has to added to as well.

I'll stand be my original post: I've always had good luck with this recipe.

[Jim Almquist]

I got a chance to try BD110 pickled fish last year at the swap meet and it tasted great. I looked at my brothers recipe and his only calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar and his taste great as well so the need for more sugar just is not warranted.

[Gordie]

Pickled Pike

by Coldone years ago on fishingminnesota.

Freeze fish for 72 hours to kill micro organisms.

Prepare fish by filleting and cutting into bite sized pieces, it is OK to leave in the Y-bones as they will soften in the vinegar. Prepare a brine of 4 cups water to 1 cup pickling salt, cover fish with brine and let stand for 24 hours.

After standing, rinse fish with cold water, cover fish with white vinegar and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain fish, and place in containers with course chopped onion, (canning jars work well). Prepare pickling solution, 2 cups white vinegar, 4 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon pickling spice, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ¾ cup white sugar, 5 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons whole mustard seed. Bring solution to a boil, allow to cool somewhat, pour over fish. Keep refrigerated, ready to serve in about 5-7 days.

The recipe is actually 5 whole cloves, the spicy ones, they come dried, in small jars or canisters, in the herbs and spice section of your market(baking isle). Although, if you like garlic, it certainly would add some flavor. I added some garlic in addition to the spice cloves and other seasonings, to the last batch I made and It was fine.

What is great about this particular recipe, is that as long as you stick with the basic instructions, amounts and ingredients(freeze for 72 hours, salt brine, vinegar soak, and vinegar and sugar pickling solution) those are all necessary for preserving and chemically "cooking" the fish. I would shy away from any recipes that do not involve; freezing the fish first, or consecutive salt brine and vinegar soaks, you can modify the flavorings; garlic, jalapeno (or habenero for the brave) BBQ, teriyaki, soysauce, whatever your stomach desires. I like this recipe as is, although sometimes I add a little more of all of the called for seasonings.

Makes about 4 pints.

I seen pickled like and now my mouth is watering for some.

the recipe that coldone has is the one I have used in the past and I always tweek mine a bit by using jalepeno's,habeneros(makes your sticker peck out ) and few other spicy ingredants YUMMY I guess in stead of thinking about I better start soaking the pike

[Bassinbob84]

I buy the bread and butter pickle packets at fleet farm and follow the directions on the packet. It has a little different taste than normal pickle mix. Everyone that has tried says it's really good and it's just a packet, vinegar, and chopped up onions. Leave sit about 10 days in the fridge for bones to disolve.

[gundy89]

Pickled Pike

by Coldone years ago on fishingminnesota.

Freeze fish for 72 hours to kill micro organisms.

Prepare fish by filleting and cutting into bite sized pieces, it is OK to leave in the Y-bones as they will soften in the vinegar. Prepare a brine of 4 cups water to 1 cup pickling salt, cover fish with brine and let stand for 24 hours.

After standing, rinse fish with cold water, cover fish with white vinegar and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain fish, and place in containers with course chopped onion, (canning jars work well). Prepare pickling solution, 2 cups white vinegar, 4 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon pickling spice, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ¾ cup white sugar, 5 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons whole mustard seed. Bring solution to a boil, allow to cool somewhat, pour over fish. Keep refrigerated, ready to serve in about 5-7 days.

The recipe is actually 5 whole cloves, the spicy ones, they come dried, in small jars or canisters, in the herbs and spice section of your market(baking isle). Although, if you like garlic, it certainly would add some flavor. I added some garlic in addition to the spice cloves and other seasonings, to the last batch I made and It was fine.

What is great about this particular recipe, is that as long as you stick with the basic instructions, amounts and ingredients(freeze for 72 hours, salt brine, vinegar soak, and vinegar and sugar pickling solution) those are all necessary for preserving and chemically "cooking" the fish. I would shy away from any recipes that do not involve; freezing the fish first, or consecutive salt brine and vinegar soaks, you can modify the flavorings; garlic, jalapeno (or habenero for the brave) BBQ, teriyaki, soysauce, whatever your stomach desires. I like this recipe as is, although sometimes I add a little more of all of the called for seasonings.

Makes about 4 pints.

I just finished my first attempt at pickling northerns with this recipe over Christmas. Made 9 jars (7 jalepeno and 2 with Chipotles). Brought 1 jar on the pheasant trip this last weekend and it was devoured. Came home to find my wife had eaten 3 jars over the weekend. I really like the chipotles. Gave it a smokey type of taste. I have 3 more lbs to pickle, but need to get the tip ups out!

[Deitz Dittrich]

To be honest, this was YEARS ago.. but the best pickeled pike i have EVER had was by BD110... it must have been 5 years ago.. but it was second to none!!! i was fine afterwords... not sick,, unless sick from eating too much counts..

BD-- awesome stuff..

[eyehead]

What size pike are you guys harvesting for pickling????

I live on a river full of Hammer handles that need to be thinned out.....Will the hammer handles be good enough???

Those reciepes sounds good guys....Defienitly wanna try some of em.

[Jim Almquist]

Small Northern will work Great. That way the bones will dissolve while they are getting pickled

[Pooh]

ive used the recipe by coldone, but not on pike, i used it for pickeling tulibee. we had too much to smoke so i pickled some. AWESOME.

only thing to change is to use a sweet onion, cause i eat the onions too. Don't just use your everyday yellow onion, makes a big difference in taste i think.

[FishLocker]

This is a Tulibee recipe, but I have used it for Bass, Sheepshead, and Northern (boned...may have to wait longer than 5 days to disolve Y bones if left in)

Summary: Keeps for 6 months in the fridge. DO NOT use metal cooking utensils for steps 1-4 of recipe

Directions:

1. Cut fish into 1-2 inch pieces 1/2 inch thick

2. Salt water mixture: use pickling salt, not table salt.

Mix: 1 qt water to one cup salt and soak fish 24 hours in fridge

3. Drain and rinse next day

4. Cover fish in white vinegar 24 hours in fridge

5. 3rd day drain, pack fish and raw onions in sterile jars packed tightly

(optional: you can put 2-3 red chili peppers in each jar for added

color and zip)

6. Then add brine after it has cooled to room temp. Refrigerate 5 days

before eating.

BRINE MIXTURE:

BOIL 5 MINUTES AND LET COOL (ok to cook in metal pot for this mixture), 2 C. WHITE VINEGAR, 1/2 CUP WATER, 1-1/2 CUPS SUGAR, 2 TABLESPOONS PICKLING SPICES,2 CUPS PORT WHITE WINE (I USE SILVER SATIN)