Pickled Northern

[Archerysniper]

Did behindthehead send you his recipe for what we ate at winne??????

NOPE!!!!!!

[hawkeye43]

I will jump him tomarrow, they were tastey good You know if you send 5 gallons of fish chunks he could pickle them for you. You might get 3 gallons back

[BTL]

I tried pickling fish for the first time last Saturday, using the advice in this thread. I'll be checking the results this weekend.I have a couple question though.

Has anyone ever tried using a cider vinegar, or is regular white vinegar the only way to go?

Also, has anyone ever pickled trout? I would think they would be a good candidate for pickling since they have so many little annoying bones in them.

[otterman91105]

I have only tried it with regular white vinegar. Never tried any other fish just northern. It end's up with a good texture.

[delcecchi]

I tried pickling fish for the first time last Saturday, using the advice in this thread. I'll be checking the results this weekend.I have a couple question though.

Has anyone ever tried using a cider vinegar, or is regular white vinegar the only way to go?

Also, has anyone ever pickled trout? I would think they would be a good candidate for pickling since they have so many little annoying bones in them.

Cider vinegar has a distinct flavor. If you like it, go for it.

[otterman91105]

A simple cheap wine that is good to use is Silver Stain. It's a white wine that liquor store's carry for pickling.

[DonBo]

Reading this post a while back really got me to hungering for some pickled northern. With the help of my buddy Randy (tunrevir) I got almost 8 lbs of clean fillets last week. Finally got them in jars yesterday.

BTW, this is my first attempt at pickling fish, so thanks to those who shared their recipes, I used bits a pieces of a few that looked good to me. It's gonna be hard to wait a week before I can sample them.

[otterman91105]

Looks good i hope it turns out the way you are hopping. Good Luck.

[reinhard1]

better put a lock on that fridge!!!!i bet the jars wont last long between the two of you and family. good work. good luck.

[zzammon]

I tried pickling catfish last summer. The flavor was good, same as northern, but the texture was a bit more chewy. I didn't care for it, better off smoking the cats. Oh, sometimes when I have a couple northern and a crappie or two I will add the crappie to the jar. Can't tell any difference. Try the trout.

[arrowgetter]

The best Trout to pickle are the 2-5 lb lake trout because they still have the firm meat. Any bigger than that you get into the fat problem. Rainbows and browns the meat turns mushy and the vinegar take the pink color out of the meat.

[Gordie]

Looks good Don I have two quarts left and a batch almost ready to brine

[DonBo]

Question: After putting them in jars, some recipes say let sit for three days, some say three weeks, What's the real deal? Any advantages to letting them sit longer?

[reinhard1]

the reciepe i use says to eat it after 48 hours in the fridge, but i have found that it's even better left alone longer. so it's personal preferance. mine usualy dont last the three weeks. good luck.

[The Grebe]

Dang that looks good! I used to pickle pike every winter, but then I read an article in the Conservation Volunteer that stated that pickling didn't kill the parasites that might be in the meat....parasites like tapeworm larvae, that did it for me, I quit the pickling!

But after seeing your posted pictures and remembering how good those things were, I got to thinking that if I was going to get something from those pickled fish, I'd already have it...so whats the big deal, I'm healthy as a bull!

I think I'll start up the practice again next winter? I used to like sitting in my truck, on a lake close to home, reading the paper, doing the crosswords and waiting for a flag to fly.

[reinhard1]

Grebe, yes take up pickling again. i have said in the past that freezing will kill the paresites like the tapeworm. fish should be frozen for 48 hours before pickling. the ideal temp in your freezer should be 0 deg or lower. cooking also kills the tapeworm larvae. good luck.

[The Grebe]

Haven't you found that freezing and then thawing and pickling the fish, causes them to lose the firmness?

[Gordie]

Don Mine says refridge for 5-7 days before eating This is what Granny did and hers were alway so darn good besides I'm not one to Question grannys words

grebe if you freeze the fillets for 48 hours or more that will take care of the that will pharasites according to the DNR. I have done this for years and Have never contracted a tapeworm yet and I know one of the pike I got this past season had them even Archrysniper saw some of the tapeworms this pike had and it was still taste...

[Gordie]

Haven't you found that freezing and then thawing and pickling the fish, causes them to lose the firmness?

No I cant tell the difference Im sure if the fish were in the freezer for the whole season that may be a different story or if you used freezer burnt fish.

I have pickled alot of fish this season and not one piece felt like it had lost its firmness ask Archerysniper he couldnt keep his paws out of the jar as matter of fact he took two jars home and said they were gone that night

[The Grebe]

Next year....next winter. I only did it in the winter, although I'm sure it can also be done in the summer. Freeze the fish for a couple of days and then get after it.

[otterman91105]

Freezing the fish don't effect the firmness plus it's better to freeze them first in case there is parasites. With most recipes you have to wait about a week so everything soaks in. The bones will be gone.

[DonBo]

Well, I broke mine out last night after 6 days. Just could not wait any longer. They are awesome! Thanks again to everyone who spoke up with their tips and recipes.

[The Grebe]

I always thought that if the solution could desolve the bones, it would also do a number on any kooties that might be lurkin about?

[reinhard1]

i first learned about the freezing aspect and cooking aspect of parasites from food handler classes i took back in the days. the freezing aspect always stuck in my mind since. the larva stage of the tapeworm must be fairly resistant to other means. i had to double check and went to the University of Minnesota site to re-confirm that freezing as noted in the other posts and the cooking of fish are the ways to destroy these parisites. good luck.

[The Grebe]

I think I'll go out and catch me a pickling pike today?....Just kidding. Thats on next winters schedule.