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Author Topic: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?  (Read 3095 times)

Offline Mr.Harry

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Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« on: Jan 11, 2017, 08:26 AM »
Hey folks, I came into a large amount of smelt and wanted to 'pickle' (I think it's more like brining than pickling) some for use in the spring as sewn-bait. I have been pointed to some commercially prepared solutions but won't have time to get my hands on any of it. Need to act on these now, pretty much. Anyone have a good go-to home recipe/procedure? Thanks.

Offline Anomaly

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Re: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 11, 2017, 10:12 AM »
Posted his last year. Came out great with togue and smelt too!

Pickled Fish Recipe: In Wine
Cut the filleted fish (about 1.5 pounds) into chunks. Make a salt brine by adding 1 cup of salt to a quart of water. Add the fish chunks to the brine in a large glass jar or other glass container, and refrigerate for 48 hours. Drain and add enough white vinegar to cover the fish. Refrigerate for another 48 hours. Drain. In glass jars make a layer of fish followed by a layer of thinly sliced onion, more fish, and so on until each jar is almost full.

Make pickling brine by boiling for five minutes: 2 cups of white vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/4 piece of sliced lemon squeezed (and add the squeezed portion), and a tablespoon of pickling spices. Let the brine cool and pour enough into each jar to fill it to the top. Refrigerate for 7 days. Yes, it’s a long wait.

Read more: http://www.in-fisherman.com/recipes/pickled-fish-recipe/#ixzz41eMXYvJq

I will try it with some other fish as well. I bet white perch would be good that way.

Here’s another:

So here’s the deal with the pickling. Fillet. I took the rib cage off via filleting from the back toward the abdomen. The bones go soft in the pickle, so no biggy if they’re left in. Cube the fish into 1X1″ pieces. For 3-4 fish: 1 cup salt, 5 cups water. Make a brine. Let the fish sit in the brine for 96 hrs. Drain. Cover fish pcs with white vinegar. Let soak for 96 hrs. Drain. Prior to jarring, make and chill a brine solution of 1.5 cups white sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 2 tbsp pickling spice or other aromatics of choice. Pack jars tightly, pour on brine, and eat from a week later to a few months later. Too long and the texture goes mushier – when fresh and with 96 hr cure times, the texture is pleasant, dense, and if you hate pickled fish, these could easily change your mind. They changed mine. I’m sure you could use less salt and sugar, but to me, these are like junk food – like tying into a bag of chips. Now: patience. Hard to wait that first week. Need to catch more whitefish.
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Offline fishlessman

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Re: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 11, 2017, 10:36 AM »
this has worked for me, they stay shiny, use fine canning salt

http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/tips/general/how_to_make_salted_minnows.htm

Offline Anomaly

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Re: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 11, 2017, 11:40 AM »
DO NOT EVER USE IODIZED SALT FOR CANNING, PICKLING OR CURING!!!!
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Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 11, 2017, 11:59 AM »
As I understand it hes looking to use for bait. I do a similar process with bloater chubs in the round.

First I pack 'em in salt for 3-4 days to dehydrate them a bit. This also toughens them up so they're more durable on the hook. You can use that salt and liquid to add to the next step for added scent/flavor


Next I make a super saturated brine. This means heat your water and dissolve salt until it doesn't take any more. Cool the brine and pour it into a heavy gauge ziplock with your fish. As it cools some of the salt will crystallize out of the solution, that's  OK. I usually poke a couple three holes in the swim bladder and guts to get the salt where it needs to go.

No special salt necessary though I would caution against using an iodine fortified salt but for different reasons. I've used plain old dirty rock salt with good results. Or just dip a few pounds of solar out of the softener brine tank...
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Offline Anomaly

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Re: Good recipe/procedure for 'pickling' smelt?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 11, 2017, 04:14 PM »
As I understand it hes looking to use for bait. I do a similar process with bloater chubs in the round.

First I pack 'em in salt for 3-4 days to dehydrate them a bit. This also toughens them up so they're more durable on the hook. You can use that salt and liquid to add to the next step for added scent/flavor


Next I make a super saturated brine. This means heat your water and dissolve salt until it doesnt take any more. Cool the brine and pour it into a heavy gauge ziplock with your fish. Some of the salt will crystallize out of the solution, that's  OK. I usually poke a couple three holes in the swim bladder and guts to get the salt where it needs to go.

No special salt necessary though I would caution againsf using an iodine fortified salt but for different reasons. I've used plain old dirty rock salt with good rssults. Or just dip a few pounds of solar out of the softener brine tank...

HAHAHA Missed the bait  part....Same procedure, kinda, but skip the wine, onions, and spices!  :thumbsup: I’d try them both ways! Snacks AND Bait!  ;D
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