pickling Pike

[carbidemanfishing]

I hate wasting fish and I figure pickling will get rid of those y bones and maybe the ribs to (soften them up). I got some apple vinegar some spices and pike fillets and put them in a jar where they are soaking now for a couple of days. After I did this I looked up some online recipes and they call for freezing the fish for 48 hours and then soaking in a salty brine.... ( I did not do any of that). I want to know if I messed this batch up and if I can still save it? I think the 48 hours of freezing is to kill parasites and the salt brine to cure the fish. I figured the vinegar would both cure and kill parasites. This is my first try at this and I could use some suggestions from experienced people.

[Firefightertom32]

Found this on another forum. While maybe not ruined, it may be to great of a risk to consume what you have already pickled.

Caution: The Broad Fish Tapeworm

The broad fish tapeworm infection can be contracted by humans from eating raw or under-cooked species of fish found in the Great Lakes area.

The larvae of the broad fish tapeworm pass through smaller fish until they lodge as hatched small worms in the flesh of large carnivorous species of fish, like northern pike, walleye pike, sand pike, burbot, and yellow perch. This worm, if eaten by humans in its infective stage, can attach to the small intestine and grow to lengths of 10 to 30 feet.

The infective worms are destroyed readily either by cooking or freezing. Two recent (my edit: this was posted in 1990) outbreaks of this tapeworm in Minnesota were related to eating uncooked pickled pike. Those who wish to prepare raw pickled fish should first freeze the fish at 0° F for 48 hours.

[hardwater diehard]

http://www.in-fisherman.com/recipes/pickled-fish-recipe/

http://www.in-fisherman.com/recipes/fish-recipes/fishermans-pickled-fish/

I switch up to all brown sugar ...also add red,yellow and green peppers

I never froze my pickerel ...but will now. I also only soaked in salt brine for 12 hrs and 12 hrs in the vinegar and then into the pickling brine . Also note don't use stainless as your soaking pot ..can leave an off taste because of the acidity glass bowls work great. ...let the boiled brine cool before pouring it over the fish can "cook" the fish ...one again glass jars are best. I was able to find pickling spice at the Dollar Store  .

[Spider1]

Pickling them will soften bones but I would cut out the rib bones anyway just cuz it is easy to do. The y bones will be up to you. It isn't hard to remove them but pickling them will soften them so you don't even notice them. We don't have this tapeworm here in PA... I hope... but it's something to think about. I woulda figured that pickling would kill the worms also???

[carbidemanfishing]

Pickling them will soften bones but I would cut out the rib bones anyway just cuz it is easy to do. The y bones will be up to you. It isn't hard to remove them but pickling them will soften them so you don't even notice them. We don't have this tapeworm here in PA... I hope... but it's something to think about. I woulda figured that pickling would kill the worms also???

I cannot imagine anything alive surviving in vinegar for very long. I am gona keep it in there for a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to trying this.

[SKIFFLAKEJIMMY]

It has to be better than SUSHI!