I just broke the seal on my first ever batch of pickled pike, and was curious if a pretty firm chewy texture is normal. I didn’t really know what to expect, as I’d never pickled pike before. The flavor is fantastic, way better than any pickled herring I’ve ever had. My method as follows:
1. Catch a pike. Mine in this case was 27” long
2. Fillet pike, leaving in Y-Bones.
3. Freeze pike fillet chunks for a minimum of 48 hours.
4. Thaw pike chunks, and brine in salt water in refrigerator for 2 days, using large glass mason jar.
5. Drain brine and add white vinegar, put back in fridge for 3 days.
6. Drain vinegar and add red onion, seeded jalapeños, & pickling liquid. (2 parts white vinegar 1 part sugar, with pickling spice) Let sit for 5 days in fridge.
7. Eat on crackers.
I ended up with 2 quart jars of pickled pike using a 27” fish, about 3/4 of a red onion, and 3 jalapeños. I made a pickling solution batch that was 4c of vinegar and 2c of sugar, with 2 tablespoons of premixed pickling spices.
