How to salt fish for drying or drying? Salting fish: recipe, duration

Perceiving dried fish exclusively as a traditional snack for beer, few people realize the usefulness of the product they consume. Meanwhile, the Japanese expertly indulge in healthy and easily digestible seafood, maintaining a clear mind and health into old age (the average life expectancy in Japan is 81 years).

Nutritionists claim that this phenomenon is due to the “fish” diet of hereditary samurai, because the value of river, sea or pond fish for the human body cannot be exaggerated. Moreover, dried fish is no less useful than fresh fish, since, regardless of the drying method, it retains the entire range of valuable substances.

When preparing the product at home, it is important to understand that the taste and shelf life of dried fish are determined by many factors: type of fish, preparation, soaking, drying period, etc.

What is the difference between dried fish and dried fish?

People are little interested in the differences between drying and drying if it does not prevent them from enjoying their favorite taste. For those who have decided to learn the intricacies of preparing dried fish at home, it is important to understand that drying is only a certain stage preceding the drying of salted fish. While dried fish is unlikely to transform into the dried stage. Let's look at the main differences between harvesting methods:

Both salted and unsalted fish are dried. An unsalted product is a semi-finished product intended for preparing soups and other fish dishes. Salted fish can be eaten immediately.
Only salted fish is dried. During the cooking process, the product ripens, acquiring the required characteristics. Immediately after preparation, the product can be eaten.

This is interesting! Polyunsaturated fatty acids preserved in dried fish stimulate the functionality of the hematopoietic system and protect the body from the occurrence of malignant neoplasms.

How to salt roach for dry drying

For large specimens of roach, the dry salting method is used. Each fish must be cut along the back, cleaned of the insides and wiped with a dry rag or paper towel. Rub the inside with salt and place the carcasses in rows in a wooden box, namely, belly-to-top.

The scales of the fish also need to be sprinkled with salt, and the box itself should be left in a hole previously dug in a cool place and covered with cling film.

After the tips on how to properly salt roach are put into practice, the fish must be thoroughly washed under running cold water, however, it is best to soak it in clean, preferably ice water for several hours, while not forgetting to change the water, preferably 2-3 times. The fish is considered ready for drying when it begins to float in clean water, because it is then that the salting will be gentle, and the back will become amber-transparent, which is considered to be the “standard” for salting fish.

Almost every fisherman knows how to salt roach for drying, so if an experienced fisherman who knows a lot about salting fish advises you to add something of your own to the recipe, you should listen to his instructions.

More such recipes on our website:

Homemade salted silver carp - proper salting of silver carp at home Salted fish is not only a tasty dish, but also a way to preserve the fish product in a suitable condition for consumption. Homemade salted silver carp is a simple dish.

How to salt bream when going fishing Every person who likes to fish has ever wondered how to salt bream for drying outdoors. To do this process in nature you need to be careful.

Salting bream for drying at home Well-organized salting of bream at home will not take much time and effort, and the result can be enjoyed by almost all lovers of beer and beer snacks.

Salting ram at home - how to salt ram correctly Everyone knows that salted fish lasts longer. Therefore, in order to stock up on ram for future use, you need to know how to properly salt ram.

Drying and drying roach is one of the best ways to prepare it, as a result of which the fish becomes suitable for consumption without pre-processing, and is also ideal as a snack for a foamy drink. Experienced fishermen who have caught more than one ton of this tasty and fatty fish in their lives can teach you how to salt roach for drying.

How to properly dry fish at home

At home, a natural drying method is used. To get a truly high-quality, shelf-stable and tasty product, you should approach the preparation process correctly. The following points require special attention:

After soaking/salting, each carcass must be pierced and strung on a strong fishing line. Make punctures at the location of the eyes. You can also thread the fish lips through a paper clip and then hang the resulting hooks on a string. Attention! Carcasses should not touch.
To ensure that a large carcass dries evenly, place spacers in the belly using matches or toothpicks. Small fish can be dried on a special mesh stretched over a rigid frame. To prevent the fish from going rancid, boiling and leaking fat, it needs to be hung away from direct sunlight (the drying area is dry and well ventilated). It is important to ensure the temperature is not lower than 18 C° and not higher than 20 C°.
In the warm season, you can dry it directly in the open air: in the shade of trees, under a canopy, in a gazebo. In the autumn-winter period - on a glazed loggia, attic, kitchen.
You should not hang your catch in areas where paint and varnish products are stored or where renovations have recently been made and the smell of paint has not had time to dissipate. The fact is that the fish will instantly “smell” of acetone and it will be impossible to eat it.

During storage, the workpiece dries even more, losing any remaining moisture day by day.

Salting recipes

There are many recipes for salting fish. But not everyone can preserve the taste, as well as give the meat the necessary firmness and fat content.

You can salt fish for drying and subsequent long-term storage in the traditional way, but if you process it and eat it right away, it is better to choose a spicy method.

Dry or traditional method

For this method, you will need a deep wooden container with holes (a box made of boards is best), a linen bag, coarse rock salt and prepared carcasses.

The bag is laid out on the bottom of the box, and salt and carcasses are already laid out on it.

Each fish is well rubbed with salt and placed in a container. You must first pour about 1 cm of salt onto its bottom. The carcasses should be laid so that they lie very tightly. Therefore, it is better to lay them head to tail. Each layer must be sprinkled with a small layer of salt. After everything is laid, salt is poured on top in a 1 cm layer. Place a lid over the contents of the container and press it down with a heavy weight.

Oppression will not allow the formation of air voids in which putrefactive bacteria can develop. In addition, under pressure the meat becomes denser.

Everything stays in this state for about 8 - 10 days in a cool, shaded place. When the juice begins to release on the 3rd – 4th day, it will not linger in the container.

After salting, you can begin soaking and then drying the fish.

This method is suitable for salting large carcasses

Wet method or salting in brine

You can salt fish in this way in a container that does not oxidize (bucket, pan, barrel or tank). To do this, it is placed tightly in a container, belly up, sprinkled with salt (1 kg of salt per 10 kg of prepared carcasses).

To make the meat tender, you can add 20–30 g of sugar.

The lid is placed over the contents of the container and pressed down with a weight. Around day 2, juice will begin to release. It will be mixed with salt and you will get a brine in which the carcasses will remain for about 5 - 10 days. The duration of salting depends on their size.

After this, the fish is taken out and washed in running water. Only after this can you proceed to further drying or drying.

There is another way to prepare brine. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 kg of salt in 3 liters of fresh, filtered water. Afterwards, fresh brine should be poured over the pre-laid carcasses. Afterwards everything is covered with a lid and placed under pressure in a cool place. So they are salted for 4 – 8 days.

Spicy way

You can properly salt fish with spices in the following way. First of all, you need to prepare the brine, as in the previous recipe, and then add bay leaves, black peppercorns, horseradish leaves and ground or grain coriander to it. You can also add sugar to taste.

The fish is placed in an enamel container and filled with brine. After this, it is covered with a lid and pressed down with pressure. She should stay in this state for 2–3 days.

After salting, it should be dried a little. This will allow the meat to acquire a more pronounced taste and increase its shelf life in the refrigerator to several months.

Hanging method

This salting method differs from the previous ones and is only suitable for fatty varieties. The carcasses are strung on a transverse rod through the gill openings and placed in a container with brine so that they are suspended.

To prepare the brine, you only need water and salt. Its amount can be determined using a raw chicken egg or potato. They shouldn't drown in it.

The salting process is slightly different in time and takes only 4 – 6 days. But not everyone knows how many days the carcasses need to be kept in brine, and therefore it often happens that they are overexposed and they manage to gain a lot of salt. In this case, the fish will need to be soaked a little longer than usual and the frequency of water changes will need to be increased to 4-5 times.

After soaking, the fish can be slightly dried or dried.

Salmon method for fresh fish

Mackerel or herring are suitable for this salting.

The fish must first be cut and generously sprinkled with salt in the belly section and on the back. It is recommended to add 10 g of sugar, black peppercorns and bay leaf to taste to the salt. After this, it is wrapped in linen or cotton cloth and placed in the refrigerator. With this method, the fish must be salted for 30 hours, after which it can be taken out and dried, laid out on a flat surface. However, some people prefer to eat it immediately after salting.

Which fish is suitable for home salting and drying?

For home salting and drying, you can use both freshwater and sea fish. The most suitable for these purposes are:

River/pond inhabitants: rudd, bream, bream, roach, ram, roach, sabrefish, perch, pike perch, womer, carp, pike, gudgeon, crucian carp, ide, bluegill, carp.

Important! Only fresh freshwater fish is suitable for drying. If the catch has been stored for more than a day, it cannot be used for harvesting.

Sea inhabitants: mackerel, capelin, smelt, gobies, sprat, herring, sprat, samsa, sea bass, red mullet, rock, horse mackerel, sea ruffe.

Important! When using frozen sea fish, it is first defrosted naturally. To do this, the carcass is left at room temperature until it is completely thawed.

Homemade salting of fish in brine

Salting fish in brine also refers to the wet home salting method and differs from the previous recipe only in that here the fish is filled with salt water (brine), and not covered with salt.

In addition, for salting in brine, medium-sized and large fish are pre-cleaned.

And, as mentioned above, the brine when salting sea or river fish at home can be ordinary and with one or a whole bunch of marinade additives.

Pickling recipe:

To salt 3-3.5 kg of fish in regular brine you will need: 2 liters of water, half a kilogram of salt, 12-15 peas of black and allspice, 2-3 bay leaves.

To prepare the brine, boil all ingredients and cool.

For home salting, clean medium-sized sea fish from scales, remove the entrails, place in a stainless container, fill with brine, and press with pressure.

After 3 weeks of salting, home-cooked fish will be ready to eat. But you can start trying it much earlier.

In the same way, small sea fish: iwasi herring, sardines, anchovy, sprat are salted whole in brine.

Prepare enough brine so that the fish is completely immersed in it. The container with home-salted fish is stored in a cool place.

How to properly prepare fish for salting

Salting is the most important stage in preparing the product, removing excess moisture from the fish. Before salting fish for drying, you need to carefully inspect and select carcasses no heavier than 1 kg.

Important! If you find black spots on a carcass, it is better to put it aside, because black spots may indicate that the fish is infected with helminths or dangerous infections. Yes, after salting, worms do not pose a danger to humans. But opisthorchiasis or diphyllobothriasis, which are difficult to diagnose, lead to the development of dangerous conditions and loss of ability to work.

If there is too much fish, it should be divided into sizes, since each size requires its own cooking time.

Then each carcass must be cleaned of dirt, mucus and gutted. Do not remove the scales. For large fish, cut into the meatiest part of the back, cutting through the meat all the way to the spine and separating the ribs on one side. Small - on the abdomen.

Some fishermen refuse to clean them, believing that the tripe makes the product more oily. This fish turns out to be bitter due to the bile, and this is not to everyone’s taste. However, if we talk about the spring catch, when the fish is filled with healthy and incredibly tasty caviar, it is better to dry it entirely.

Wet method or salting in brine

To properly salt raw materials using the wet method, you need to follow the instructions:

Pour a layer of coarse table salt onto the bottom of the container (the coarser the salt, the more moisture it will absorb);
rub each carcass with salt from the inside and place it “jack” in one layer on the salt (the back of one covers the belly of the other);
Place the larger fish on the bottom and the smallest fish on top;
Cover each layer of fish with an even layer of salt - about 20% of the weight of the fish; each subsequent salt layer should “grow” by 15%; the thickness of the latter is at least 5 mm;
cover the top and press down with pressure, at the rate of 150 g per 1 kg of fish (the carcasses do not rest against the walls of the container so that the flow of air is not impeded);
Keep the container in the cold for 3–4 days.

Summer salting methods

You can salt fish for drying in the summer using a dry method, suitable for large specimens, or a hanging method, used for small or medium-sized fish. Let's look at both options in more detail.

Dry

As a rule, the dry method is used for large specimens that are gutted and have cuts along the back.

To do this you need:

prepare a box or basket with holes, cover the bottom with burlap;
place gutted, generously grated and salted carcasses there in layers, back down;
Sprinkle each layer of fish with salt (per 5 kg of fish = 0.75 kg of salt);
put in a cool place for a week.

When installing the box, it should be taken into account that the resulting brine will flow through the holes. So you should not use the dry method in the living room.

Provesny

The hanging method is another option for wet salting. String small fish onto rods or strong fishing line and lower them into brine so that the carcasses practically do not touch each other.

When brining uneviscerated medium-sized carcasses, their peritoneum is first filled with a strong saline solution. It is administered using a syringe through the oral cavity.

Tuzluchny

The brine method involves salting fish in brine and is used for specimens weighing up to 0.5 kg.

Procedure:

prepare brine - dissolve salt in water until an egg placed in a basin floats to the surface;
for convenience, carcasses can be strung on a fishing line;
place the prepared fish in a basin so that it is completely covered with brine;
cover with a net and press down with pressure;
keep in the cold for at least 3 days.

Spicy

place the carcasses in a “jack” type container;
Sprinkle a layer of salt on top;
Place 2-3 bay leaves, peppercorns, half a teaspoon of coriander on the salt.

Repeat until the container is completely filled, cover with an inverted dish on top and put pressure on it. Leave in a cool place for 4 days. After drying, such fish has a spicy aroma of spices.

Salmon method for fresh fish

Lay the carcass flat and rub on all sides with a mixture of sugar and salt in a ratio of 1:3. Wrap it in a piece of natural fabric and place the resulting cocoon in a plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator for 72 hours.

Turn the package from side to side every 12 hours. After removing, rinse the fish under running water and dry on a waffle towel.

There is no definite answer to the question of how much to salt fish before drying, because a lot depends on the size of the waterfowl, the salting method and the temperature. According to general data, at a temperature of 20 C°, the process takes:

about 1 hour – for small fish;
no more than 3 days – for specimens weighing up to 0.5 kg;
from 5 days to a week – for large fish.

You can check the readiness of the product by pressing your finger on the back of the carcass after salting. The resulting hole is evidence that the fish has been salted properly.

Also, the completeness of the salting process is indicated by the crunching of the vertebrae that occurs when the carcass is stretched by the tail and head.

Salting methods

To prepare dried roach at home you will need:

2 kg of fresh fish;
300 g coarse salt.

Step by step recipe:

How to distinguish a roach from a rudd

Carcasses are rubbed with salt from the outside, especially carefully near the gills; when gutted, they are also rubbed from the inside.
The remaining salt is poured onto the bottom of a large plastic or enamel bowl.
The roach is placed tightly on the salt. If there are too many carcasses, sprinkle salt on each layer.
A press is placed on top: a board, a lid with a stone or dumbbells so that the fish is constantly in the brine.
To dry the roach, you need to salt it in the refrigerator for 2–4 days. The period depends on the size of the individuals. The readiness of roach is determined by its shade and density: they become dark and difficult to bend.

To salt roach using the wet method, prepare a strong salt solution called brine. To determine whether there is enough salt, a raw chicken egg is dipped into the solution: if it floats, you can salt the fish. The cleaned and gutted roach is lowered into the brine, a wire mesh is placed on top and pressure is applied. In this way, the fish is salted in a cool place for 3 days.

It is better to salt especially large roach using the dry method. To do this, the fish is gutted, washed, several transverse cuts are made at the ridge, then rubbed with salt, and the belly is stuffed with salt crystals. The carcasses are placed in an enamel basin with their backs down and covered with salt. The container is covered with several layers of gauze. How much to salt a large roach? Large carcasses are completely salted in the refrigerator in 4 days.

Soaking after salting

Before drying, you need to remove excess salt from the fish that was absorbed during the salting process. Otherwise, the pulp will dry out, become oversalted and take on a “rusty” appearance. Since the quality, appearance and taste of the product depend on the soaking process, special attention should be paid to this.

First, the carcasses need to be removed from the brine and allowed to rest for about an hour (during this time, the salt will be evenly distributed throughout the entire flesh). Then rinse for 15 minutes to remove excess salt and proceed to the soaking process, using cold fresh water for this purpose.

Note! The ideal option is to keep the fish under running water. If this is not possible, it is enough to replace the water with fresh water several times. The fish, ready to dry, will float to the surface.

You need to soak the fish for the same number of hours as the days it was salted. As an example: after 3 days of salting, soaking lasts 3 hours. During this time, the carcass will not only get rid of excess salt, but also gain elasticity.

Wet version of salting roach, perch, gobies, bleak and roach with sugar

This method is suitable for both camping and home use. Freshwater ones cooked with added sugar have a refined, more delicate taste. To prepare fish in this way, it is better to follow the step-by-step recipe:

Prepare a non-oxidizing container, such as a bucket or pan.
Clean the fish carcasses, leaving the head. Remove scales.
The first layer of catch should be placed directly on the bottom of the container. It is better to place the carcasses with their belly up.
Cover each specimen with salt in a proportion of 10 kg. fish and 1 kg. coarse salt plus 1 tbsp. l. Sahara.
Layers of fish alternating with salt should not reach the top of the container. A press should be placed on top of the fish mass.
After 2 days, the brine will cover the entire mass.
After 3 days, small fish will be ready, and after 7-8 days, large fish. The finished batch is taken out of the brine, washed under running water and left to dry in the open air. Then roach, perch, gobies, bleak or roach can be stored in any container for long-term storage.

Small fish are salted for three days, large fish - 5-7 days
. Advice. The role of a press can be performed by an ordinary large plate covered with something heavy. However, experienced fishermen advise putting together a special wooden circle. The best material for its manufacture is linden or aspen. Only this wood does not release harmful substances into the brine and is not deformed under its influence. Under no circumstances should you make a press out of plywood! It can delaminate and release glue residue into the fish.

Preparing fish for proper drying

Before drying, the soaked fish is wiped with a napkin and laid out on parchment designed to absorb excess moisture. Then they are strung on twine or strong fishing line and hung directly on the street, under a canopy or in the house, for example over a bathtub. This is necessary for the liquid to drain.

Often, experienced fishermen cannot come to a consensus regarding the position of the fish after soaking. It really doesn't matter how you dry the fish, upside down or upside down. It all depends on a person's personal preferences.

Head down - moisture leaves through the mouth, and drying occurs more smoothly and quickly. The result is a high-calorie product with a long shelf life. The method is recommended for the autumn period, when the fish is especially oily and takes longer to dry.

Tail down - the fat does not leave the carcass, saturating all the flesh. The result is a tasty, especially aromatic product. It is important to take into account that the drying process may take a long time and use the “tail down” method for non-fat varieties.

Only after the fish stops dripping can you begin drying.

Stages of drying roach

The process consists of several stages: salting, soaking and drying. There are two ways to pickle – dry and brine (wet).

Brine salting

The brine that is formed when salt dissolves in the liquid that oozes from the fish is called brine. It must be drained periodically during salting to prevent bacteria from multiplying in it.

With gutting

Usually large roaches weighing about 1 kg are gutted. Rinse the roach, do not remove the scales, remove the insides, remove the gills and rub with salt outside and inside. Take an enamel bowl, pour a layer of coarse salt on the bottom, place the roach in it, cover and press down with a weight. Thanks to the oppression, cavities do not form in the carcasses, where bacteria can grow and start rotting. Place in the refrigerator for three to four days. After some time, juice will begin to release from the fish.

No gutting

In this way, only small roaches can be salted - weighing from 250 to 500 grams and measuring no more than 30 cm in length. Gutting a small roach is recommended in the summer, when the fish eats greens, which give it a bitter taste.

Before salting, whole roach should be washed under running water, but you don’t have to wash it, just wipe it with a dry cloth.

For pickling, you need to prepare enamel dishes or a stainless steel container. Sprinkle salt on the bottom and place the roach in dense rows (belly to back, head to tail). Sprinkle each layer with salt to completely cover the fish. Larger specimens are placed downward, and smaller specimens are placed upward.

For salting you need to use only coarse salt.

Cover the roach with something flat and press it down with a weight (brick, jar of water, stone). Place the container with the fish in the refrigerator so that the flesh does not spoil, where the salt has not yet penetrated, and leave under pressure for three days. After three days, the roach is washed and left for 2 hours in cold water. The process of salting roach weighing no more than 500 grams takes two days.

You can determine readiness by the firm back, yellowish-red caviar and dark gray color of the meat.

How to dry fish: basic methods

During the drying process, the air temperature in the room or outside the window, humidity level and air availability are taken into account. Owners of private houses hang carcasses in shady areas of the garden or in attics, under a canopy or on a covered veranda.

Residents of city apartments hang “fish” garlands throughout the kitchen, bathroom or loggia. At the same time, household members rarely express delight at the carcasses dangling directly above their heads.

But an electric dryer or oven will help cope with the dissatisfaction of the other half. Let's take a closer look at the features of the most popular drying methods.

On open air

The most popular method that allows you to get the most delicious and healthy product. The best time is spring, when the air is already warmed up to 20 degrees. The carcasses are hung under a canopy or in the shade so that the sun does not cook them. If the weather suddenly turns bad, the workpieces can be brought indoors.

In a cool cellar

When hanging fish in the cellar, you need to be prepared for the fact that at the end of the process it will need to be additionally dried. To do this, after 3 weeks from the start of drying, the carcasses are brought into the kitchen and placed closer to the radiator or stove.

This method should not be used for large specimens. They still won’t dry out as expected, but they will acquire a bitter taste almost immediately.

On the balcony and loggia

A great option if it’s winter or just bad weather outside. It is important not to forget that liquid will leak out of the fish and to substitute containers in advance.

If the balcony is not ventilated, open the windows and install a fan during drying. Hang the fish along or across the wall - whichever is more convenient for you. Typically, drying takes up to 15 days, but, under the influence of certain factors, the duration of the process may vary.

In the attic

A well-ventilated, dry attic is the best place to dry fish. Protected from the sun and precipitation, the carcasses are dried naturally.

However, before placing the workpieces in the attic, you should carry out a wet cleaning there and make sure that there are no insects and rodents.

In the oven

Drying in the oven is a popular method that allows you to get fish ready for storage in just 48 hours. Place a layer of fish on a rack lined with foil. To avoid baking the carcasses, set the temperature to 40 C.

To ensure ventilation, you need to leave the oven door ajar about 7 cm. After a couple of hours, cover the heads with foil so as not to burn, and dry for another 5 hours. Then the carcasses are hung in a dry room, where they “reach condition” within 3 days.

In an electric dryer

Perhaps this is the most useful device in the household, used for drying fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and fish. The most important thing is that the device is of the convective type and has a function to turn off the heating.

Setting the temperature to no more than 30 C, the fish is dried for about 48 hours. This method has a serious drawback - during the drying process, the whole apartment will become saturated with the smell of fish.

It is important to understand that drying fish using an oven, dryer or other household appliances is not the best option. In this case, the product loses the lion's share of its taste and aroma.

Attention! Do not dry fish in the microwave under any circumstances. With the door open, the device will not turn on, and with the door closed, the carcasses will not dry out, but will simply be cooked.

On occasion, I bought 10 kilograms of soroga. This fish goes very well with beer when dried. I present to your attention a simple and reliable recipe for salting sorog (and not only it). In addition, I recommend trying to dry herring. Turns out it will turn out no worse than dried sorog


	To salt sorog we will need: 1. Fish (bream, silver bream, roach, etc..) in this case sorog. 2. We take salt for salting fish at the rate of 100-120 grams per kilogram of fish. I would like to note that salt for salting fish should be coarsely ground. In no case iodized or extra. The quality of salting largely depends on the salt. Coarse salt during salting will gradually draw moisture out of the fish. Finely ground salt will simply quickly get wet and, as it were, “burn” the fish
	We thoroughly wash the fish to remove dirt and mucus, prepare salt and a container in which we will salt it. Pour a grain of salt onto the bottom of the container and place the fish back down, head to tail. Look at the photo.
	Having laid the layer, sprinkle it with salt again. I would say it's like snowballing. And so layer by layer.

	All the fish are packed. And sprinkled with salt. We try to leave more salt for the last layer.
	Cover the fish with a cup and apply pressure. A five-liter plastic bottle is well suited for these purposes. Now the fish must be put in a cool place for 3-5 days. Many will notice that this is too much and one day will be enough, and they will be wrong. Under the influence of salt, excess moisture is drawn out, and changes occur in the fish meat.
	On the third fourth day we check the readiness of our fish. To do this, take the fish by the head and tail and pull it in different directions. A characteristic crunch is heard. It's the vertebrae of the spine crunching. The fish was salted. Now we need to carefully rinse and soak the fish to get rid of excess salt. Calculating the duration of soaking is simple. If you soak in running water, then for every day of salting, half an hour of soaking. If the water is not running, then 1 hour of soaking, followed by changing the water. So, when salting fish for 3 days, wash it in water for 3 hours, changing it every hour or 1.5 hours in running water.

	Hang the salted fish out to dry. You can choose the degree of drying yourself. After drying, the fish can be preserved. You can put the fish in a jar, finely chop a couple of garlic feathers, pour into the jar and close with a nylon lid. Or put the fish in jars, moisten a piece of cotton wool with alcohol, set it on fire, throw it into the jar and roll it with a tin lid. Fish can be stored for up to six months, or maybe more.

Drying time for fish

In the warm season, drying takes less time than in winter. The size of the carcass is also important. So, the duration of drying under natural conditions (outdoors):

In spring or summer, if it is not damp outside and there is a slight breeze, the drying process takes no more than 8 days. For small fish - less than 48 hours.
During the winter cold it takes about 45 days - during this time the moisture will simply freeze out of the carcasses. In a heated room, the process will be reduced to 1 - 2 weeks.

Even after the specified time has elapsed, the readiness of the carcasses must be checked: dried fish is dense, elastic, without salt crystals on the surface and has a strong skin.

Wet salting of fish

I am posting a simple recipe for wet home-salted small sea or river fish, which I use myself.

Sometimes, at the request of households, I salt several pieces of herring or mackerel for the holidays, using various aromatic additives in wet salting recipes.

For any method of salting fish at home, stainless steel utensils are used: wooden barrels, kegs or boxes. You can salt the fish wet in an old, leak-free enamel pan, but not in a plywood box.

With the dry salting method, flavors are slowly absorbed into the fish, unless they are specifically rubbed into the carcasses. The duration of dry salting also has to be significantly increased.

Unlike the wet method of salting fish, intended for later consumption in a dried (dried) form, here (in this recipe) the released brine is not drained.

Salt consumption per 10 kg of salted fish with moderate salting is 1.5 kg. When wet salting fish in saturated brine, 2.5-3 kg of salt is consumed.

Of course, you are unlikely to decide to salt ten kilograms of fish at home at once, so reduce the ingredients indicated in the recipe in proportion to the weight of the carcasses prepared for wet salting.

To protect against spoilage during long-term storage of sea or river fish, saltpeter is usually added to the brine. But I don’t advise you to abuse this matter. For one kilogram of salt in a wet salting mixture, 8-10 g of saltpeter will be more than enough.

Moreover, for better preservation, fish can be wet-salted according to a recipe with marinade additives in brine. Then you will need less salt when salting fish at home.

To make the final fish product more tender and tastier, you can add a tablespoon of sugar per kilogram of salt to the recipe for wet salting of fish and, at your discretion, some plant-based flavorings.

Most often, when using the home method of wet salting fish, the following odorous and flavoring additives are used: bay leaves, cinnamon, dried clove buds, not ground, but crushed allspice or chopped hot pepper, dried basil and others.

To wet salt fish at home, add a layer of salt to the bottom of the dish and place the carcasses tightly, belly up. Sprinkle each layer of fish with coarse salt, cover with a wooden circle on top and press down with pressure. Place at least a three-liter jar of water on a wooden lid.

The more fish is salted, the heavier the load should be. Place the container with wet salted fish in a cool place.

After 1-2 days, the released moisture will completely cover the salted fish and protrude above the lid. On the 3rd-8th day (depending on the weight), homemade wet-salted fish is completely salted.

Rinse the finished fish in running water and air dry. Store in a cool place in a wooden box or in a food bag in the refrigerator.

Useful tips

It happens that during the drying process the fish turns out to be tasteless or spoils literally within a month. To protect your catch from such troubles, just adhere to the following recommendations:

When laying out carcasses for salting, place the largest specimens on the bottom.
String fish of the same size onto one fishing line, which will ensure uniform drying.
A toothpick inserted into the abdomen will greatly speed up the process and make it more effective.
If during storage the fish begins to smell musty, it is enough to rinse it in a weak saline solution and repeat the drying procedure.
It is better to hang carcasses on the balcony after sunset. During the night, the fish will become weathered and will no longer attract insects.
Some people advise drying fish without scales, but during the cooking process the product loses its aroma and becomes dry and tasteless.
The best time to prepare the product is spring or autumn.

Where to store dried fish

The shelf life of the product depends on its storage conditions. You can wrap the fish in parchment or natural fabric and seal it in a plastic bag. To store, place in the freezer.

The condition of the packaging must be checked regularly. If condensation appears on the bag, it means the “cover” of the fish needs to be replaced. If you miss the moment, the product will become saturated with moisture and become damp.

By placing the finished carcasses in linen or paper bags and hanging them in a cool place, you can enjoy your favorite product for six months. If you store fish in a hermetically sealed jar, the product will not lose its beneficial and tasteful qualities for 5 months.

How to dry fish in summer without flies landing

In the summer, flies literally swarm over the fragrant carcasses, trying to cling to them with their larvae. To prevent flies from landing on fish, you can prepare any solution suggested below and lubricate each carcass with it:

vinegar solution 3%;
sunflower oil;
weak solution of potassium permanganate;
a mixture of sunflower oil and vinegar 1:3.

The most important thing is to protect the fish from flies in the first days; it is during this period that the meat dries out and becomes unattractive to buzzing insects. It is preferable to hang the fish in the evening, when flies do not fly. In addition, hung carcasses can be covered with gauze.

Spicy Ambassador

The following items and ingredients will be useful:

Dishes - a basin or container with high sides, a wooden box, etc., but except for metal containers, are well suited for this purpose.
Spices – bay leaf and black pepper.
Salt – should be medium grind and do not use iodized salt.
Press – you can use a stone, bricks (be sure to put them in a bag), a glass jar or small pan of water or any other heavy object that can be used as a load.
Lid - the diameter of which should be slightly smaller than the container with fish.

The recipe is designed for medium fish: perch, bleak, etc. Please note that it is better to prepare fresh perch. Select carcasses of approximately equal size, optimal weight up to 1 kg.

The specimens must be washed and the insides removed. Pour salt into the salting container, the layer should be 5 mm, put the catch on top, keep in mind that larger specimens should be at the bottom. Sprinkle the first layer laid out with a small amount of salt, add 2 bay leaves and 3 peppercorns, coriander. So alternate until the very top.

Information! After all the manipulations, it is necessary to place a press on the workpiece, this is necessary to remove excess air, which can lead to the formation of rot. Therefore, cover the dish with a lid and place a weighting agent on top.

At this stage, the container should be placed in a cool place for up to 96 hours. After completing the process, you should rinse the contents from spices. This must be done in running water until it becomes clear. When you have washed everything off, leave the container for 1.5 hours.