Between the camp and the canner

[Drifterdon]

How do you guys keep your Koke's after cleaning and before getting ready to can them?
Every time I go with my brother-in-law, we end up cleaning then vacuum sealing the catch and into the freezer it goes.
I really want to try some of DuperD's canning recipes, but am sort of weary of canning previously frozen fish.
How do you all keep your catch before canning? I am usually camping for a few day when fishing?

Thanks,
Don

 

[SuperD]

Don,
Canning is a big process and not one I tend to do with just one or two limits of fish. I usually freeze a couple of trips worth before getting the canner out. Depending on where you fish, 1 fish per 1/2 pint jar is a rough rule of thumb. My canner holds 24 - 1/2 pint jars so I usually wait until I have around 30 fish to process. I can do a full canner load and maybe have a little left to do some patties for dinner that night.

 

[Drifterdon]

Thanks Dave for the quick reply.
Waiting for enough to make the canning process worthwhile is what I want to do also but wasn't sure if freezing the fish first was advisable or not.
Now i have to go find some other thing to worry about I guess

Don

 

[SuperD]

One of the nice things about canning the fish is that the level of cleaning preparation can be a lot less stringent. I clean the guts out, cut off the heads and freeze. When I get ready to can, I thaw, fillet off one side (bones and all), marinate over night and then put in the smoker. I smoke just long enough to be able to peel the skin and skeletal bones out of the rough cut fillets.

 

[Drifterdon]

Thanks again Dave,
That process sounds great.

 

[SuperD]

Fish in a brine the night before:

Fish after being in the smoker:

Fish picked and ready:

 

[Drifterdon]

I will look for your brine recipe but it looks like the brown suger brine I use for smoking Kings or Silvers.