Does anyone here can? I'm thinking about investing in a pressure cooker / canner and trying my hand at canning my fish. In addition to my trip to the Gorge, I'm going to Alaska in July and figured I have a lot to practice with. Interested in hearing your techniques.
Canning Kokes
- Thread starter SuperD
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Fallriverguy
Well-known member
I have not tried it yet but have known several people that can Kokanee and they say it is fantastic.
I've tasted it and it is better than "fantastic." It sounds like a lot of work but everything good is.
Ive been canning for a few years. nice to have in the middle of winter for a salmon dip or salmon pattys. Just be carefull and follow directions that come with the canner. the canner I have will do I think 7-8 pint jars, a decent 4 year old koke will take a whole jar. when I know I'm going to can the salmon I skin them at the lake, the silver skinner thing of a bob with a knob on the side does a good job. In alaska you are probably going to get larger salmon, not sure how that will work out canninng them. When I have gone to alaska we vaccum packed and froze them, most place will rent you locker space for a freezer box, once deep froozen they make the journey home fine.
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
I've heard you shouldn't use a pressure cooker on a ceramic stove top. Anyone have experience with this?
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
Also, how much time are you looking at to do around 20 small koks?
SB, regarding the ceramic top, I'd consult the range manufacturer to get a better answer. A ceramic top would not effect the canners performance. If you can boil water on ceramic, you can generate enough het to can.
20 small kokes would likely be a full day effort. The actual "in canner" time is 100 minutes plus cool down. Depending on the size of your canner, you might be looking at 2 batches.
I agree probably 2 batchs and cool down is considerable and you don't want to rush the cool down. I think the ceramic is a no no also.
Kokanee Slow
Active member
I believe the problem with a ceramic stove top is the weight of the canner. Looking at canning/smoking recipes on "I Fish.net" many were using larger pressure cookers which tended to weigh 18 or more pounds (when they are empty). It appeared there was a danger with breaking the stove top.
I was doing some research and considering acquiring a pressure cooker/canner (one of the All American models) that would handle a good load of jars, but they all weigh too much (I have a ceramic stove top also).
Not sure I want to also invest in an outdoor stove burner large enough to handle the weight of a decent sized pressure cooker.
Steve
I was doing some research and considering acquiring a pressure cooker/canner (one of the All American models) that would handle a good load of jars, but they all weigh too much (I have a ceramic stove top also).
Not sure I want to also invest in an outdoor stove burner large enough to handle the weight of a decent sized pressure cooker.
Steve
SilverBullets
Super Moderator
After researching this a couple years ago, that's pretty much where I left off with the canning idea too. I'll just keep smoking and try out different brine's for now.thumbsup
I put yesterday's kokes in the brine this morning and tomorrow will be my first batch of canned kokes. Since I've never done it before, I'll be trying less than a full batch so that if I screw up, I didn't waste so much. I guess I'll need to find some honest taste testers to give me the feedback. I'll try to post some shots tomorrow after the first batch is complete.
Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
It might be better with bacon!!! laugh hyst
I tried my hand at canning some fresh kokanee salmon that I caught this weekend. Since it was my first try at canning anything, I expected to make a few mistakes and didn't disappoint myself. But for the most part, everything was good.
I brined the fish for 24 hours in a marinade of 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 apricot juice with a couple cloves of minced garlic. I then smoked the fish for about an hour and a half at 220 degrees.
Fish after being smoked:
Meat being peeled for jars:
I added a 1/4 tsp of canning salt and a couple pinches of additional spices to each jar before stuffing jars and putting in the canner for 100 minutes at 11 - 12 lbs of pressure.
After allowing the proper cool down, I found I had a couple jars that didn't seal because I over filled them and didn't allow enough room for expansion. So I'll have to watch that in the next batch. We ate the non sealed jars last night and they were delicious.
I brined the fish for 24 hours in a marinade of 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 apricot juice with a couple cloves of minced garlic. I then smoked the fish for about an hour and a half at 220 degrees.
Fish after being smoked:
Meat being peeled for jars:
I added a 1/4 tsp of canning salt and a couple pinches of additional spices to each jar before stuffing jars and putting in the canner for 100 minutes at 11 - 12 lbs of pressure.
After allowing the proper cool down, I found I had a couple jars that didn't seal because I over filled them and didn't allow enough room for expansion. So I'll have to watch that in the next batch. We ate the non sealed jars last night and they were delicious.
I smoked 18 nice Kokanee this morning and filled 37, half pint jars for the canner. I'm experimenting with a couple new recipes, one a friend told me about and the other I'm just making up. The first I'm calling "Wetback Red" and it has 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 TBSP salsa, 1 TBSP bottled water, 2 nacho sized jalepeno slices and 1/2 a bay leaf.
The second, my made up version, is 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of dill weed and 1 TBSP of bottled water.
The second, my made up version, is 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of dill weed and 1 TBSP of bottled water.
Kokanee Wizard
Active member
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Sounds interesting. How did you like the two recipies?
I liked the jalapeno and salsa the best. It turns out that the canning process, i.e. long exposure to high heat takes the flavors out of most spices. The jalapeno batch for example, had great flavor but didn't exhibit any heat. The dill batch was good but really didn't detect the dill flavor. After consulting a canning expert, I was told that most spices would be better realized by adding to the fish after canning / when it is served.
Cariboospeed
CANADA Kokanee Forum Moderator
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Just about to fire up the pressure cooker now.
I uses to have a big cooker and can salmon and whatever else I could catch or kill regularly..years ago. Going to try something a little different this time. I want to take a few already smoked fish smush them up and add some mayo and chopped up pickles just like my favorite sandwich spread, and can them like that.
I uses to have a big cooker and can salmon and whatever else I could catch or kill regularly..years ago. Going to try something a little different this time. I want to take a few already smoked fish smush them up and add some mayo and chopped up pickles just like my favorite sandwich spread, and can them like that.
Steve079
Active member
I think the heat may make the mayo separate, some of that stuff is probably best done after. What you can do, though, is smoke them, can them, then, take the smoked kokes, mix them up like you described, but seal them in a vacuum sealer. Use the bulk quart roll, make a tiny bag, and put enough of your mix in there for a sandwich, or on the bagels. Just cut a corner off, and squeeze it out. Keep it buried in the ice, until your ready to use it. If you don't use it, then freeze it for another time. It's da bomb.
Cariboospeed
CANADA Kokanee Forum Moderator
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I consulted Mom and she said the same thing, the mayo will go weird, and pickles would go mushy. So I canned up 8 half pint jars last night, just the way they were smoked, and they turned out very good. When I smoked them I made some funky brines and put bits of garlic on some, bacon strips on some and bits of onion on others. There's lots of flavour in them.
