Pickled Pike Recipes?

A couple years back I tried pickling pike. The results were poor at best. The finished product was soft and the use of lemons in the pickling was an epic fail.

Any tricks to firm up the pike so not so mushy?

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I’ll dig up my grandmas recipe it is delicious

Len:

Here is a pair of threads

Cold Pickled Northern ( Or other white Fish )

Pickled Northern

Mark

I was just thinking of pickling a batch of crappies for the holidays. Now I have to go fishing.

Len I’ve had the opposite result on my recent attempts. Fish is much too firm. Used Dad’s recipe and he thought the same thing. Not sure if the brining is to blame or what. Recipe is similar to many that I’ve seen here. Don’t know enough about pickling “chemistry”.

Here is a recipe I posted on here a year or so ago. Not sure how to reference to an old post so I will just cut and paste the recipe:
Cold Pickled Fish
(Northern Pike or Other White Fish )

Note – This is a cold fish brine recipe – Do NOT use heat for any of the steps

Ingredients

Northern or other white fish. – As much as you want to make
White vinegar
White Sugar
Onions ( White or Yellow )
Pickling Salt
Pickling spice
Dried Red Pepper flakes
Garlic – optional
Hot Peppers – optional

Step 1 – Filet fish. You can leave the bones in the fillet. The bones will dissolve as it cures. Cut Fish into bite size pieces ( I like mine about 1”X1” )
Step 2 – Loosely pack fish pieces in quart glass ( Mason ) jar. Add 5/8 cup of pickling salt to each quart jar. Fill jar with white vinegar to completely cover the fish. Rotate, spin, and gently shake jar until the salt is fully dissolved. Refrigerate jars for 5 days. Once or twice each day rotate, spin, and gently shake each jar for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3 – At the end of the 5th day, remove fish from the jars. Rinse fish with cold water for 5 minutes and drain. Place fish in large pan with cold water and let stand for 1 Hr. Drain fish again.
Step 4 – Return fish to quart jars laying fish and onions ( If desired ) When jar is ½ full, Add 1 ½ cup white sugar, 2 Table spoons pickling spice ( either loose or in or in tied cheese cloth ) Dash of red pepper flakes, 1 Bay leaf. Continue to layer fish and onions ( if desired) until the jar is almost full. Fill the jar with White vinegar to fully cover the fish. Rotate, spin, gently shake until sugar appears to be all or mostly dissolved.

Note – You can add other ingredients during this stage as well – such as Garlic or peppers.

Step 5 – Return jars to the refrigerator for at least 1 week for best flavor. Each day remove and rotate, spin and gently shake for 1 minute.
Step 6 – After 1 week, eat fish as desired – Excellent with butter or saltine crackers.

Note – Store fish in refrigerator for up to 3 months ( If yours last that long )

The original post was dated May 8th 2015 ( longer ago than I thought ) It was titled Cold pickled Northern or other white fish. If anyone knows how to link it, There was lots of good Info. in that post

i had the same results Len, till i used fishthumpers reciepe and have been super happy!!!!!!!

however i thought a cup and a half of sugar was way to much and cut it back to one cup and it turns out just fine!!!!

i kind of forgot about this but the last batch i made i added a bit of crushed red peppers to a couple jars. man was that good. added just a bt of zing to the fish!!!!!!!!!!

Fish thumper receipe!!! And yes Tom I can catch fish!!

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Scavenge some carp did ya, Glenn? lol

Tom Sawvell wrote:

Scavenge some carp did ya, Glenn? lol

nope real fish! Pike!;

It’s also important to put the pike or whitefish fillets in the freezer for at least 3 days before making this recipe. Cold brining and pickling is not effective in killing some parasites like the broad leaf tape worm. But if you freeze it first you’re good to go.

tight_lines wrote:

Cold brining and pickling is not effective in killing some parasites like the broad leaf tape worm.

This is considered a supplement to dieting ala Glenn. Heck of a weight loss method according to him.

good one Tom!! I’m not a big believer in that tapeworm thing. I’ve froze most my fish before eating, but also eatin alit of pike straight out of the lake, and look at me I’m fine.

I tried Fishthumper’s recipe. Turned out great. Just did the basic with no peppers or garlic for my first attempt. Very tasty. Thanks Fishthumper.

I’ve added crushed red peppers to mine and adds a nice little flavor to the fish. I don’t add much but…………….

Here’s a recipe I’ve used that turned out really good.

Pickled Fish

6 lbs bite size fish
2 C white vinegar
Stir in 2/3 C canning salt
• Stir until dissolved
Pour over fish, let stand for 6 days
Drain, soak in fresh water overnight
Drain, pack in jars
• Fish/Onions

Boil
• 1 Quart white vinegar
• 2 C sugar
• 1TBS pickling spice
Let cool, add ½ C semi sweet white wine
Dump over fish, let stand for 2 weeks