Pickling Pike

  • Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1793978

    I was able to get out and get some small pike and wanted to try to pickling them. Just curious if anyone could post their recipe and procedure. I have not done this before and heard it is great although never had herring everyone says this is much better.

    A few things I have read and would like to incorporate that have heard are really good is to use apple vinegar instead of normal also using like a white wine?

    Anyone have a recipe with that? Also plan on doing about half normal and then adding some spice to the others thoughts? Thanks in advance!

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11834
    #1793980

    thereis a reciepe posted here somewhere that is excellent. cant remember the thread title though.

    bigstorm
    Southern WI
    Posts: 1454
    #1793983

    here is a good one

    Cold Pickled Northern ( Or other white Fish )

    Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1793989

    Could you send this again? Looks like this just brings me to the main page.

    fishthumper
    Sartell, MN.
    Posts: 11931
    #1793996

    I posted a real good one many years ago. Not sure how to find it or link to it. Hopefully someone else can find and repost

    Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1793997

    Fishthumper was this the article?

    Cold Pickled Northern ( Or other white Fish )

    Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1794000

    Well apparently I dont know how to just post a different article, i thought just doing a copy paste of the URL it would work although just brings to the main page… I copy and pasted it below…

    May 8, 2015 at 2:19 pm
    #1542633
    With the Opener tomorrow I’m looking forward to getting out and getting a supply of some fresh Northern for a batch of fresh pickled fish. Thought I’d share a recipe I have that makes excellent and easy pickled fish. Here it is:

    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 )

    fishthumper
    Sartell, MN.
    Posts: 11931
    #1794001

    Thanks Mike. You found it faster than I could

    fishthumper
    Sartell, MN.
    Posts: 11931
    #1794009

    I know in the past others here have suggested freezing the fish prior to pickling them to kill worms or something. We have never done so, but it may be a good idea. I’m not sure if it will effect the quality or not. I’d think freezing and then thawing the fish will have some effect. Personally I cant see how any worms or other parasites could live thru the process. With the new regulations I hope lots of people will take advantage and start keeping lots of the smaller fish to pickle or just fry. I think it would help a lot of lakes to get the #’s of smaller fish out of the lakes.

    Rod Bent
    Posts: 360
    #1794074

    Fishthumper has the best pickled pike recipe that I have ever tried (sorry Dad). The UM extension site recommends to freeze pike for 48 hours so I do. They also say to cook the pike in the brine. I don’t!
    Just do what Fishthumper does and play with the salt/ sugar to taste. Thanks Fish!

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11834
    #1794180

    Fishthumper has the best pickled <em class=”ido-tag-em”>pike recipe that I have ever tried (sorry Dad). The UM extension site recommends to freeze pike for 48 hours so I do. They also say to cook the pike in the brine. I don’t!
    Just do what Fishthumper does and play with the salt/ sugar to taste. Thanks Fish!

    that’s the one I use also. super great reciepe!!!!

    only thing I changed was the 1 1/2 cups sugar……..I only use 1 cup per jar!!!

    Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1794231

    A few questions for you guys. Do you typically do the first step in a larger bowl say gallon? and let everything soak in the vinegar and pickling salt? That being said looking to do smaller jars to hand out a few to the guys I went fishing with whats the best way?

    Also I was reading on the other post about doing the first step in apple vinegar, have any of you tried that?

    Lastly would be I am not a huge fan of haring and want to make this doesn’t taste like that does this recipe AS IS taste like it or is it much better? I froze about 9 northern’s this past week from out trip thinking of trying 3 different batches in order to make sure it tastes what we were thinking.. Is there an amount of pickling spice and pickling salt used?

    Rod Bent
    Posts: 360
    #1794237

    The recipe gives amounts for pickling salt and pickling spice. The only thing that will vary is how much sugar you like. And it tastes nothing like herring!

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11834
    #1794246

    A few questions for you guys. Do you typically do the first step in a larger bowl say gallon? and let everything soak in the vinegar and pickling salt? That being said looking to do smaller jars to hand out a few to the guys I went fishing with whats the best way?

    Also I was reading on the other post about doing the first step in apple vinegar, have any of you tried that?

    Lastly would be I am not a huge fan of haring and want to make this doesn’t taste like that does this recipe AS IS taste like it or is it much better? I froze about 9 northern’s this past week from out trip thinking of trying 3 different batches in order to make sure it tastes what we were thinking.. Is there an amount of pickling spice and pickling salt used?

    nope, except for the sugar amount I do as the recipe calls and it’s never failed me!

    fishthumper
    Sartell, MN.
    Posts: 11931
    #1794585

    A few questions for you guys. Do you typically do the first step in a larger bowl say gallon? and let everything soak in the vinegar and pickling salt? That being said looking to do smaller jars to hand out a few to the guys I went fishing with whats the best way?

    Also I was reading on the other post about doing the first step in apple vinegar, have any of you tried that?

    Lastly would be I am not a huge fan of haring and want to make this doesn’t taste like that does this recipe AS IS taste like it or is it much better? I froze about 9 northern’s this past week from out trip thinking of trying 3 different batches in order to make sure it tastes what we were thinking.. Is there an amount of pickling spice and pickling salt used?

    I do all step in the Quart Jars that you will end up storing the finished fish in
    I hate picked herring and will eat jar after jar of this – Taste nothing like picked herring to me
    9 pike should make a nice batch of fish
    I have never tried apple cider vinegar – I doubt it would make much of a difference – but not sure.
    Let everyone know what changes you made and how it turned out

    Mike Baldwin
    Posts: 6
    #1796551

    Alright guys, I just did the second “phase” of the pickled process with the fish. I was a little concerned when I was doing this though… Quart jars I was having a hard time getting 1.5 cups of sugar in there I ended up just doing one. I had 3 jars for fish although I ended up needed an additional one by the time I added sugar and onions?

    Thoughts? I am hoping they taste good. it looks amazing in the jar – fish were firm when I went to wash them.

    Thoughts? Tips?

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