canning fish? you can vary the flavor for more variety!

[kappydell]

This time of year is a good one in my fishing circles. When the weather cools, fishing from the shore can bring full stringers, especially when you fish for rough fish with few limits on the amount and size you can keep. And if you can them, many of the problems associated with rough fish (Y-bones, for one) disappear. The only thing is, when you can a lot of fish, it can get boring. So I dug up some taste-tested variations that can be used when canning fish to give you many more fish 'flavors'. (The measurements given are for pint jars of fish). Just add the ingredients to the jars and can as usual (there is no change in canning times for these additions).

Fake Smoked Fish
1/4 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
a couple squirts Tabasco (to taste)
1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon 'liquid smoke'
Add to pint jar of fish packed for canning.

Quick Flavor Variations
Simply add one of the following to each pint jar:
-2 slices of jalapeno pepper
-one chicken bouillon cube
-1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 4 TB Catalina salad dressing plus 3 slices jalapeno
-1 TB tomato soup, plus 2 TB white vinegar, plus 1 tsp salt
-1-2 dry bay leaves
-2 tsp dry chicken bouillon (granules) plus 1/2 tsp sage
-1/4 tsp cumin, plus 1/4 tsp garlic salt, plus 1/2 pod of dry red chili pepper
- 1 tsp dill weed

Another Fake Smoked Fish
Add to each 1/2 pint of canned fish:
1/4 tsp salt
2 TB brown sugar
1/8 tsp minced dry garlic
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
(you can, of course, double it up for pint jars)

Tomato Sauce (add to each pint jar)
1 1/2 tsp canning salt
1 TB white vinegar
1 TB tomato sauce (or ketchup, or tomato paste)
1 TB cooking oil
(Makes carp taste like salmon)

Mustard Sauce
For each jar of packed fish, combine in a separate bowl:
3 heaping TB prepared salad mustard (the bright yellow stuff)
1 cup water
Pour into the pint jar, filling 3/4th full around the fish.
To each jar, add:
1 1/2 tsp canning salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Fill the rest of the jar with vegetable oil, leaving 1 inch headspace.

Condiment Fish
Add per pint jar:
1 TB ketchup
1 TB oil
3/4 tsp salt
1 TB vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp McCormicks garlic pepper seasoning

BBQ Fish (add per pint jar tightly packed with cubed fish)
1 tsp salt
1 TB BBQ sauce (whatever you like best)
1 TB vinegar

For those that are curious about the oil, fish is one of the few things you can add oil to for canning. It helps keep the fish moister through the high-heat processing.

I will soon be engaging in my autumn fish-canning marathons. I use half-pints, because my roommate likes to fish, but won't eat them (all the more for me...!) so I can flavor them up at will. Mmmmm - fish, crackers, and a cold drink! Join me?

[PerryJeff]

Hi KappyDell,
The mustard sounds real good and i like the chicken bullion and cumin idea. Also your another smoke sounds very good have to try that.
The BBQ sounds like something a buddy of mine would like.
Thanks
Jeff