How to dry fish at home

Dried fish fell in love with many people for its dense texture and relative ease of preparation. Experienced housewives prefer to handle the carcass in such a way as to increase the duration of storage. It is known that store products are crammed with stabilizers and preservatives, so it can hardly be called completely natural. It makes sense to consider the procedure of drying fish at home, which we will talk about today. This business has its own peculiarities regarding the choice of raw materials and its preparation for further manipulations.

 How to wriggle a fish

The right choice of fish for drying

Many housewives are faced with the question: "What fish to choose?", And it is not surprising. The variety of varieties is impressive, but not all are suitable for processing in this way.

  1. Fans of dried product argue that you can use both fresh and frozen raw materials.In this case, the latter option is suitable only after complete thawing at room temperature.
  2. Experienced housewives brought their own varieties of fish, the most suitable for drying in the home. These include Argentina, capelin, crucian carp (sea), perch, halibut, flounder, herring, sprat, sprat, sardine, mackerel, slab, sprat, horse mackerel, slab.
  3. Other varieties such as hake, roach, ram, carp, bream, roach, sabrefish, shemai, ide, chub, sop, etc. will be suitable. However, these types of fish will not be able to fully convey the taste of the dried product.
  4. It is important to remember forever that of all the names mentioned, special attention is paid to sardines, herrings, flounder, horse mackerel, sprat, halibut and herring. They cannot be harvested in large quantities, since the consistency itself quickly disappears. The listed varieties after processing are stored for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator and not longer than 4 days at room temperature. At the same time, other breeds are stored up to six months in the refrigerator and about 3 months at room temperature.
  5. If we talk about the weight category, the weight of the carcass should not exceed the mark of 1 kg. It is important to evaluate the smell of fish, the product should not smell like antibiotics, oil or other harmful substances.Evaluate the walls of the belly, they should not go inwards (after pressing the body of the fresh carcass returns to its original position).

Preparation of fish for drying

  1. A distinctive feature of cooking fish using this technology is that the carcass is not required to be cleaned or gutted. The main thing is to choose a fresh, suitable in size catch, then pickle and dry it properly.
  2. In the process of drying the pulp absorbs fatty tissue, which is located under the scales. This move gives the finished product a soft and pleasant aftertaste. Many are interested in the question of whether there are differences between the technology of curing in the summer and winter. There are no serious aspects, but there are basic features.
  3. In the summer, it is recommended to monitor sanitation and prevent insects from entering the carcass cavity. In the warm season, experienced housewives prefer to gut fish, so that the open belly could be clearly seen. Also in summer, the fish feed on algae, which gives bitter bitterness to the final product.
  4. To prepare the fish for drying in the summer, make a solution of table vinegar and water (proportions 1: 5).Gut the carcass, rinse it under the tap (cold water), leave to soak for a quarter of an hour. Allow time for the fluid to flow. In winter, it is not necessary to chop raw materials, it is enough to wash the fish and dry with paper towels.
  5. To ensure a uniform salting of the pulp of a large carcass, cut it along the ridge and flatten it in one plane. Some housewives prefer to chop fish with steaks, it all depends on personal preference.

Fish drying technology

The cooking process is not particularly difficult and includes the main steps. The first step is salting and soaking the fish, then the carcass is dried in a place with good circulation and relative humidity. Consider each step in more detail, we select the main thing.

Stage number 1. Salted fish

Recipe 1. Rinse the carcass thoroughly with water, transfer to a platter and put in the cold for 2 hours. After the expiration date, prepare deep tare, lay the carcasses in one row, evenly distributing the fish along the bottom of the tank. Powder raw materials with copious amounts of salt. To make the final product tasty and rich, you cannot save on salt.

 Salting fish for drying

Following the first row of fish goes second, the manipulations are repeated until the whole container is filled with salted carcasses. Leave the container at room temperature until juice appears.

Many believe that an excessive amount of salt will adversely affect the result, but this statement is extremely erroneous. The main failure of beginner housewives lies in the fact that they add a little salt. In this case, the dish is tasteless.

After a certain period of time, you will notice that the fish gave the juice. This characteristic characterizes the beginning of salting. After that, move the container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

Recipe 2. There is another recipe for pre-salting in liquid. To do this, wash the carcasses, dry them with paper napkins / towels, rub each fish with a large amount of salt.

Put the raw material in a deep container, fill it with a solution of room temperature, place it under a press. To prepare the brine, mix 120 gr. salt and 480 ml. filtered water, bring to dissolve the crystals.

Determining a sufficient amount of salt is simple: remove one carcass, send it to a container with fresh water.If the fish surfaced, proceed to the following manipulations.
(drying). In cases where the product sinks, it contains too much salt. Soak the raw materials in ordinary water until the extra ingredient is “washed”.

Stage number 2. Curing process

  1. First, prepare the necessary inventory. You will need a strong thread (twine), fish will be strung on it. Wooden boxes and gauze will be required, which will prevent insects from entering and provide air flow.
  2. After salting, lay the carcasses on parchment paper or album sheets for partial drying. Next, proceed to stringing, armed with a needle and thread. Pass the gypsy needle through the eye holes of the fish, directing the backs of the carcasses to one side.
  3. It is important to string "raw materials" in such a way that the bodies do not touch each other. If we talk about the number of carcasses per bundle, it should not exceed the mark of 15 heads (small samples). With regards to larger specimens, their number is usually 5-6 pieces.
  4. Proper drying of fish is carried out in the open air (in summer) and in the kitchen (in winter).The box is required for drying carcasses in the warm season, you can put it on the loggia or balcony, covering the fish with gauze. If it is cold outside, hang the bundles near a gas or electric stove.
  5. The duration of the procedure varies depending on the size of the carcasses. To prepare a big fish you need about 3-4 weeks. In the case of small specimens, the curing process takes 15–20 days.
  6. On the readiness of the product will tell you the appearance. On the surface of the carcass should not be the remnants of salt, while the fat protrudes out. Also, the “dead” carcass has no dry areas of meat, its skeleton is peeped out with a daylight lamp.
  7. If the fish meets the above requirements, remove it from the string and wrap the parchment paper. Send to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for final maturation. The duration of exposure in this case is 20 days.

Practical advice

 How to dry fish

  1. The most delicious are those fish that have a wide layer of fat. For this reason, it is recommended to carry out a careful selection before starting to dry.
  2. To eliminate the unpleasant smell of silt immediately after catching,put all carcasses in a deep bucket or container. Put inside the fresh branches of nettle, leave for 30-45 minutes in a cool place.
  3. In the process of gutting large individuals, remove only the gills and intestines, leave everything else unchanged. As mentioned earlier, actions are held in the summer or at will in the winter.
  4. If drying is carried out in the warm season, vegetable oil will help scare away insects. Lubricate the surface of the carcass with them and leave to absorb. Acetic solution acts in a similar way (100 ml. Of the composition per 1.3 l. Of drinking water).
  5. The optimum level of humidity is considered to be in the range of 70-80%. At the same time, choose a dark room for drying fish with sufficient air circulation.
  6. Wasps and flies fly only to fresh, recently hung fish for drying. To avoid such consequences, send the twigs with the carcasses to the balcony in the late evening, by morning the composition will grab with a crust.
  7. To perform accelerated drying, open the belly of the carcass, gut the fish. Secure it in the open state with matches (remove the heads beforehand) or with toothpicks.

The process of drying fish at home has a number of features that are important to consider. Choose a carcass with a large fat layer under the scales.In the summer time, dry the product under gauze by smearing the surface with vegetable oil or vinegar. Consider dry and wet methods of pre-salting, choose a suitable option for yourself.

Video: how to fish fish

2 votes, on average: 3,00 out of 5
We advise you to read
  •  Marinated zucchini for the winter

    Marinated zucchini for the winter: 4 recipes

  • How to cook pea soup to pea boil soft?

  • How to freeze pepper for the winter

  •  Avocado Smoothie

    Avocado Smoothies: Cooking Recipes

  •  How to bake a quince in the oven

    How to bake a quince in the oven: 3 recipes

  •  How to make pumpkin oil

    How to make pumpkin oil at home

  •  How to fry Bulgarian pepper

    How to fry Bulgarian pepper

  •  How to freeze parsley for the winter

    How to freeze parsley for the winter?

  • ...



leave a comment

To send

 avatar

No comments yet! We are working to fix it!

No comments yet! We are working to fix it!

Diseases

Appearance

Pests