But before I can start fishing, I must remove what’s left of last year’s fish to have room in the freezer for this year’s fish. So, I defrost all of it, then I brine, smoke, and can it in mason jars. Once canned, the fish will stay good for several years and I use it for salmon patties, pasta sauce, chowders, mini quiches, salmon spread, and more.

It’s a hard, multi-day process, but it isn’t complicated and the results are yummy and rewarding especially when you sit down to a delicious dinner of seafood chowder when it’s freezing outside.

After defrosting the fish, I mix up the brine solution and soak the fish in it overnight. In the morning, I rinse the fish, pat it dry, then put it in the smoker. Generally, I smoke each batch for about two hours. The fish will not be cooked yet but will finish during the canning process. I take off the skin, pack the fish into prepared jars, and then add a couple slices of fresh jalapenos and two or three garlic cloves. Be sure to leave an inch of headspace in the jar. Wipe off the jars, especially the top rim, and put the lids on. Now you are ready to can the fish according to your pressure canner’s specifications. Once processing is completed, place the jars on a towel on the counter and cover them with another towel to cool down slowly. After they have cooled, tap the middle of the lids. If any “pop” up and down, that means they did not seal. You can put those jars in the fridge and eat within a couple of days. The sealed jars are good to go and can be stored at room temperature for over a year.

I hope you will try this and let me know how it goes.