Brining, Smoking, and Canning Salmon

It’s my most favorite time of year, fishing season! After nine long months of winter, I am so ready for warm sunshine, green plants, and fat fish.

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.

 

Brine for Smoking Salmon

judyanneparker
Brine salmon overnight to smoke and can.

Equipment

  • 1 Smoker
  • 1 Pressure Canner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pickling salt (salt without iodine)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups fruit juice (not orange) I have used apple, cranberry, and grape. My favorite is a combination of apple and cherry. The proportions don't really matter as long as you have a total of 4 cups of juice.

Instructions
 

  • In the evening, mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl or container. (I use a small plastic tub, just be careful because it may leave a smell of fish in the tub if it is plastic.)
  • Place your fresh or defrosted fish into the brine and let it soak overnight unrefrigerated. (Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap if you have any curious kitties in your house.)
  • In the morning, rinse your fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Place fish on the smoker racks and put it in the smoker with your wood chips according to the manufacturer's directions.
  • Smoke fish for approximately two hours. (You can smoke longer if you want, but if you plan to can the fish, you don't want to dry it out. I only smoke it long enough to get the skin off easily.)
  • Once smoked, remove the skin from the fish and pack the meat into prepared jars. (Jars and lids must be clean.)
  • At this point, I add two to three slices of fresh jalapeno and garlic cloves into each jar. This is completely optional but it adds great flavor. Be sure to leave an inch headspace in the jars.
  • Wipe your jar rims with a damp paper towel to remove any fish remnants or juice. This is very important because your lids may not seal properly if you don't. Put on the lids and rings and tighten slightly.
  • Place jars inside your pressure canner and process according to your manufacturer's directions.

Notes

Please note that our smoker holds roughly four whole salmon that have been filleted. The brine recipe is very forgiving, and you can put more or less fish in the brine. Just be sure each piece is underneath the liquid. Also, each smoker and pressure canner is different, so consult your model's directions and follow them. 
Keyword Brine, Can, Salmon

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.

– Judy Anne Parker

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