Herring preparation
- Thread starter drhook
- Start date
From what I understand is that commercially packed herring are starved for days to tighten up the scales and toughen them, then electrocuted. Ones that I have caught myself and done, seem to be oily and don't keep as well. Maybe pack them in salt when you freeze them. This firms them up. Use non iodized salt or rock salt.
Alexievich
Member
I use the brining mixture in my bucket when I catch them (non-iodized salt, borax, skim milk powder and bluing). They seem to die really fast in the brined bucket ... and they get a head start on the rest of the prep.
I think I got the recipe form the Salmon U site.
When I take them home I do change the mix to a fresh batch, leave in the fridge overnight then pack (vacuum pack would be best) in ziplocks by size.
Cheers,
Alex
I think I got the recipe form the Salmon U site.
When I take them home I do change the mix to a fresh batch, leave in the fridge overnight then pack (vacuum pack would be best) in ziplocks by size.
Cheers,
Alex
drhook
Active Member
Thanks for the posts. I use that brining mixture from the Salmon U site for brining my purchased anchovys. It works well.
As for the live herring I'll be jigging up I'll try just dropping them in this mixture to die and then transferring them over to ziplocks (or maybe vacuum pack) for freezing.
As for Highliners question on vacuum packing, I was just over at a guide friend's place and he gave me some 2 1/2 year old halibut (I know, shame, shame,(I absolutely cringed)) that was vacuum packed and the stuff is still about 95% perfect! My wife and I had only a couple of bites where we thought that it tasted 'fishy'.
Vacuum packers are a godsend and stuff stays fresh in there for at least 2 years.
As for the live herring I'll be jigging up I'll try just dropping them in this mixture to die and then transferring them over to ziplocks (or maybe vacuum pack) for freezing.
As for Highliners question on vacuum packing, I was just over at a guide friend's place and he gave me some 2 1/2 year old halibut (I know, shame, shame,(I absolutely cringed)) that was vacuum packed and the stuff is still about 95% perfect! My wife and I had only a couple of bites where we thought that it tasted 'fishy'.
Vacuum packers are a godsend and stuff stays fresh in there for at least 2 years.
K
kippersnack
Guest
To kill them fast try a small amount of anti-freeze in the water bucket..they will die instantly. To preserve them lay them on a cookie sheet individually and freeze them solid. Place them in sealed bags and sprinkle with borax and keep frozen until ready to use.The borax should prevent any freezer burn although I have not kept bait in it for more than 6 or 7 months at a time.
5
5-Salt Fever
Guest
Just fill a 5-gallon or so cooler with sea water, couple cups of rock salt, couple cups of powered milk, and bag or two of cube or crushed ice.
Shake your jigged herring into the cooler and to chill and preserve. What ever you do avoid touching them until you are ready to freeze and them do so with rubber gloves to keep your human scent from contaiminating your bait. Remember salmon can smell on the order of parts per million.
Stop by your local meat counter for a stack of styro trays and vaccum pack them on the trays when you get home. The trick to preventing freezer burn is quick freezing to -20deg F so don't lump them in your freezer in one big pile - inter mix them between other previously frozen items. As well, consider putting some in your kitchen frig/freezer then transfer to storage freezer in garage after a couple of days. The faster they freeze the longer the will last in storage. That goes for all foods and bait.
If you can rig up a bait holding pen to starve them for 5-7 days so much the better.
Shake your jigged herring into the cooler and to chill and preserve. What ever you do avoid touching them until you are ready to freeze and them do so with rubber gloves to keep your human scent from contaiminating your bait. Remember salmon can smell on the order of parts per million.
Stop by your local meat counter for a stack of styro trays and vaccum pack them on the trays when you get home. The trick to preventing freezer burn is quick freezing to -20deg F so don't lump them in your freezer in one big pile - inter mix them between other previously frozen items. As well, consider putting some in your kitchen frig/freezer then transfer to storage freezer in garage after a couple of days. The faster they freeze the longer the will last in storage. That goes for all foods and bait.
If you can rig up a bait holding pen to starve them for 5-7 days so much the better.
drhook
Active Member
I read somewhere during my research that the best time to do that is when the bait is partially frozen. So I would probably suggest putting them in the freezer on trays until they are just getting hard and then taking them out (doning latex gloves to keep your scent off) and then taking your fillets off.
Anybody else have something to say on this?
Anybody else have something to say on this?
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