Descaling salmon with a pressure washer

K

knotoncall

Member
Don't know if this is common knowledge or if its something I stumbled on but I've been using a high pressure washer to descale fish for processing for a few yrs. Slickest thing you've ever seen. For smoking or canning where you might want to leave the skin on or just to be able to hold onto the fish & remove the slime for further processing. My pressure washer is about 1200 psi & 1 3/4 gal per minute. Just position the salmon tail towards you so your shooting into the scales. It will descale a 30 lb spring in about two to three minutes. Clean as a whistle. Your can even remove the coloration from the skin so it looks like doeskin leather. Won't ever perforate the skin as long as the nozzle is held at an angle. Take the messiest & time consuming part (especially on the old springs)of processing & makes it the easiest part.
 
I have watched guys do this at Westport with just a strong garden hose at the cleaning stations. It really works well. I always fillet my salmon lengthways, so I don't care about scales. I put the skin side down in foil when cooking. Another neat trick is to cut the two fillets off of the sides of the salmon. Next, cut them crossways about 4" wide. Then cut it again in the middle all of the way to the skin, but not through the skin. Fold it so the skin is back to back. Looks like a nice crosscut fillet.
 
No! Won't damage the meat. Not even a bit. Water won't penetrate the skin at all unless you make a determined effort to do so. Knowing what I do & I was one of you good ole boys on the coast that fish all the time, I wouldn't be without one!
 
Been doing it for years , thought everyone knew of the method , my mistake should have posted some time ago.....sorry.

AL
 
Yea, i just also do that but with just with a regular garden hose and nozzle. Works like a damn. Good call to post it though as Im sure not every one knows about it.
 
Been there done it but if you dont have a pressure washer handy what I always use and works great is a stainless steel wire brush I have one on my boat which is labeled just for that fish only it gets them of very very fast especially at the marina where the washer isnt handy.

Good luck Wolf
 
The wire brushes work really well, at a marina i visit they have brushes with stiff plastic bristles and that works great. Only takes a few lengths of the fish and its done.

my garden hose isnt strong enough, but im interested to try out the pressure washer
 
Concerened you may like scales in your food but I personally dont just like the back bones in canned salmon yuck if I do canned not often I scale the salmon and fillet it its suposed to be mushy dont want the crunch in it.

Also when you do scale fish you get the bacteria and the slime and scales off in one action for a nice clean product and isnt that what we all try to accomplish when we are going fishing???????


Good luck Wolf
 
Sure glad you said it! If you use a garden hose & brush to clean the fish thats fine (I've done plenty) but really what I'm saying is that the pressure washer takes the exterior of fish cleaning to a whole higher level. Want to drive a Lada then go ahead. Suggest you TRY IT!
 
Not a thing! As long as you don't mind slime all over you & scales flippin back into your eyelids & everywhere else & soaking wet shoes & the odd occasional salmon catapolting out of your hands permanantly into the drink, than really they drive just fine.
 
My old lady won't eat canned salmon with bones and skin/scales so I do the complete fillet thing before jaring. As for scales, however, it is certainly each to his/her own but I personally don't like them in my meal. As for descaling methods, I have used both the pressure wash and wire brush methods with success. What about the beer caps nailed to the stick method!?!? LOL.
 
I don't scale my fish and OK with bones in canned salmon. I don't notice scales in my canned salmon, I think they disintegrate.
 
Concerned I am talking home use not commercial production of course they are going to use scales, bones and crap salmon they want as much product in the jar as possable less waste and more product which means more $$$$$$$$$$$$$, I was saying for me personally I hate bones in salmon and scales just like a bit of egg shell in my srambled eggs LOL its a personal preference

I dont even can anymore I think its a waste of fish(personally speaking) your bleaching out the flavor when you can salmon,if I want sanwich meat I cook a bit extra fileted salmon and make sandwiches with that it tastes way better!!!! I cook a lot of salmon poached in white wine and garlic and fresh herbs after its cold all you do is add some mayo and there you have it.

As a cook knowing what I know about food toxins and poisons and such and the training I do have you dont really want to know what is on a salmon, one word coho burn and how you get it and ever look really really close in a hali LOL its not pretty but cooking food does wonders.


Good luck Wolf
 
Ok got it, same to you enjoy the holidays


Wolf
 
Wolf, please clarify your poaching salmon. Poach in white wine & garlic? Then add what herbs? Sounds great, infact I am going to try it on steelhead tomorrow. In fact I will start a favorite recipe thread.
 
Just went to a x-mas party ill explain the recipe tommorow ok till then



Wolf out
 
Too funny there C.S. yeah I think I dont need too LOL

Hstat i posted the recipe for you on your other post

Good luck Wolf
 
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