what do I do with catfish?

[kappydell]

I was right about the sucker-provider, except it was his father who ate an entire jar in one sitting!

I told him any time he wanted more, let me know.

Tomorrow's "rough fish adventure" is to can some in 1/2 pint jars (roommate does not eat fish, though she loves to fish). I will be making plain, plus variations:

 

 

spicy "smoked" fish (to flavor one pint)

1/4 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves

a couple of squirts of Tabasco

1/4-1/3rd tsp liquid smoke

(Good stuff)

 

 

 

2 TB Catalina Salad dressing + 3 slices jalapeno per each pint of fish (halve for half pints)

 

 

 

2 tsp chicken bouillon powder per half pint (also good with 1/2 tsp sage added)

 

 

1 tsp dill weed; OR 1/2 clove garlic; OR 2 bay leaves; OR 1/4 tsp basil plus regular amt of salt (per half pint jars)

 

 

Tomato Sauce for Canned Carp (per pint)

1 1/2 tsp canning salt

1 TB white vinegar

1 TB tomato sauce

1 TB cooking oil

listed for carp to taste like salmon

 

 

Last but not least, sardine style Mustard Sauce (got smelt?)

Pack fish, then mix up (per pint jar):

3 heaping TB salad mustard

1 c water

fill jars 3/4 full with this sauce on the fish; then to each jar, add

1 1/2 tsp canning salt

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Fill rest of jar with veg. oil leaving 1 inch headspace

Process 100 min at 10 lb pressure or 70 min at 15 lbs.

Used with smelt (eviscerate, heads removed, packed upright in pint jars, skin side out).

(I love mustard sauce, will probably try it with cut up fish...)

 

When I consider how much I pay for a teeny can of fish, these will be worth the effort. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has excellent fish-canning info on the internet if you want more info on canning fish in half-pints, pints and quarts.

Edited September 15, 2013 by kappydell

[kappydell]

Well, I did the canning, but used pint jars because I have many more of them than money to buy half-pints. Oh my, but the flavors I tried for the fish turned out GOOOOD. They smelled wonderful as they canned and were delicious. I made the mock smoked catfish, some jalapeno pepper flavored ones, some barbecue sauced ones, and some carp (to-taste-like-salmon) ones (see above). I had to....the freezer was filled with catfish, and we went salmon fishing....got one coho salmon (12 lbs as he came from the lake) and 13 even bigger rainbow trout, from Lake Michigan! Took along the disabled folks we fish with and camped in a nearby state park for 3 nights ($14 a night), with big bonfires, and the works! (The park had excellent wheelchair access, and our site was reasonably close to the toilets and hot showers. For a couple retired ladies, we get around!) Once we cleaned, filleted and divvied up the fish it came to about 25 lbs of boneless fillets per couple. But I gotta say it...next year I'm taking my shopping cart...each stringer with "just" four 12-lb and up trout on it was a real test of character just to carry. One of these days I'll learn to work smart, not hard.

Edited October 16, 2013 by kappydell