How to wither fish in winter in the cold. How to dispose of the catch on a "fish day"? cold drying of fish - how to dry properly according to GOST

18.04.2020

Those who have read the bible of the Russian amateur fisherman, that is, "Works on Fishing" written by L. P. Sabaneev, remember that the author quite often gives advice on how to preserve and prepare freshly caught fish so that it will shine on the table with the best taste later.
This is the topic I would like to add here, based on my personal experience, because what I want to talk about was not yet recognized as gastronomy in the time of Sabaneev, that is, a product of exquisite cuisine ...
It's about cooking dried fish. I live in the lower reaches of the Volga, not far from the Caspian Sea. For a long time, our places have been known throughout Russia for dried and smoked fish, the vobla and ram are especially famous. Both of these fish are a kind of common roach, they spawn in the Volga, and live and eat off in the coastal waters of the Caspian Sea. Vobla can reach 1 kg of weight, is fat, the meat is reddish. The ram will be somewhat smaller, but wider in shape, reminiscent of a young bream. Vobla and ram were always abundant, the Volgarians caught and catch them in the spring during spawning, salted and dried the stock for the whole year.
Gradually, a whole culture of ways and techniques of such blanks developed, small, but very interesting discoveries in this matter were made. For example, in the time of Sabaneev, saberfish and blue bream (a skinny and bony brother of bream) were considered waste fish, which were sometimes consumed by the "poorest classes" only out of strong need. And indeed, boiled and fried sabrefish and blue bream are bony muck, but if you wilt them correctly, then the best roach turns pale in front of them! Absolutely the same can be said about the famous Don Rybtsa.
I have tried a lot of dried dried meat in my life, for the most part it was bad, it was a pity for the fish spoiled by it through inability. But when I came across masterpieces, I did not calm down until I tried to find out all the secrets of their preparation. And the secrets turned out to be extremely simple!
Almost all amateur fishermen, if they want to wilt the fish, sprinkle their catch with salt or pour it with brine, hold it for a little while and hang it out on the street. Some of the fish will spoil the flies, the other part will dry out somehow, and salt will appear on the scales, and if the weather is hot, then the fat ... Moreover, this fat will turn slightly rancid, which will give the taste a bitter unpleasant astringency.
The real dried dried meat has clean and shiny scales, dry to the touch, all the fat is inside, the fish is therefore transparent to the light, the skeleton is visible, the meat is not fibrous, dense, but not tough, and accordingly, the taste is very ... edible ...
In our places, many owners have aluminum or wooden barrels in basements and garages. On the spring fishing season, these men either catch themselves or buy at a cheap price freshly caught roach, ram, blue bream, sabrefish, bream, in general, whatever happens, and then let it all into their barrels, where strong brine is already poured. When the dry winter cold sets in, this fish is taken out, soaked from excess salt and hung with garlands outside the windows and on the balconies. That's the whole secret! There are no flies in the cold, fat does not evaporate - only water, - the meat does not spoil either. This method was discovered by the Astrakhan people, because the vobla for them is also earnings, you need to please the buyer. First, they dried the spring vobla in their cellars with glaciers and ventilation, it’s dark there, the flies won’t sit down, it’s cool, the fat won’t go rancid. But you can't prepare a lot like that, and the demand for roach in autumn and winter is higher. So they thought of drying it in the winter, and then keeping it all year round in cold cellars and sell as required.
Quite often I go to my friends and relatives in Kostroma and the Vologda region, I bring them our dried vyalenka as a gift: roach, ram, sabrefish, etc. These gifts of mine are always welcome. There, after all, the fish was never dried, sometimes only the housewives, if there is a lot of fresh fish fines, will keep it in brine, then in a pot and in the oven of a hot but cooling stove. The fish then easily fall apart in the hands, the meat separates from the bones and crumbles, the taste is salty, but very mediocre. This fish is also served with beer in cheap eateries in the Baltic states.
Meanwhile, in the rivers of Vologda and Kostroma, as well as in the rivers of the Moscow region, there is a local species of roach, its name is soroga. This is a small, palm-length, narrowish fish, but when it gets fat, it can be very round. Once I spent almost a month in the Vologda region, the second half of September and the first half of October. And it gets colder in these places early ... Every day I was fishing on the Sukhona river. A lot of good greasy sorghum was caught. The catch was usually piled in the hallway of the house where he lived, no need for a refrigerator. Once he took all the soroga caught in three days, put it in a saucepan: a layer of salt, a layer of fish, a layer of salt, a layer of fish ... Then he covered it with a plate, put a jar of water on it for weight. A day later, the fish gave juice, brine in our opinion. So she lay in my juice for three days. Then I took it out, washed it and put it in clean water for three hours to swim. After that, I hung out the rope with this fish outside, on the first frost. Two and a half weeks later, he took off this bundle, warmed it up in the room, bought a beer and called relatives with friends to take a sample. After trying, everyone agreed that they had never eaten such a glorious vobla before! Yes, this is not a roach, I say, but your primordial soroga ...
I surprised them then, and now I remember with pleasure. And also in letters from there now they regularly tell me who dried the sorogi how many in winter, as I have taught.
Mikhail Goldreer

On the picture:
2. Dried soroga.
3. Lick your fingers!

Dried fish is delicious and useful product... For cooking, fresh fish does not need to be heated; the ambient atmosphere is sufficient.

The meat of dried fish is dry and firm, it is not for nothing that it is often called dried. It is stored for a long time without requiring special conditions.

This is a great snack to be served with the set table or to take with you on your travels.

Dried fish is called fish, which, after preliminary salting, is dried in natural conditions.

Slow drying in the open air or in a well-ventilated area changes the properties of the fish and gives it a pungent, piquant taste. This process is also called drying.

Slow dehydration in combination with environmental influences leads to a gradual ripening of the meat:

Protein tissues are saturated with fat and become dense and elastic.
The pulp looks translucent and takes on a beautiful amber color.
Caviar turns into a particularly tasty grainy delicacy.

In general, the piquant taste and pungent spirit of dried fish is unique and easily recognizable. The silky skin with silvery scales is easy to remove and the salty strips of meat can be eaten.

What kind of fish can you dry at home?

Not every fish gives good result when drying and drying.

It is necessary to take such varieties, the meat of which is able to ripen correctly, acquiring a specific consistency and smell characteristic of a dried product.

Small breeds, which are considered of little value in industrial fishing, have excellent taste in dried form. These are vobla, ram, sabrefish, silver bream and other species related to the so-called chaschikovs. Of the larger ones, we recommend bream, pike perch, catfish.

The best quality is fresh fish salted on the day of fishing. The catch, which was stored in an insufficiently cold place, may already be "smelly". Such "bear-like" drying is popular among northern peoples, but unusual people may not like this result.

Sometimes frozen and then thawed fish are dried. It is recommended to buy mackerel, herring, flounder, halibut. You can also freeze your own catch for subsequent drying.

Fish of medium and high fat content is the most delicious. Its quality is highly dependent on the season. Before spawning, the fat content is higher, so a catch taken in early spring or winter is recommended for drying.

Preparing fish for proper drying

The scales are never peeled off, and the smaller fish does not need to be gutted. Fat in the abdomen and viscera gives a more intense flavor.

In herbivorous species, the insides are taken out in the summer, since the contents of the stomach quickly deteriorate and give the abdomen bitterness.

Large specimens are cut completely. They are gutted, leaving the skin and scales intact. The abdomen is left intact to keep the fat inside. To remove the viscera, a longitudinal incision is made along the dorsal fin. Do not rinse the cut carcass and its parts with water.

We dry fish in the summer at home: the stages of preparation

The drying process is based on many years of experience and has a certain sequence of actions, which differ only in details.

Salting. Produced in any suitable container. The fish is sprinkled with salt or poured with saline and placed in the cold until it is salted.
Rinsing and soaking. Cold fresh water is used, the time depends on the duration of salting.
Drying directly. Occurs naturally or with the use of any devices.

Summer salting methods

In addition to salt and utensils suitable for food products, nothing is needed for salting. Any vessel of sufficient volume made of steel, glass or plastic will do. It is important to choose the right grade of salt. Coarse, when dissolved, slowly picks up moisture from the fish, which is required before drying. Fine salt penetrates the meat too quickly and does not dehydrate.

Dry method

When drying large specimens weighing more than a kilogram top scores are achieved by the dry salting method.

The fish carcass is freed from the entrails by cutting from the side of the back, and cleaned with a rag.
The internal cavities are salted abundantly, but without frills.
Carcasses are laid out in dense rows in a basket or box, the bottom of which is covered with a layer of fabric. They are laid according to the rule: head to tail and belly up.
Sprinkle with salt again, right on top of the scales. In total, you need to prepare about 1.5 kg of salt per 10 kg of fish.

Closing with a flat lid, the contents are pressed down with oppression - a stone or a jar of water.

Oppression helps to get rid of air bubbles that harbor harmful bacteria. Meat also compresses better under pressure.

Salting in a cool place takes 5 to 10 days. Gradually, juice begins to stand out, which flows through the cracks in the bottom. This is where the name "dry" technology comes from.

From small fish, which is also sometimes dry salted, the insides do not need to be removed. The cloth is spread out on a firm base and the fish are carefully laid on top of it, one by one. Sprinkle them with salt, wrap them with the same rag and press them down with a load. The fabric allows the resulting juice to pass through and allows it to flow out.

Wet way

The fish are closely placed in a saucepan or basin, after sprinkling the bottom with salt. They act according to the scheme: back to stomach and head to tail.
All layers are alternately sprinkled with salt, including the top one. Salt consumption is planned at the rate of 1 kg per 10 kg of fish.
Gourmets prefer a mixture of salt with a spoonful of sugar. It makes the taste of the product more exquisite.
The entire mass is pressed through the lid with oppression.

Brine begins to appear shortly after salting. After 1-2 days, it rises above the top layer and can even flow out of the container. While salting continues, the dishes are placed in the cellar. It is necessary to keep the temperature low, otherwise meat may deteriorate, which has not yet reached the salt.

In urban conditions, they use a refrigerator, and on a hike, a depression in the ground, covered with branches.

Smaller fish are salted quickly, 1-2 days are enough for them. Those that are larger will need a week. When the fish is ready, its meat seems to harden, and the back is attracted to the spine. If you pull on the head and tail, you can feel a crunch. If the test result is negative, it is left in the brine for another day. The remaining brine after the process can be poured out or used next time.

Tuzluchny way

Before starting brine salting, the fish is collected on twine using a needle. Ready-made drops are dipped in brine - brine, they must be completely covered with liquid. It is enough for small fish to lie down for 2-3 days. In the belly of large specimens, a salt solution is additionally pumped with a syringe.

To prepare a solution, 350 g of salt are diluted in a liter of water. You can add the brine left over from the previous salting or even from the purchased spicy salted herring.

It is believed that a raw egg does not sink in a properly prepared brine solution.

The speed of salting depends on the weight of the fish, its thickness, and the permeability of the skin. At room temperature 20 ° С approximate salting time:

with a weight of 2-3 kg one week;
with a weight of less than 500 grams, 2-3 days;
very small fish like tulka will be enough for one hour.

Readiness is determined in the same way as for the wet method. If the longitudinal stretching of the fish is silent, it means that the salt has not yet reached the vertebrae, so they do not creak. The meat of a well-salted fish does not resist pressing with a finger; if you press on the back, a hole remains.

The fish taken out of the brine is left to lie down, for large specimens it takes several hours. The salt inside will disperse evenly, and the result will be better.

Soaking in fresh water

Soaking is done after salting in order to desalinate the outer layers of the meat. Dried skin will not damp during storage. Therefore, this step should not be skipped, even if no excess salt is observed. Estimated time calculation: an hour of soaking for every day of salting.

The countdown of the soaking time begins already when the fish is washed from mucus and salt residues. You can wash it by hand or with a sponge, but gently.

The scales should not fly off; they protect the inner tissues.

The fish is placed in a large container with cold water, where after a while it floats to the surface. This means that the desired state has been achieved, and after drying it will be lightly salted and transparent amber.

Very long soaking of large, oily fish can spoil it. The outer layers are soaked from prolonged exposure to water. It is advised to take out the fish for the same period of time every few hours and then put it back.

Drying rules in different conditions

Experience shows that it is most convenient to dry the fish by stringing it onto a wire or cord. Low-fat varieties can be suspended by passing twine through the tail. On the contrary, bream or pike perch should be positioned upside down by pulling the needle and string through the eye opening. Then the tasty fat will not leak out of the abdomen. The fish is also dried on wire hooks or impaled on nails or thin rods.

Outdoors

Fish dried in good weather in the open air turns out to be the most delicious. A cool spring day with a temperature of 18-20 ° C can be considered ideal. Bottoms are hung in the open air on horizontal slats, in open boxes, etc.

It is desirable that the fish hang with their belly outward and do not move close to each other. Small varieties like tulka are dried on a horizontally stretched net.

In the hot sun, the fish can "cook" or start to deteriorate before it dries up. Also valuable fat will flow out of it. Therefore, it is better to hang the drop in the shade or under a canopy. In case of short-term rain, they can be hidden under an awning. If it becomes very cold and damp, it is better to move the catch indoors.

In a cool cellar

The cellar is often used as a cool place during salting. But small fish can be hung there after they have been removed from the brine. True, then you will have to dry it in a warmer place.

Large fish dry slowly and under normal conditions may turn rancid before they are completely dry. Due to the low temperature in the cellar, the drying process there can take 2-3 weeks. The product obtained in this way is distinguished by its high taste.

On the balcony and loggia

Ventilated balconies can be adapted for drying if necessary, especially in rainy and cold weather. First, the fish is suspended so that the juice flowing out of it does not stain the floor, for example, above the basin. After that, it is hung along the walls of the loggia or the lower legs are stretched across.

It is better when the fish is dried in a draft, so the windows are slightly opened even in cold weather. If the temperature on the balcony is much higher when the windows are closed, then they do not need to be opened.

In the attic

A well-ventilated attic is an almost ideal place for drying. It heats up through the roof but stays cool thanks to the drafts. Bunches of fish are protected there both from direct rays of the sun and from rain. Also in the attic there is usually a lot of space under the roof for hanging ropes. You just need to raise them high enough so that the cats do not get it.

In the room

Many people do not like to dry fish in the room because of the inevitable smell, but sometimes there is simply no other way out. It may not be as fragrant as dried in the summer in the garden, but lovers are satisfied with its taste. Heating devices help drying out quite well.

To speed up the process, you can put a fan on the battery. Also, a small amount of fish can be attached over a gas stove.

In the oven

The fish is evenly distributed in parallel rows on the wire shelf. You can lay down the foil. The temperature regulator is set to no more than 80 ° C, otherwise the fish will simply be baked. The oven door for ventilation is left ajar 5-7 cm. After two hours, cover the heads with foil and leave the oven on for another 4-6 hours. The dried fish is hung up and dried to the final result for another one or two days.

In an electric dryer

Any electric dryer with a convective principle of operation, in which the heating is turned off, is suitable. The fish is kept in a dryer at temperatures up to 30 ° C. Otherwise, it is steamed and the meat begins to lag behind the bones.

The blowing of air from the fan provides drying, which lasts about two days. It will not be possible to escape the smell in the room, but the result will be quite acceptable dried fish.

How long does it take to dry and how to determine readiness?

The temperature and humidity of the air, as well as the size of the fish, affect how long it takes to dry the fish. The smallest fish have a chance to sink in a couple of days, but more often it takes about one or two weeks. A large one can dry for more than a month.

The fish does not need to be overdried; it is better not to overdry it just a little. The easiest way to determine readiness is to taste.

If the meat is still not dry enough, leave it hanging for another day.

Correctly and completely dried meat is translucent, it is dense and elastic, with a greasy sheen.
There are no salt crystals on the scales, the skin is strong and easy to remove.
Freshly dried fish has a specific pungent aroma that stimulates the appetite.

Dried fish can be eaten immediately after drying, but for full maturation, it must lie in the cold for 3-4 weeks, wrapped in a rag or parchment. After lying down, it will acquire its final full-fledged taste and aroma.

How to get rid of flies

The smell of dried fish quickly collects insects. Flies and wasps not only crawl on the skin with scales and feed on meat. Worst of all, the flies lay their eggs in the still not dried fish, and instead of dried eggs, maggots may appear in its stomach.

In the spring, while the flies are not yet visible (or in the fall, when they are no longer there), you can safely dry the fish. The rest of the time it is recommended to hang it up in the evening, then by morning it dries up and the flies do not precipitate it so much. In an attempt to escape from flies, the drying places are covered with a net, the scales are smeared with oil, a weak solution of vinegar. Sometimes fish is hung outside, which has already been dried in a closed room.

How to dry fish in winter?

In winter, it is not possible to achieve the same quality as drying in summer. Correct maturation takes place in the open air at low humidity. In winter, it is too warm at home, the process is faster, and the meat does not have time to acquire transparency and amber shine.

Balconies, attics, kitchens and even living rooms are used for drying. The main problem with winter drying is the smell. He is omnipresent and sneaks everywhere. But there is no need to be afraid of an invasion of flies.

When drying in winter, it is better to use the dry method. The fish is salted, washed and hung up to drain in the bathroom, and then the bundles are placed in a convenient place.

You can, for example, hang it near a radiator or stove. But under the ceiling in the kitchen, the fish will also dry up in five days. It will not be possible to dry a large amount in this way, since there is simply nowhere to hang these fragrant garlands at home.

Is it possible to dry fish in frost?

For drying fish, a temperature above freezing is desirable. Severe frost destroys tissue.

But the process of freezing moisture also occurs at sub-zero temperatures.

The winter catch can be hung on the balcony or under a canopy. Although slowly, it will dry out, after which it will be necessary to dry the fish in the apartment. Thus, it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain a high quality product, but for amateurs it turns out to be a completely acceptable delicacy.

When handling and storing the catch, experienced fishermen take into account the details to make the process easier and more efficient:

When salting, large specimens are placed on the bottom of the dish, and small ones on top.
Carcasses of the same size are strung on one cord. Then she will be ready at the same time.
To dry the house faster, the abdomens are opened by inserting toothpicks.
In winter, they make a frame box for hanging. Together with the frame, the fish can be moved from place to place.
Balyk can be prepared from large fat specimens by drying.
If the fish becomes damp due to improper storage and acquires a musty aftertaste, it can be washed in a weak salt solution and dried again.

Drying fish is a simple and effective process. Over time, experience is gained that allows you to make the most of the available conditions and opportunities. It is necessary to carefully monitor how the properties of the fish change during drying. Then you get a delicious and aromatic delicacy that can be served both to festive table, and use at a warm friendly meeting.

In this video, an avid fisherman shares tips on how to properly dry fish.

Only in the Slavic countries there is a cult of drinking beer with salted dried fish. For foreigners, this product is a delicacy, but having tried it at least once, they can no longer refuse it. Avid anglers probably know how to dry fish, but for beginners, this article can be useful.

Preparation steps and drying itself

Ingredients:

Cooking method:

Most suitable for drying are bream, ram, silver bream, roach, sabrefish and carp. These types do not reach large sizes, so they are ideal for drying. The freshly caught product must first be rinsed well and only then proceed to soaking.
Having poured a layer of coarse common salt on the bottom of the basin, lay out the fish in layers, preferably with a jack, in order to get a perfectly even clutch.
Each layer must be sprinkled with salt, and it must cover it completely. The final stage of the future beer snack is covered with a lid from an enamel pan. It must be remembered that it must fit the size of the pelvis.
Now you need to think about what to use as oppression. It could be a pair of bricks or stones. If possible, you can put a container of water. Next, you should leave the product to marinate for 2-3 days in a cool place.
After this time, the fish must be rinsed well and then start hanging, but experienced blue cornfield workers advise soaking it in water for the same amount of time, that is, for 2-3 days, before drying, otherwise it may turn out to be too salty.
Armed with paper clips, pry the tailed beast by the eyes and hang it from a rope in a well-ventilated place, but protected from direct sunlight.

Features of drying small fish

How to dry fish properly? In the summer season, it will take 3–7 days to become completely edible. This is easy to understand if you touch and smell it: it should not be soft, but the smell fresh meat should be replaced by a pleasant and intoxicating aroma of dried fish.

If you want to dry a small product - capelin or bleak, then the soaking and drying process is significantly reduced. That is, one day will be enough for soaking, and the same amount will be spent on drying, and it is not necessary to hang the bleak: it is not forbidden to lay it on paper or oilcloth, and after a few hours turn it over on its other side and by the end of the day enjoy a tasty and healthy product.

How can you dry fish in winter

The drying process in the cold season is no different from that in the heat. How to dry fish at home? The salted and soaked product must be hung in a warm place, which means that you need an oven, boiler or stove for this.

The rope must be pulled over the stove at such a distance that the future snack for beer is by no means fried, but only dries up under the influence of warm air. Dried product in this way can be obtained in 5-7 days.
Where can you dry fish in winter? If this option does not suit you for any reason, you can purchase a special electric dryer. Experienced users advise to cook the product with the heaters completely turned off, leaving only the fan.
Otherwise, it can be spoiled, and the fish not only will not wilt, but will not be fried, but will simply heat up and when you try to take it, the meat will fall off the bones. How to dry fish in an electric dryer? Put on a sheet and leave under a direct stream of air blown by a fan for 12-24 hours.
But as practice shows, this time is not enough and the product remains unfit for human consumption. In this case, experienced users are advised to prepare the so-called chips for beer from fish fillets. And for this, the fish must be cleaned, gutted.
Remove the head and cut off all the meat from the bones. Cut it into thin strips and place on the baking sheet of the machine. How much to dry such fish? Fillet for cooking will take 5-7 hours.

The question of how to store fish for future use is relevant primarily for those families whose members are fond of fishing. The catch remains fresh for a very short time, and you need to be able to save it.

The drying process is the drying of pre-salted fish

One of the most effective ways preparation of fish for long-term storage is considered to be dried. The method itself is quite simple: fresh product is salted and then dried in the open air. Nevertheless, the process can take place with so many variations that in order to understand all its subtleties, it is worth not only familiarizing yourself with the special literature, but also watching several relevant videos.

Today we decided to give readers a general idea of how to properly dry fish at home.

Selection and preparation of raw materials

The drying process is the drying of pre-salted fish. At the same time, the pulp is dehydrated, saturated with natural fat and fermented (as the fishermen say, “ripens”), acquiring a piquant taste and a very attractive aroma. You can dry fish both sea and river. It can be a smelt, a goby, a flounder, a sprat, a bison, etc. Of the river inhabitants, representatives of small breeds are most often harvested in this way: roach, sabrefish, silver bream, brood, rudd, roach, ram, etc. According to experts, very catfish (it is better to make balyks from it), pike, carp, perch and bream, as well as chub, asp and ide are tasty in dried form.

How to dry fish: salt, soak and dry

Before you dry the fish, you need to prepare it. The stage comes down to careful cleaning of the catch from dirt and mucus. You do not need to wash the fish and remove the scales from it. Small specimens (weighing up to 500 g) are usually not gutted. In large fish, the entrails are usually removed. In this case, the incision is made not from the side of the abdomen, but from the back, cutting through the meat to the ridge and separating the ribs on one side from the spine. This method was invented in order not to disturb the fat layer, which is located under the skin of the abdomen. It is not necessary to dry the fish, cleaned "from the belly": it will turn out to be dry and tough.

Now you can start the main process, which is divided into three stages: salting, soaking and actually drying.

Basic rules for drying

When salting fish, it is important to follow several rules:

The utensils in which you place the raw materials must be steel, enamel, glass, ceramic, wood, or made of food grade plastic. The use of galvanized containers is unacceptable;
for fish processing, choose a coarse salt that does not contain iodine. Iodized salt gives the product an unpleasant aftertaste, and fine salt penetrates the tissues too quickly, preventing them from dehydrating;
the container in which the fish is salted must be kept in a cool place;
in no case should the recommended salting time be reduced. It depends both on the method and on the size of the raw material, but it cannot be less than a day for small fish and 5 days for larger specimens. Violation of this condition is fraught with serious health problems (for example, infection with opisthorchiasis or poisoning).

it general principles... There are many methods of salting fish, and almost every experienced fisherman adds his own nuances to them.

There are many methods of salting fish, and almost every experienced fisherman adds his own nuances to them.

Drying stages

We start to dry the fish: salting recipes

Dry

Fish (usually large) are placed in a wooden or plastic box covered with cloth in layers, belly up. You can also use a basket or even a clean bag (jute or plastic). It is important that the container has holes through which the juice escaping from the fish will flow. The raw materials are sprinkled with salt from all sides (the heads must be treated especially carefully). For 10 kg of fish, take at least 1.5 kg of salt. The container is covered with a flat lid, oppression is placed (for example, a three- or five-liter jar of water) and put away in a cool place. Salting usually takes 5 to 10 days.

Tuzluchny

The fish, tightly packed in a bowl or pan, with their tummies up, are sprinkled with salt layer by layer (1 kg per 10 kg of raw materials) and pressed with oppression. In this case, the brine (brine) that is released from the fish remains in the container. After 1-2 days, it rises above the raw material. After that, the container is left in a cool place until the fish is salted, that is, for at least another day for small specimens and for a week for large specimens.

Wet

Prepared and placed in a container, fish is poured with a cold solution prepared from coarse salt and water (about 350 g per 1 liter). The suitability of the brine can be checked: fresh egg immersed in liquid must remain on the surface. Small fish are kept in a salt solution for 2-3 days, and large fish for about a week. After the product is taken out of the brine, it should lie in the air for 1-2 hours so that the salt evenly "disperses" through the tissues.

"Hanging"

As an option wet salting the so-called sling is used. In this case, small fish are strung on rods, a cord or fishing line through the eye holes and lowered into the brine so that they do not press on each other. In medium (gutted) specimens, the abdominal cavity is pre-filled with a strong salt solution, pumping it through the mouth opening with a syringe so that the pulp is salted more reliably and evenly.

In addition, there are varieties of dry and brine saline, in which sugar, dill or spices (ground pepper, bay leaves, coriander and even cinnamon) are added to the salt, which is poured over the fish. If you dry fish processed in such a way, you get products that have a particularly refined, "spicy" or "balyk" taste.

The readiness of the fish for the next stage is determined as follows: the carcass is taken by the head and tail and stretched in the longitudinal direction. In a well-salted fish, the spine "crunches" at the same time, emitting a specific sound. You can press your finger on the back of the fish: with proper salting, a hole will remain on it.

Soaking fish

Before you dry the fish, you need to soak it. This is done in order to remove salt from the subcutaneous layer of the pulp. If you skip this step, the skin will not dry properly. In this case, the surface of the finished product will become damp, and the fish simply cannot be stored.

The easiest way is to soak the raw material under the tap, while simultaneously washing it of the remaining mucus. The washed fish are placed in a bowl of cold water. If they do not sink, then the pulp already contains the amount of salt that is optimal for drying. The total period of washing and soaking should not exceed 1 hour for each day of preliminary salting. Large, oily fish should not be kept in water continuously for 7-10 hours in order not to reduce the taste of the final product. Every 2-3 hours it is taken out and kept in air for some time, and then soaking is continued.

We bring to your attention a video in which a fisherman tells how he soaks a fish.

Drying (at what temperature to dry the fish)

The fermentation that fish tissues undergo during drying takes place in the absence of heat treatment. That is why the final stage (drying of salted raw materials) should take place at a temperature not exceeding 18-20 ℃ and constant ventilation. It is best to do this in spring or autumn. In this case, the fish does not overheat in the sun.

To protect against flies that can spoil the product, they use a variety of means: cover the fish with gauze, spray it with vinegar, sometimes even coat it with a mixture of vinegar and vegetable oil. Experienced fishermen hang out the catch to dry in the evening. At this time, there are almost no flies, and overnight the surface layer of the raw material hardens, and insects can no longer damage it.

The final stage of drying (drying salted fish) should take place at a temperature no higher than 18-20 ℃ and constant ventilation

You can dry the fish in winter. Connoisseurs appreciate the product obtained by freezing moisture. At temperatures close to 0 ℃, the fish dries for a long time, and its taste differs from that which is typical for spring, summer and autumn catches.

Where to dry the fish?

The product with the best taste is obtained when fish, strung on short lines or wires in several pieces, are dried in the open air. An open veranda, a well-ventilated barn or an attic, a balcony or a loggia of a city apartment are suitable for placing low ones. Dried fish can be hung in the room, but then the residents will be bothered by its smell.

An open veranda, a well-ventilated barn or an attic, a balcony or a loggia of a city apartment are suitable for placing fish for drying.

Some fishermen design dryers in the form of boxes, the sides of which are made of thick window mesh to keep out flies. Low with fish string inside the drawer. The device is convenient in that it is easy to carry it from the yard to the house and back when the weather changes. The owners of summer cottages and country houses often dry fish in cool cellars. At the same time, the raw material dries out very slowly (from 2-3 weeks to a month), and the gradual fermentation has a beneficial effect on the taste of the finished product. Outdoors small fish completely wilted in 1-2 days, and a large one comes to readiness in an average of 1.5-2 weeks.

Some craft fishermen design dryers in the form of boxes, the sides of which are made of thick window mesh to keep out flies.

Drying with household appliances

Separately, it is worth talking about the methods of drying fish using household appliances. You can dry pre-salted raw materials as follows:

in the oven. The fish is laid out in one layer on a wire rack. They dry it at a temperature of 80 ℃ and the door ajar or the convection mode turned on. Two hours after the start of processing, the heads are wrapped in foil and the product is heated for another 5-6 hours. The fish turns out to be soft, and you have to bring it to readiness, hanging it in the room for a few more days;
in an electric dryer. Only a device in which you can set the temperature to 30 ℃ and powerful airflow will do. The process takes at least two days;
over the stove. A small amount of fish can be hung from the kitchen ceiling. If there is a household hood, it will be constantly blown with air and will dry out in 4-5 days.

It should be noted that drying fish with household appliances is not the best lucky way... In this case, it reaches readiness too quickly, which negatively affects the taste and smell.

There is an opinion that fish can be not only dried, but also dried-smoked. This is not true. Drying and smoking are fundamentally different processes, both in the sense of changes to which the fabrics of raw materials are subjected, and in terms of the consumer qualities of the finished product. Perhaps the reason for the misconception was the similarity of the stages of pretreatment of fish (salting and steeping), which are necessary to prepare for both drying and cold smoking. There is no separate product called "dried-smoked fish".

Assessment of the quality of the finished product; storage

Correctly dried fish has smooth and strong scales without traces of salt. Her skin adheres well and is easily removable. The pulp is firm, flexible and elastic, slightly shiny, translucent, amber or pinkish in color. The taste is lightly salted, the aroma is spicy and piquant. Such a product can be wrapped in thick paper or cloth and stored in a cool place with moderate humidity for up to six months.

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Experienced fishermen know the methods of fishing, the secrets of a rich catch. They will tell you how to manage the caught fish.

Fishing cuisine offers: dried and dried fish.

How to keep the catch on the "fish day"? Dried and dried fish - how is it different

Preserve the catch from spoilage by reducing moisture in the carcasses. Dried in two ways:

Hot - air temperature from 80 ° С;
Cold - the temperature does not exceed 40 ° C.

Drying is the same cold drying. Removes excess moisture, causes a biochemical process, as a result of which the properties of proteins and fat change, the product acquires new specific taste qualities. Therefore, despite the similarity of the process, dried and dried fish – different products in appearance and taste.

Dry fish in salted or insipid, in the process it does not ripen, therefore, the qualities of a dried product are not characteristic of it. Carcasses become tough, with a pungent odor. Cooking is required before use.

How to dry fish according to GOST? Cold drying catch

Inhabitants of fresh water are suitable for drying. Drying dehydrates fish with simultaneous ripening, hence the aroma and taste. The product is ready to use without additional processing.

Drying is carried out by alternating heating and cooling the air. Warm up for four hours, rest for two hours. On the first day, the temperature is kept within 20 ° with a humidity of 50-60%. Further, the ratio of 25 ° to 40-60% relative air humidity is observed. A breeze of up to 2 m / s is required.

The size of the carcasses is more than 10 cm. Before the process, they are cut, washed, removing mucus and blood, salted in a cool brine, or by a dry method. The process is at least three days, until the carcass becomes dry and dense.

It is better to dry in April-May and autumn to save the product from flies. The fish is hung under a canopy in a draft, the sun and rain should not fall on the carcasses.

In the summer, frames with crossbars are arranged. Hooks or nails are driven into them to hang the workpiece. The fly frame is covered with a fine mesh, raised to an elevation for ventilation.

If the summer catch is consistently large, a stationary dryer is built, equipped with a canopy and a door.

When there is not enough fish in the summer, the carcasses are prepared, dried at night, in the morning they insert a tampon soaked in vegetable oil, the body is lightly coated with oil, wrapped in gauze. To prevent the material from touching the mascara, place spacers made of sticks. This is how the product is saved from flies.

In winter, they dry in a living room at a distance from the stove and heating appliances. A dish is placed under the fish to collect dripping fat.

All NHNCH (No tail, no scales)!