Canning Trout

[TeacherMan]

Ever since living in Alaska I’ve loved canning salmon every year. Now living in north Idaho I don’t get the salmon like I use too. So last year I decided to try canning trout. Last years batch (20 pints in total) I put on smoke for about two hours before putting in my jars. Then I use my pressure cooker with 15 lbs of pressure for 90 min. It turned out really good!

This year I didn’t have the time to put on the smoke, just did skinless fillets and added fresh jalapeños, olive oil and garlic. I didn’t pack my jars as tight either. I definitely noticed once it came out of the pressure cooker. I’ve yet to open a jar but it’s looking pretty epic.

Anybody else can trout or other freshwater fish? Recipes?

[Twispriver]

I've done some in the past - just clean fillets with a touch of Johnny's Alaska salmon seasoning and a sprig of fresh dill in the bottom of the jar. I always wanted to try adding a little lemon zest but never have.
I think it's important to make sure that the fish isn't even a little muddy tasting, especially in the later part of the season because the pressure cooker really brings that out.

[NorseNW]

I do a run of kokanee about every year. My favorite and go to is 1 tablespoon sriracha, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

[GASoline71]

Canned the trout we get out of Lake Roosevelt, and it's delicious!

Gary

[finnman]

We do Tuna, Salmon, and trout. The trout this year were all fantastic. One good batch came from Lake Roosevelt triploids and the next batch from a load of Rainbows and Tiger Trout from Bonaparte.
I use my mom’s brine recipe, then I smoke them, then my wife cans them in pint jars. It turns out amazing. With a good brine I do not need to add any other ingredients. It turns out just like the best smoked
Fish you ever had but moist….not dried out.

[TeacherMan]

I did a 2 hour smoke on it last yrs before canning and just added jalapeños and garlic this year. This years fish is good, BUT nothing like last years. I definitely prefer to smoke it, then can it. Comes off the skins super easy too that way.

Other thing I had happen this year is my jalapeños did not mellow out from canning. Normally when I take the seeds out and wash them they are pretty mild once canned. Not this year 😂🔥

Hoping to get 20-30 more pan sized ones smoked up and canned still…

[jrebel]

Do you guys leave the bones in on trout when canning?? 

[finnman]

On the trout I do leave the bones in. Unless they are over 20” I prefer the steak them. Caning makes the bones very soft and you can just eat them if you want.
After smoking the fish for 1.5-2 hours, I let them cool a bit, then we peel all the skin off before canning.
This does two things, makes a more edible looking presentation for those not used to eating trout and also makes it easier to eat not worrying about the skin being on.
My BIL likes the skin……he is odd. I only like the skin if it’s pan fried crispy.

Yes I do agree that the smoking portion of this process is a must. If you do not add any ingredients at all, you need to brine and smoke and then can.

[HarboritE]

Ok I know I’m asking a lot of canning questions lately but it’s fun. I just went on a trip with some buddies and came home with 22 16-21” rainbows. I want to smoke and can them but am tossed up between smoking and canning the fillets , or smoking them whole or in steaks . I am considering smoking them as steaks , probably 3 per fish and peeling all the skin off , pull the meat from the backbone and then can it.OR just fillet them all, smoke them and just peel the skin off and can them, since the pin bones should be edible after canning. Also I’m worried about them being too salty if I brine them over night since the fillets will be pretty small. They are an awkward size. Larger than average for stocked rainbows but not the 3+ lbers that make nice fillets.

[finnman]

What did you end up doing with those trout? How did it turn out??

[DeerThug]

I do a batch of shad every summer.

[CoryTDF]

Following

[HarboritE]

I cut the heads off and vacuum packed them to freeze until I have time to mess with them. The meat was decent quality for stocked trout but not great. I plan on filleting them, brining for a short time maybe 4 hours with a sugar/salt brine , rinse, smoke for an hour , peel from the skin , and then canning it. Jeez now that I typed that out it sounds like a lot of work! But I will try it once to see if it’s worth doing again.

[zwickeyman]

My cousin brought some canned Trout when we were predator  hunting last week. It was damn good. Im going to get the recipe from him and do some up. He said something about Ranch dressing if I remember right

[Bullkllr]

In my experience, the main things to watch for when canning smoked fish are getting it too salty and smoking too long. Turns out dry if you smoke too long. I lighten up on the salt and do a light smoke just for flavor.

[finnman]

Just a quick tip…….if you add a half teaspoon of liquid hickory smoke to your brine…..you don’t have to smoke it for 3-4 hours and risk drying it out. 

[HarboritE]

I’m about to go for it! Also now considering using the liquid smoke method for convenience. I’m taking any last minute advice. They are thawing now, frozen with heads cut off. I changed my mind and think I’ll just cut into steaks, brine, smoke for 1.5 hours , peel the skin off and remove back bone and can them. They are out of the freezer so I’m dedicated now!

[zwickeyman]

Ive been taking my cousin coyote hunting quite a bit and he always brings canned trout and crackers. Its fricken awesome and I cant get enough. Last time out he gave me a few jars and some home made mustard that is crazy good

He said his trick is he adds italian dressing

[DeerThug]

I have also canned just some of the smaller planter trout.  I just take of all of the fins and cut into like 2 inch chunks and don't worry about the skin. For my fish canning - for each jar - I add a pinch of sea salt, couple of pepper corns - small piece of lemon - sprig each of rosemary and thyme.

Pressure for 90 minutes and the recommended pressure.

[HarboritE]

Does a lb or 2 of pressure make a big difference? I know if it goes below it’s not good but is over by a lb or 2 here and there increase the chances of drying out by a ton?

[finnman]

We have always tried to stay a pound or two over the brochures recommended pounds for canned fish. We have never seen a noticeable change in dryness.
Everything’s no we have canned has turned out great.
A canner of s not like a smoker. You can run a risk of dryness while smoking. Bt with canning it seems to all be on an even keel.

[NorseNW]

Ive been taking my cousin coyote hunting quite a bit and he always brings canned trout and crackers. Its fricken awesome and I cant get enough. Last time out he gave me a few jars and some home made mustard that is crazy good

He said his trick is he adds italian dressing

How much italian dressing does he put in a pint? I tried italian dressing before and the flavor just disappeared after cannning.

[206]

Been doing 15 pounds for 60 mins for half pints.  Took that advise from a trusted guy many 20 years ago.

[TeacherMan]

Do you guys leave the bones in on trout when canning??

I put in fillets and the bones are dissolved in the process of canning. Salmon bones disappear at 15lbs for 90 min as well.

[zwickeyman]

Ive been taking my cousin coyote hunting quite a bit and he always brings canned trout and crackers. Its fricken awesome and I cant get enough. Last time out he gave me a few jars and some home made mustard that is crazy good

He said his trick is he adds italian dressing

How much italian dressing does he put in a pint? I tried italian dressing before and the flavor just disappeared after cannning.

He mentioned Italian and also Ranch dressing. You dont really taste the dressing just some flavor. Ill ask him though

[zwickeyman]

Ive been taking my cousin coyote hunting quite a bit and he always brings canned trout and crackers. Its fricken awesome and I cant get enough. Last time out he gave me a few jars and some home made mustard that is crazy good

He said his trick is he adds italian dressing

How much italian dressing does he put in a pint? I tried italian dressing before and the flavor just disappeared after cannning.

He mentioned Italian and also Ranch dressing. You dont really taste the dressing just some flavor. Ill ask him though

I was wrong about the Ranch

He said about 3 table spoons of Catalina Italian

[zwickeyman]

Ive been taking my cousin coyote hunting quite a bit and he always brings canned trout and crackers. Its fricken awesome and I cant get enough. Last time out he gave me a few jars and some home made mustard that is crazy good

He said his trick is he adds italian dressing

How much italian dressing does he put in a pint? I tried italian dressing before and the flavor just disappeared after cannning.

He mentioned Italian and also Ranch dressing. You dont really taste the dressing just some flavor. Ill ask him though

I was wrong about the Ranch

He said about 3 table spoons of Catalina Italian

 My bad 3 tablespoons on Catalina French dressing

[HarboritE]

Mine turned out awesome. My wife hates the taste of trout but likes salmon, and she loves it! Not dry at all. After opening a can and trying it, it’s even better cold out the fridge the next day. The oil and bits in the bottom of the jar reminded me of crab consistency. It was absolutely worth the trouble for all those trout, and I will be doing it every year now. I highly recommend trying this. A few things I’ll change next time: wet brine instead of dry ( I was told it’s easy to dry it out during the smoking process using a dry brine as it wicks all the moisture out. I didn’t experience this but I also only smoked for 1.5 hours at low temp) next time I will fillet them after I thaw them rather than cut into steaks. Peeling the skin off AND getting the backbone out was a bit of a pain, especially on the tail pieces. I didn’t add anything to the jars, just the lightly smoked meat. I’m looking forward to feeding this to people , and waiting until they give their opinion before I tell them they’re stocked rainbows!

[syoungs]

I'm gonna go catch a mess of rainbows this weekend just so I can try them canned.

[HarboritE]

You will not regret it!