Bottling Fis

jimmy.k, Jan 30, 4:39am
Any tips on bottling fish such as Albacore tuna and Rainbow trout. Any help would be appreciated

margyr, Jan 30, 4:40am
there are a few recipes on google, i have had bottled trout and it was delicious. good luck.

uli, Jan 30, 5:02am
I have bottled tuna on the boat and basically just put the cut up pieces into preserving jars, then put lids and screwbands on and set them into a pot (on a rack - otherwise the glass bottom will crack) with hot water about halfway up the jars.

Then put lid on and bring to a boil. Once bubbles appear in the JARS take the time and boil another 30 minutes. Take out, cover with a cloth and let cool down.

The ones that do not close get put into the fridge and are eaten within the next 5 days, the rest goes into storage.

jimmy.k, Jan 30, 5:04am
Thanks Marg, I have googled it but need some kiwi recipies and tips for bottling

uli, Jan 30, 5:07am
See above LOL

jimmy.k, Jan 30, 5:09am
Ok uli , that sounds simple enough for me. Do you add any oil, salt vinigar etc. I have heard that it is best to boil for 3 and a half to 4 hours. is that correct

traceedwards, Jan 30, 5:31am
I have a dozen or so jars of fish sitting in my cupboard (trout & mullet). Kahawai have recently made an appearance in our waters so they will be next to be bottled. The main recipe comes from the fishing website forum. NZ Google "bottled trout"

Basic recipe

In the small agee type jar

*'Scale, skin' & steak the fish (trout & salmon dont need scaling, dont have to skin either, its a preference thing
*Pack as much fish as you can into clean jars to about 1cm from the rim.
*2 TBL vinegar (different varieties give different flavour)
*1 tsp salt
*1 TBL olive oil
*top up with cold water (leave an airgap). Poke around the fish with a knife to fill any spaces with liquid.
*clean the rim, place on seal & screwband, put in a pot & cover with water.
*1½hrs in a pressure cooker @ 15psi or min 3hrs regular boiling. Start timing when pressure is reached or the water boils. Turn off once time is up and leave jars in pot until cool.
Though the risk is very minimal, dont skimp on the cooking times. Botulism is a real threat.
*Store for at least 3 months so vinegar softens the bones. if no bones, dont have to store for so long.

Depending on the type of fish, can add other things prior to sealing the jars
A couple of Tablespoons of - Tomato sauce, American mustard, teaspoon of liquid smoke and / or tobasco sauce.
Chillis, peppercorns etc etc.

Have fun but remember to keep things clean / hygenic and dont skimp on the cooking times.

jimmy.k, Jan 30, 5:36am
Ah thank you traceweeds, that was just what i needed to know. Cheers

uli, Jul 17, 6:18pm
x1
I never added anything to the fish, but used it in salads later with whatever I wanted. It was just sitting in its own juice - which was fine by me.

I have never boiled it for 3 hours either - just brought it up to boiling temp (which could be taking an hour maybe) in the jars. Once it boils IN the jars then I take the 30 minutes. However if you feel safer boiling it for 3 hours then go for it.

Botulism develops AFTER the cooking of the fish, as the spores will not be killed by the normal water bath method (water can only boil up to 100 degrees C) - so this is why the books all recommend using a pressure canner (pressure cooker) to boil the jars under pressure (which means the temperature is more than 100 degrees C) - so nobody can sue them later.

When ideal conditions exist for growth, the spores produce vegetative cells which multiply rapidly and may produce a deadly toxin within three to four days. These "ideal conditions" are: moist, low acid, absence of oxygen and warmth - exactly what you have in a preserving jar.

I guess traceedwards recipe has the vinegar in there to try and make the fish an acid food (although I don't think 2 tablespoons make much of a difference to a jar full of fish) which is "safer" than a non-acid one - in respect to botulism.

So really - if you are worried about botulism then you need to use a pressure canner, as boiling for 3 hours in a normal pot will not kill the spores - IF they are present ... . Or simply freeze the fish :)

Good luck!