Every Step in Canning Part 15

The sooner it is canned after being taken from lake, stream or ocean, the better. Never attempt to can any fish that is stale.

PREPARATION OF FISH FOR CANNING

As soon as fish are caught it is advisable to kill them with a knife and allow the blood to run out. Scale fish. This is easily done if the fish is dipped in boiling water. For canning, most varieties of fish need not be skinned. If the fish is very large and coa.r.s.e, the large back fin may be cut out and the backbone removed, but with most varieties this is unnecessary. Cut off the head and tail, being careful to leave no more meat than necessary on the parts removed.

Remove the entrails and the dark membrane that in some fish (e.g., mullets) covers the abdominal cavity. Thoroughly clean the inside. The head may be cleaned and used for fish chowder.

If you wish to be sure that all blood is drawn out before canning, place the fish in a brine made of one ounce of salt to one quart of water. Allow the fish to soak from 10 minutes to 1 hour according to the thickness of the fish. Never use this brine but once. If the meat of the fish is very soft or loose, it may be hardened by soaking in a brine (strong enough to float an Irish potato) for from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the pieces and the softness of the flesh.

CANNING THE FISH

1. Remove the fish from the brine where it has been placed in order to draw out all the blood and to harden the texture of the fish.

2. Drain well.

3. Cut into can lengths.

4. Place fish in a piece of cheesecloth or in a wire basket and blanch in _boiling water_ from three to five minutes. Three minutes for the soft flesh fish, such as suckers, c.r.a.ppies, whitefish. Fish with a firmer flesh, as pike, muskalonge and sunfish require 5 minutes blanching. The blanching removes the strong fish flavor and cleans the outside of the fish.

5. Cold-dip the fish by plunging into cold water immediately. This makes the flesh firm.

6. Pack in hot jars or cans to within inch from top. Add 1 teaspoonful salt per quart. Put on a good rubber and partially seal the jar, completely seal tin cans.

7. Place jars or cans in canner and process in _boiling_ water for three hours. Three hours sterilization will insure the keeping of all varieties of fish, providing fresh products are used and the blanching and other work is carefully done. If canning with a steam-pressure canner or a pressure cooker sterilize for one hour and a half under 10 to 15 lbs. pressure.

8. At the end of the sterilizing period cool the jars quickly after sealing completely. The tin cans may be cooled by immersing them in cold water.

9. Store for future use.

SOFTENING OF BONES IN FISH

This can be done satisfactorily under pressure. The bones of fish are composed of large quant.i.ties of harmless lime, bound by a matrix of collagen, which is insoluble under ordinary conditions. When subjected to a high temperature under pressure this collagen is converted into gelatin and dissolved, leaving the bones soft and friable and even edible. Bony fish, such as herring and shad, which are too small to use otherwise are greatly improved when subjected to steam under pressure.

The bones in herring are softened in 37 minutes at a temperature of 240 degrees; shad in 1 hour; flounder 1 hour. Other fish are fully cooked and the bones softened in times approximately proportionate to the size of the bones.

The following table was made after many experiments and gives the time required to soften the bones in many common species of fish.

The term "softening" means the point in cooking when the small bones, ribs, etc., are soft, but when the large vertebrae are not yet sufficiently soft to be consumed along with the meat. In some of the larger fishes where the large bones could scarcely be eaten, even if they were softened, it would appear to be a waste of time and fuel to carry them to a point of complete cooking, and in such cases it ought to be sufficient to soften the small bones and sterilize the contents of the can. For such a purpose, the "softening" rather than the "soft"

point, may be used.

The time periods are measured from the point when the given pressure and temperature are reached (at the top of the cooker) to the time when the heat is shut off. The heating-up and cooling-off period of time are therefore not included. The fish were salted, but no water was added.

Samples of fish canned during the course of these experiments were kept six weeks at room temperature (about 68 F.) and were then incubated at 98 F. for 48 hrs. All were sterile.

TIME REQUIRED TO SOFTEN THE BONES OF VARIOUS SPECIES OF FISH IN QUART JARS OR NO. 3 TIN CANS, 10 LBS. PRESSURE, 240 F.

WEIGHT SOFTENING SOFT (LBS.) (MINUTES) (MINUTES) BLACK Ba.s.s Large 5-6 100 120 Small to 1 100 110 BLUEFISH Large 6-9 90 100 Small 1-2 80 90 b.u.t.tERFISH Average - 60 80 CATFISH Large 1-2 70 80 Small 60 70 CERO Average 10-13 80 90 COD Large 6-16 80 90 Small 1-2 50 60 FLOUNDER Large 1-1 70 80 Small -1 50 60 HADDOCK Large 3-5 60 70 Small 1-2 50 60 HALIBUT Average 50-90 70 80 HICKORY SHAD Average 1-2 60 70 KINGFISH Average -1 60 70 LEMON SOLE Large 2-3 80 90 Small -2 60 70 MACKEREL Average -1 60 70 MACKEREL, SPANISH Average 1-2 100 110 PERCH, WHITE Average - 100 110 PERCH, YELLOW Average - 90 100 POLLACK Average 5-7 60 70 SALMON Average 13-19 90 100 SEA Ba.s.s Average 1-1 60 70 SQUETEAGUE Large 2-4 80 90 Small -2 50 60 SMELTS Large, per lb. 5-7 60 70 Small, per lb. 15-20 50 60 SNAPPER, RED Large 10-15 110 120 Small 5-6 90 100 SUCKER Average -1 80 90 TILEFISH Average 6-12 90 100 WHITING Average -1 50 60

FRIED FISH

1. Clean the fish and remove entrails. Split along the back and remove backbone.

2. Place in brine strong enough to float an Irish potato. Allow fish to remain in this brine from 10 minutes to 1 hour according to the thickness of the flesh. This draws out the blood and hardens the meat.

3. Draw, wipe dry.

4. Cut in pieces that can go through jar or can openings.

5. Roll in cornmeal or other flour, dip into beaten egg and roll in flour again.

6. Then put into frying basket and fry in deep fat until nicely browned, or it can be sauted in bacon or other fat until well browned.

7. Drain well by placing pieces on coa.r.s.e paper to absorb excessive fat.

8. Pack into hot jars or enameled tin cans.

9. Add 1 teaspoonful salt per quart. Add no liquid.

10. Partially seal gla.s.s jars. Completely seal tin cans.

11. Process 3 hours in hot water bath outfit. Process 1 hours in steam pressure (10 to 15 lbs. pressure).

12. Remove from canner. Seal gla.s.s jars. Cool quickly as possible.

BAKED FISH

Prepare and bake fish same as for table use until half done. Pack in hot jars, add salt and sterilize three hours in hot-water-bath outfit or 1 hours in steam pressure or pressure cooker, 10 to 15 lbs.

pressure.

ANOTHER FORMULA FOR MISCELLANEOUS FISH

Rub the fish inside and out with a mixture made as follows: to 50 pounds fish, mix 2 pounds salt, 2 pounds brown sugar and 2 ounces saltpeter. Let the fish stand in a cool place for 48 to 60 hours with the mixture on, then wash and drain. Fill into gla.s.s jars or enamel lined tin cans and add the following sauce until cans are nearly filled: pound whole black pepper, 1 pounds salt, 1 pound of onions chopped fine, ounce bay leaves, pound whole cloves, 2 quarts cider vinegar and 25 quarts of water. Soak the pepper, cloves and bay leaves for 48 hours in the vinegar. Put the water, salt and onions in a kettle. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes, then add the vinegar and spices. Let boil for one minute. Strain and it is ready for use.

Sterilize for 3 hours in hot-water-bath outfit.

Sterilize for 1 hours in steam pressure or pressure cooker (10 to 15 lbs. pressure).

CANNED FISH IN OIL

Rub fish with salt, brown sugar and saltpeter as above directed. Wash and dry thoroughly in the sun. Spread on wire screens and dip in oil heated to a temperature of 300 degrees. Use a strap handle plunge thermometer to determine heat of oil. Cottonseed oil may be used for this purpose, although olive oil is best. As soon as the fish are cool enough to handle, pack tightly in cans, filling up with the hot oil.

Sterilize 3 hours in hot-water-bath-outfit; 1 hours in steam pressure or pressure cooker (10 to 15 lbs.).