New to canning. Any tips?

[top_pin_or]

I am totally new to canning. I just bought a 23qt pressure canner from bimart the other day. I would like to smoke some salmon and pressure can it. I know this can be very dangerous and would like any tips from you guys and gals on proper tecniuqes of canning. I would like to can in 1/2 pint jars. Some of my questions are how much water do i put in the canner? Can i can the fish with the skin off? I am sure there are other questions also. I can just not think of them right now. Please give me any tips you may think realavent to a person new to canning salmon and other foods also.......TY

[Buck50]

I'm only the helper when it comes to canning, but this I know.
If you're going to smoke and can, do a hard fast smoke. Don't cook the fish or you'll end up with a nasty dry overcooked product. Done that...
Second, YES remove the skin. It'll be a nasty mess after canning.
Last, and I'll defer to those far more knowledgeable than I BUT.... Follow the directions in your canning book religiously. Canning any meat is potentially dangerous.
But, you'll have some nice smoked, canned fish in the end. You'll be enjoying (if there's any left) next year.

[Bloom]

I am no expert, but i do stay at a Holiday Inn from time-to-time. After smoking my fish, skin off, i place in 1/2 pint jars and place jars in canner, adding enough water to bring it up about 1/2 way to the lids. You can stack the jars, but be sure to stagger them with the top jars resting on two of the bottom jars.

I cook mine for 100 mins at 10 lbs of pressure. Be sure to watch the gauge and not let in fall below 10lbs pressure, otherwise, you will need to start over.(Bacteria and Salmonella are not your friends) After 100 mins, i let the pressure drop slowly by wedging a wooden spoon under the weight until it is zero, then remove the jars, placing them on a towel on the countertop and NOT disturbing them until they have cooled and the lids have sealed. Be sure to wash them before putting them away, otherwise, your dog Maggie will be scratching at the cabinet door.

[Tillamook Slugger]

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat...pnw/pnw450.pdf

Read carefully or take the class from OSU extension or have someone who is experienced show you. PLAN B - vac pack your smoked salmon freeze it and enjoy - and take the class next summer.

[Twoshottom]

Canning is a great way to keep salmon. We brine and smoke our salmon in a big chief smoker for 1 1/2 to 2 hours so the meat easily comes off the skin.

We can in 1/2 pints and fill the jars to about a 1/2" below the top of the jar. We also put a couple slices of pickled jalapeno's in the jar. Carefully wipe down the top of the jar to get a good seal and put the lid and rings on. We double stack in the canner. The canner should come with directions and our canner has a line on the inside to indicate how much water to put in it.

We can for 100 minutes at 11 psi. The catch is that it takes quite a while for the steam to come out of the canner, then put the weight on and wait for the pressure to build to 11 psi. When it finally gets to 11 psi, then the 100 minutes starts. The cool down also takes a fair amount of time so you can remove the lid and remove the jars. We have found this is actually a 2 1/2 to 3 hour process.

It's not a difficult process but it is time consuming. Go for it! Easy to store and great to eat.

[salmonfisher77]

Smoke
garlic clove
jalapeno slices
clean rim
110 min@ 10#+
cool and eat!

[Native Fisher]

So whats the advantage to canning over vacuum sealing then? Just having fish ready to eat?

[fhs willamette]

My favorite recipe for pint jars:

1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs soy sauce
dash of cayan pepper
fill with raw skinned fish, dark meat removed, leave 1 inch at top

repeat for each jar

follow cooking directions 11#, 100 mins etc..

good to eat straight out of the jar, sandwiches, etc...

[fhs willamette]

Originally Posted by Native Fisher

So whats the advantage to canning over vacuum sealing then? Just having fish ready to eat?

Keeps forever, no freezer burn, ready to eat, emergency food supply...

One option is to stick to whole fish in the freezer then can it later when you have more time. One guy says he doesn't even clean it first, just fillet it as it thaws.

[MattPark]

Originally Posted by Native Fisher

So whats the advantage to canning over vacuum sealing then? Just having fish ready to eat?

A good tuna trip or two can really put the hurt on freezer space. I do really like seared/bbq'd tuna (which isn't feasible after canning), so I vacuum pack only as much as I'm going to eat like that. It's really nice to be able to stack jars in the garage or pantry and not have to run 3 or 4 freezers

I have had good luck canning previously frozen loins. If they aren't vacuum packed, can them as soon as you can, they get freezer burned easily sitting in a ziplock bag.

I do 110 minutes at at least 11psi. Jalepeños are muy bueno in about any canned fish.

[Drifterman]

We have been canning my salmon and steelhead with the skin on. I will probly start skinning them though, if you do wind up leaving the skin on make sure and scale it. Canning is definately the way to go for storage. I have deer, elk, tuna, salmon and steelhead(most of which I didnt kill) all canned up ready to eat. Also if a jar doesnt seal for some reason you should go by the eat it right away rule. I have put them in the fridge and ate them the next day at work for lunch.

[EMO870]

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/food-preservation

My wife has called them several times and found it to be the best resource around. Good luck.

EMO870

[drhall99]

Originally Posted by Native Fisher

So whats the advantage to canning over vacuum sealing then? Just having fish ready to eat?

Actually, now you can do both. A lot of the Salty Dogs are canning their fish in retort vacuum pouches which is a special vacuum pack designed to be cooked in a pressure cooker. No jars needed anymore. There's a lot of information about them on the SD board or by clicking on this link -
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=312005&highlight=retort+pouch
there is more information on retort pouches - simply do a search for the word "retort"



See the links below for extensive canning guidelines from the federal government that applies to all kinds of home canning....


USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision (there is no newer revision, yet):

• Introduction to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 edition.

• Guide 01: Principles of Home Canning
• Guide 02: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Fruit and Fruit Products
• Guide 03: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products
• Guide 04: Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Vegetables and Vegetable Products
• Guide 05: Preparing and Canning Poultry, Red Meats, and Seafood
• Guide 06: Preparing and Canning Fermented Food and Pickled Vegetables
• Guide 07: Preparing and Canning Jams and Jellies

You can also buy a hard-copy of it here - http://www.extension.purdue.edu/store/

One thing to note - in the fish section of the canning guidlines, it give two procedures for fish - one for precooked and one for canning raw fish (cooks during the canning process). You have to read it closely to separate the two, if I remember right.

[Jerry Dove]

I do not can,,,,my wife does,,,,I just help. VERY IMPORTANT,,,boil all jars and lids before using, everything must be CLEAN!!!

[FusionManiac]

My favorite way to eat Spring Chinook is to lightly brine fillets withe skin on in 50-50 brown sugar & salt in a water solution (to taste). Dry, and put in the smoker for two pans of alder chips. As soon as the chips are gone, stop the smoker and remove the fish. The smoker is just to put smoke on the fish. Cooking is done in the pressure cooker. This keeps the smoker from drying out the flesh and the smoked and canned fish is still moist and succulent. Put the just smoked fish pieces into wide mouth pint canning jars. (Use 1/2 pint wide mouth jars for smaller single servings.) Clean the jar rim with a paper towel moistened in boiling water, take the lids which should be in hot water, and cover the jar then screw on the ring. Put the jars in the pressure cooker in the manner your pressure cooker instructions describe and cook at the recommended time for canning fish in your owners manual.

When you finally open the canned fish, the skin is easy to separate if you want, but it will add a lot of nutrients and flavor to the canned fish flesh by leaving it on the fish during the canning process.

Fall Chinook have less body fat and may come out dryer, so if moist is what your after, watch out for that tendency and keep the smoking to a minimum.

By the way, there is nothing inherently dangerous about canning fish that is not a danger with all pressure canning operations. That is simply, always make sure the vent is not plugged and the weight is rocking from steam pressure. The only danger is to have the vent plug up and the pressure build inside the cooker to the point that the flange blows. A very rare occurance and one that never happens with a modest amount of attention to the canner as heat is being applied.

[fishbait]

Check the SD pages, we all can tuna and share canning tips over there

[FusionManiac]

[QUOTE=fhs willamette;3348605]Keeps forever, no freezer burn, ready to eat, emergency food supply...
QUOTE]

And no worry about power outages.

[Buck50]

Originally Posted by Tillamook Slugger

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat...pnw/pnw450.pdf

Read carefully or take the class from OSU extension or have someone who is experienced show you. PLAN B - vac pack your smoked salmon freeze it and enjoy - and take the class next summer.

Vac packing is really my preferred method for smoked fish. It won't last as long, but I don't need it to.

[top_pin_or]

Where did this get moved too?

[canes_venatici]

The Recipe forum! One of the best forums on iFish!

[top_pin_or]

Well guys and gals I smoked and canned my first salmon this weekend. I ran it through the smoker for 2 chip loads at a cold smoke (about 125 Deg) then put into jars and ran them through the pressure canner for 100 minutes at 11 psi. some jars i added jalepenos and some with peppercinies and some just plain. We tried some last night for dinner that did not seal and it was great. Thanks to everyone for the tips.

[Okie]

Clostridium botulinum bacteria.

Botulism can be prevented by killing the spores by cooking at 121%C(250%F) for 3 minutes

Majority of Botulism is caused from vegitables.

Good Luck

[Woody]

Originally Posted by Okie

Clostridium botulinum bacteria.

Botulism can be prevented by killing the spores by cooking at 121%C(250%F) for 3 minutes

Majority of Botulism is caused from vegitables.

Good Luck

Source??

[Thunnus]

After the 110 minutes at 10 lbs pressure, donot, I repeat donot pour cold water over the canner to speed up the process to cool it down. What will happen will the jars will spill the contents out.

Just turn off the heat, and let it cool naturally.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by top_pin_or

I am totally new to canning. I just bought a 23qt pressure canner from bimart the other day. I would like to smoke some salmon and pressure can it. I know this can be very dangerous and would like any tips from you guys and gals on proper tecniuqes of canning. I would like to can in 1/2 pint jars. Some of my questions are how much water do i put in the canner? Can i can the fish with the skin off? I am sure there are other questions also. I can just not think of them right now. Please give me any tips you may think realavent to a person new to canning salmon and other foods also.......TY

First of all, I've been canning tuna for several years with excellent results. Everybody absolutely loves home-canned tuna. As far as tips go, here are two:

1) It's ok to run a higher pressure than stated in the guidelines. For example, if the guideline say 11 pounds, it is ok to run at 13 or 14 pounds. That gives you a little safety zone. If the pressure ever drops below 11 pounds, even for a few minutes, you have to start over. So running a little high gives you some room.

2) At the end of the canning run, do not force cool the canner in any way. Don't vent the steam, and don't pour water on the canner. If you do, the pressure inside drops rapidly, and the jars may boil over, ruining the seals, making a mess, and potentially cracking the jars. Just let the canner cool on its own for several hours.

3) When the canner is cool, carry it outdoors before opening. The smell inside will be terrible, and your family will thank you for not stinking up the house.

4) When you give away cans (and you will), ask for the jars back. That saves money for next season.

Good luck.