How to make dried fish at home. How to dry fish at home? Storage of the finished product

The dried product differs from the dried product by pre-salting, it is ready for use without further processing. Dried carcasses are usually fresh and require additional preparation - they need to be boiled or fried before serving. Such a product is often prepared by residents of the northern regions, so it is well preserved in winter period. Before drying fish at home, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the main stages of its preparation.

Selection and preparation of fish for salting

For cooking dried fish The most suitable are the following types:

• roach;
• zander;
• perch;
• vobla;
• rudd.

We choose carcasses of small or medium size. Regarding whether it is possible to dry frozen fish - no doubt, but it must first be thawed. A freshly caught product is best salted for 10 hours so that there are no doubts about its quality and safety.

We try to select carcasses of the same size so that all the fish are well salted. Before salting, be sure to wash and clean it. We lower the carcasses into the bath, carefully wash off the silt and river mud from the scales, and also try to remove the mucus so that the fish turns out tastier. Next, we remove the insides so that the product does not taste bitter and dries better.

On a note!

If large representatives are chosen for drying, we make cuts in the back area so that they do not dry for too long.

How to salt fish

After the product is washed and cleaned of the insides, it is needed. You can do this in the following ways:

Dry Ambassador

We use for carcasses of large size. Dry them thoroughly with paper towels, and then rub well with coarse salt. We put it in a wooden box or a basket with holes. We cover the bottom with a dense cloth, and lay the fish on it, belly up. The layers are well covered with salt, at the rate of 1.5 kg / 10 kg of product. We close the box plastic wrap and placed in a cool place with low humidity for 7 days. We install a pallet under the box or lay an oilcloth, because excess moisture and juice will “leave” through the cracks.

Wet Ambassador

We cover the bottom of a container of a suitable size with a layer of coarse salt, on which we lay out the fish carcasses, previously rubbed with it, with a jack. First, we put a larger product, and fill the container with small fish on top. Sprinkle each layer with salt so that it completely covers the carcasses. We spread the load on top and put it in a cool place for 4 days.

Salting in brine

For this salting method, we prepare a special saline solution, in which the fish will then be placed. We dissolve salt in water, we use the proportions individually. To check if the brine is cooked correctly - immerse it in a raw egg, which should pop up. If it is immersed in liquid, add more salt. For soaking, we use carcasses weighing no more than 500 g, leave them in liquid for 3 days.

Preparing the product for drying

After the product is well salted, we proceed to the next stage - soaking. We carry out this procedure to rid the fish of excess salt. We rinse the carcasses for 20 minutes, and then soak for 3-7 hours, at the rate of 1 day of salting = 1 hour of soaking.

To check if the product is ready for drying, we use the following methods:

• we press on the back of the carcass, if a hole has formed, then you can proceed to the next step;
• we take the carcass with one hand by the head, with the other by the tail and stretch it, if the vertebra starts to crackle, then the fish can be dried.

If the product did not “pass” the readiness test, we leave it to salt for another 1 day.

How to dry fish: basic methods

When drying fish, you need to take into account the temperature of the air outside or in the room, the level of humidity and the availability of air. Each method of drying the product has its own characteristics.

Balcony/indoor

We place the carcasses away from the sun's rays, on a wire, for this we put them on sideways, through the eye holes. You can also use paper clips, which we then hook onto a rope. Fatty fish can be hung upside down to drain excess fat, so the product dries out faster. When drying large representatives, we open their abdomen and insert a match so that the carcasses dry well and do not rot inside. We regularly ventilate the room and leave the windows ajar.

If the balcony is not glazed, be sure to cover the carcasses from insects to prevent rotting and spoilage of the product. To do this, use gauze, cover it with a suspended fish or build a frame.

On a note!

The most suitable time for drying is early autumn or late spring, when the air temperature outside does not exceed 20 ° C.

In the oven

To dry the fish in the oven, lay the product on a wire rack, place a baking sheet under it. We set the temperature to no more than 80 ° C, otherwise the fish will be baked. door oven slightly open to allow air to enter. After 2 hours, we cover the heads with foil and return the carcasses for another 4-5 hours. We hang the dried product and dry it for 2-3 days.

In an electric dryer

In an electric dryer, you can quickly dry both small-sized carcasses and large fish, cut into pieces. During the drying of the product, we set the temperature to no more than 50 ° C, otherwise it will steam and the meat will fall behind the bones. It is also possible to completely turn off the heating tent and use only the blowing mode.

We put the fish on the grills, close the lid of the apparatus, set the required temperature, blowing power and cooking time. The finished product can be obtained after 5 hours, but it all depends on what parameters have been set.

On battery

During the heating season, fish can also be dried on a battery. To do this, place the carcasses to dry in one of the following ways:

1. under the battery. We cover the floor with a double layer of thick paper or cardboard and lay out the product. After one side of it dries, we shift the fish to the other side.
2. On the battery. We cover it with a cloth and hang the product on it. After 2-3 days, turn the fish on the other side.
3. Near the battery. We hang the carcasses on the clothes dryer and install them next to the radiator.

in the microwave

Only a microwave oven with convection function is suitable for cooking the product. This is due to the fact that during drying it is necessary to provide air access, which a conventional microwave cannot do.

We set the temperature to no more than 40 ° C, lay out the carcasses in one row and select the required operating time.

Drying times for fish

The drying time of carcasses depends on the chosen cooking method, temperature and humidity:

If the product is dried in winter, the preparation time can be up to 14 days.

To check the readiness of the product - we try it. Presence of odor raw fish indicates that the carcasses need to be dried. Additionally, we pay attention to appearance product - the surface of the carcasses should be fatty, and the fish itself should be dense and elastic. At the same time, the skin remains strong and well behind.

Storage of dried fish

we recommend wrapping the carcasses in paper or cotton cloth, placing them in a bag and decomposing the product in the freezer. When saving fish in the refrigerator, we regularly check for condensation on cellophane. If it is found, we update the package and paper, otherwise the product will become damp.

Another way to store carcasses is in canvas or paper bags in a cool place. The shelf life of the product should not exceed 6 months. It is also possible to store the product in closed lid bank. Under such conditions, it is stored for up to 5 months.

1. The best time to prepare the product is autumn and spring, because during these periods the fish itself is fatter and much tastier.
2. So that wasps and flies do not sit on carcasses, we hang them out at night. So, they will have time to weather, and also dry out until the morning and will not attract insects. Additionally, you can coat the product with a mixture of sunflower oil and vinegar (3: 1).
3. If some carcasses floated during soaking, this “speaks” that they were not salted well. They should be dried separately, and also eaten first.
4. Do not dry the product in the summer, because under the influence of high temperature, the carcasses turn out to be bitter or completely rotten.

To properly dry fish at home and get a tasty and fragrant product, you need to follow all the main stages of its preparation, as well as follow our recommendations for preparing the product, salting it and drying it.

They call the one that was previously salted and then dried at a temperature not exceeding twenty-five degrees under natural conditions. Under such a combined effect, the fabrics of the product change greatly. Most often, roach, ram, fish, and bream are used for processing.

How to dry fish?

This product is considered one of the most popular snacks for beer and other alcoholic beverages. In addition to knowing how to dry fish, a person must know which one to choose for cooking. A fresh, freshly caught catch is gutted if it is more than thirty centimeters in size and kept for two hours in a cool place mixed with nettles. The cleaned fish is strung on a thin rope or twine through the eye hole with the backs to one side. Depending on their size, two to ten pieces can fit on a twine. The ends of the rope are tied into a knot. Bundles of fish are thoroughly washed in running water from various impurities and dirt, then each carcass is rubbed with coarse salt, part of the salt must be put into the gills and inside the belly if the catch is gutted.

It is strictly forbidden to store it in damp rooms, it easily deteriorates in them, and if it is still dried out, the meat will become rough and tasteless. It is best to keep the finished product in a dry place in special fabric bags, or in gauze. Before storing, make sure that the fish is really dry, if it is not dried enough, the delicacy will quickly deteriorate. Check each batch of the product for the presence of a musty smell or mold, noticing and eliminating the cause in time, you can avoid damage to the entire workpiece. If you know how to properly dry fish, then you won’t have to worry about its safety, because properly prepared and dried, it will be stored for a long time.

How to dry fish under oppression?

Gut the freshly caught catch and salt it a little. Then rinse and make small incisions along the entire back. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt, lay out in layers and press down with any suitable load, put in the cold, for example, in the refrigerator. How many days did you keep the fish in salt at a low temperature, how many hours should it be soaked in water, changing it every two hours. During this procedure, the product is also best kept in the refrigerator. We hang the ungutted fish by the tail, and the gutted fish can be fixed by hooking it with a paper clip through the eyes. We dry in the heat, without access to direct sunlight, it is possible on a covered balcony, but under the very ceiling.

Today, few people, except for avid fishermen, know how to dry fish. In fact, this simple thing can be turned into a chic one. Since this product is consumed mainly with alcoholic beverages, the demand for it will be constant.

Among anglers, disputes do not subside over how to properly hang fish for drying - by the head or by the tail.

behind the tail

There are different opinions. Some are convinced that the fish should be hung only with the head down, i.e. for the tail. Since during this drying option, all the “muck” flows into the head, which is not eaten, but torn off and thrown away. Also, with this drying option, the finished dried fish will be less bitter.

This position is understandable. Now the arguments in favor of those who dry the fish upside down.

One way or another, a ladder for a warehouse, for a house, or an ordinary ladder will be needed. You can also use a clothes dryer, which is easily transferred to any place you need.

Some are sure that the fish should be dried in this way - head down

Per head

Adherents to dry fish, hanging it by the head, by piercing the eyes, have their own convictions on this matter. If you dry the fish in this way, then the fish meat will absorb all the juices and fat, acquiring a peculiar flavor that real fish gourmets, especially beer lovers, adore.

And fish hung upside down to dry dry much better. first of all, it is the head that should dry out, in the first version there is no such possibility.

Everything is correct and understandable.

The second dry the fish the only way - head up

And a fish that dries upside down will be bitter in the only case if its internal organs (liver) are damaged. However, this can happen if the fish is mishandled during the preparatory process. If everything is done carefully, then this will not happen.

And this is for those who do not like the first two options

One way or another, everyone decides for himself how to dry the fish - upside down with the tail or head. Everyone has their own opinion and opinion on this matter. we do not want to convince anyone, we just try to clarify the position of both.

How do you dry fish? hanging by the tail or by the head? We are waiting for answers in the comments to the article.

Eating fish has a positive effect on the human body, so it should be eaten quite often. Since it is far from always possible to purchase a fresh carcass or eat it immediately after purchase, dried, smoked and canned products have become very popular. You can buy this option in the store, it's quick and easy, but in this case there is no exact confidence in the quality of the product and how long it is there. To protect yourself and eat fresh food for sure, you should cook the fish yourself. To do this, you need to know how to dry the fish on your own.

Selection and salting

In order to get tasty products after drying, it is important to be able to choose the right type of fish, which in the process will acquire the necessary qualities. It is important to take the carcass, the meat of which can acquire the desired texture, aroma and taste. Dry best small fish, which are usually not in demand on an industrial scale - these are roach, ram, bream and the like. If there is a desire to dry larger fish, then you can use bream, pike perch and catfish.

In order for the drying to be successful and the product to have good taste qualities, it is important to start the process immediately after catching the fish, without leaving it for storage because it can acquire a specific smell. If the catch turned out to be too large and it was not possible to capitalize it at a time, you can put the fish in the freezer and leave it until the previous stocks are eaten. In order for the product to be tasty during drying, it must have enough fat, therefore medium and high-fat fish in this case is best suited.

Before drying the catch, it must be properly prepared. In this case, there are two differing points of view - some believe that the fish should be washed well, the mucus removed and only then cut, while others say that these measures negatively affect the taste and simply wipe the fish with a rag. It is important not to touch the scales, they must remain in place throughout the drying process. Too small individuals do not even need to be cleaned of the insides, because they, together with the fat of the peritoneum, help to achieve a more intense taste.

If the fish is herbivorous and the drying procedure is carried out in the summer, then the insides should be removed, otherwise the flesh will taste bitter. If a larger fish is dried, then the procedure for preparing it is different: it is necessary to take out the insides, but without opening the stomach, so as not to touch the fat. To gut such a carcass, you need to cut it in the region of the dorsal fin and carefully remove all the contents. At the end of the process, it is not necessary to rinse the fish and its parts with water.

Once the fish is prepared, you can proceed directly to the drying process. There is a certain algorithm of actions, which includes several stages.

1. salting, which is produced in a container that is suitable in size. The fish must be covered with salt and pour the saline solution on top. You need to keep it in salt in a cold place until it is salted.
2. Followed by rinse the carcass well and soak it. It is important to use cold fresh water for this. The time frame will depend on how long the fish has been salted.
3. The next step is the process itself. drying. It can be carried out in a natural environment or use additional devices.

If you do everything right, then you can expect that the dried fish will turn out tasty and fragrant.

Drying methods

In order to dry fish, you can use two main options for this process.

• Natural drying. It requires the presence of clean air in an open space or in a room with good ventilation.
• artificial drying. It implies the use of one or another inventory that helps maintain the temperature necessary for the process.

Usually at home, the natural option is most often used. For achievement best result it is important to observe all the subtleties of this process.

1. The fish, which has been washed and soaked, must be strung on a fishing line, for which they usually pierce the head at the location of the eyes. You can use paper clips and catch fish by the lip. For large fish, make a toothpick spacer in the middle of the carcass so that it dries evenly. At all small fish can be dried on a mesh that is stretched over a rigid frame.
2. In summer, the bundles should be placed in a place or room where there is constant access to fresh air and the fish will be ventilated. You can’t leave it in the sun, because it can deteriorate and fat will drain from it.
3. In spring and autumn, the best place for drying will be a canopy where the sun does not fall, but the fish is constantly in the wind. In winter, it is convenient to carry out the procedure on a glazed balcony, in the attic or even just in the kitchen.
4. For natural drying, the air temperature should be between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius.
5. When hanging the carcasses, it is worth hanging them so that they are at a small distance from each other, without touching.
6. When choosing a place to store the catch, you should make sure that there are no items with a strong smell nearby, otherwise the fish will absorb their aroma.
7. If it is a hot day, you should not plan to dry the fish, because such carcasses can be bitter.

The time to readiness will depend on the size of the fish and the time of year when the procedure is performed.

• In spring and summer under optimal weather conditions, you can get the finished result after a week, and in the case of very small fish - after two days.
• in winter when it is cold outside, for full drying it is necessary to wait from one to one and a half months, during which time the moisture inside will freeze out. In the case of drying in the apartment, the terms are reduced to 1-2 weeks.

To make dried fish tasty, it is important to know what exactly to do when different options drying.

In an electric dryer

To dry fish in a vegetable dryer, it is important to choose a device in which you can turn off the heat in order to cook the carcass at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees. Due to the presence of a fan in the device, a constant air flow will be provided, which will make it possible to quickly dry the catch. In this case, the finished product will be received after a few days. But there is only one minus - the room where the process will take place will be saturated with the smell of fish.

During the use of the electric dryer, it is also important to monitor the condition of the carcasses by constantly checking them. To understand if the product is ready, you need:

• evaluate the appearance and structure of the fish - it should have a shine from fat, be dense, but elastic;
• inspect the skin, which should remain tight so that it can be easily removed;
• check the scales, on which salt crystals should not be visible.

You can eat dried fish from an electric dryer immediately after cooking, but to achieve a more pleasant taste, it is better to put the carcasses in parchment paper and leave in the cold for a couple of weeks.

In the oven

Another option for drying fish at home involves the use of an oven, with which you can also quickly get the desired product. For cooking, it is necessary to evenly place the carcasses on the oven grate, and put a sheet of foil under them. The required temperature for cooking is 80 degrees, otherwise the fish will be baked. As with other drying methods, there must also be oxygen access, for which the door needs to be slightly opened.

After two hours of cooking, fish heads are covered with foil, and everything is sent back to the oven for 4-5 hours. When everything is ready, each carcass must be hung and dried for a few more days, after which they can be eaten.

On the balcony

Another option for drying fish in an apartment in winter involves placing it on a balcony or loggia. It must be hung at a distance, under it place any container where the liquid will drain. The best option would be a balcony with ventilation, where you can update the flow of fresh air using a special device. If not, then you need to keep the window sash ajar. It is best if there is a slight draft in this small room, which will allow the fish to dry faster.

It is best to place the carcasses along the wall or across the balcony or loggia. Typically, under such conditions, the fish is cooked for several weeks, but the final dates will depend on the temperature of the room and environment, which means they can either increase or decrease.

How to clean?

In order to clean dried fish, you can use a knife or just do it with your hands. To make it better cleaned, it is better to knead it in different directions, paying special attention to the belly and tail areas. Such actions will help to more easily separate the skin from the meat. When the preparation is over, you need to tear off her head, she is not eaten.

The next movement will be to tear out the dorsal fin, which will allow the fish to be divided into two parts in the back area. With the help of your fingers, you can enlarge the opening that was formed in the place where the fin was missing, doing this towards the head. After that, you can remove the skin from the back to the abdomen, doing this with your thumb. It is convenient to hold the fish with the tail towards you and the head to the other side.

In the case of peeling from the back to the abdomen, it is necessary to work on both sides of the fish at once. If it is more convenient to clean in turn on each side, then it is better to do this from head to tail. As soon as the back and ribs are cleaned, you need to firmly grasp the abdomen and pull off the rest of the skin from the fish. Thus, you can get a high-quality cleaned fish, which will be located in one hand, and the skin with the insides in the other. The advantage of this cleaning option is that if there is caviar, it remains inside the fish without causing problems with its extraction from the inedible part.

The cleaning procedure at first will seem rather complicated and time-consuming, but after 3-4 cleaned carcasses, the process will be established and there will be no problems.

To properly dry fish at home, you need to know the important rules and certain nuances, without which it will be difficult to achieve the desired result.

1. Carrying out the salting procedure, it is worth placing large fish on the bottom of the tank, and smaller ones on top, so that all carcasses are evenly salted.
2. When preparing fish for drying, it is also worth paying attention to its size, choosing the same size.
3. For full and faster drying of large individuals, it is necessary to open their abdomen, which is convenient to do with toothpicks.
4. If during the drying process the result is not formed, you can try again by washing the fish in saline.
5. To protect carcasses from insects in the summer, you can use vinegar or sunflower oil. A good option would be to wrap the fish with gauze so that flies do not land on them.
6. It is better to hang the fish in the evening on the day of the catch, because by the morning it will no longer be so fresh, it will acquire a strong aroma, which will increase the attraction of flies and wasps to it.
7. In order to preserve dried fish for a long time, it can be wrapped in parchment or put in an airtight jar. Properties and taste will remain the same.

You can dry fish at any time of the year. For a warm season, you can use open space for this, in the cold season - an apartment. In summer there is a certain danger in the form of insects that can lay eggs on the product. The simplest protection in this case is the grid. If vinegar is used, it should be diluted in a low concentration so that it does not affect the taste of the product. You can dry the fish indoors, and then hang it outside, which will reduce the interest of insects in it.

Since the drying process may vary by season, fish type and size, there are many nuances of the process.

• In the process of soaking carcasses that have undergone the brining process, it is important to change the water several times to keep it clean.
• Its taste and softness depend on the position of the fish during drying. To make the carcass softer, it is necessary to hang it not with the tail, but with the head up. So there is no leakage of fat from it.
• Drying fish is a lengthy process, but for those who do not want to wait, you can use devices like electric dryers that bring the catch to readiness in just eight hours.
• In those regions where frost is fierce most of the year, it is difficult to dry the fish traditional way, because here it is frozen for about a month. After that, the catch can be stored for quite a long time, and the carcasses are very tasty.
• The middle of summer is considered the least successful time for drying fish, as the air temperature is too high, the catch simply goes rotten or becomes bitter.
• One of the options for salting, which has come down to us since ancient times, requires laying fish in wooden barrels. From them, the carcasses received an incomparable aroma, which is now considered a sign of a high class of cooking.
• It is very important not to place the fish in the sun. On open rays, fat is quickly rendered, from which the meat loses its softness and tenderness, and the dried product turns out to be dry and lean.
• There is a recipe for cooking fish in the oven, in which the carcasses are stacked in clay pots and placed in a preheated, but already turned off oven. Thus, the catch languishes and turns out to be very tasty, juicy and well-salted.
• In addition to the cooking process itself, it is important to be able to properly store the resulting product. If this is not done, then the product acquires an unpleasant odor, and mucus or mold may appear on its surface. This will indicate that this fish can not be eaten.
• It is traditionally believed that small fish are easier to pickle and dry, but with a large one you can get much more. tasty meat. The choice is up to the person who prepares the product.

The process of drying fish is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance, the main thing is to know exactly the main points and take into account those subtleties that have a significant impact on the final result. Fishing enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor for a long time if they follow all the above recommendations.

For information on how to properly dry fish at home, see the video below.

To dry fish at home, you need to properly prepare it, salt it and dry it naturally or with the help of additional equipment. The taste characteristics of the finished product will depend on the size of the carcass, as well as on the fat content and structure of the fillet.

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Drying or curing

Distinctive features of drying and drying are presented in the table:

What kind of fish can be dried?

Small or medium-sized river fish are suitable for drying or drying, namely:

• rudd;
• ram;
• roach;
• vobla;
• sabrefish;
• perch;
• zander;
• carp;
• scavenger;
• Pike;
• gudgeon;
• crucian carp;
• carp.

For drying, only fresh fish caught no more than a day ago should be used. Otherwise, the product may go rotten without having time to cook.

Fish preparation

Before drying fish at home, it must be carefully prepared in this way:

1. Rinse carcasses, remove mucus.
2. Do not peel the scales, do not gut small fish. Remove the insides of herbivorous species in hot weather - if this is not done, the fish will start to taste bitter and quickly deteriorate.
3. Cut large representatives completely - gut without peeling off the skin and scales. To do this, cut the carcass along the dorsal fin. Leave the belly whole so that the fat is preserved inside. Do not wash the cut fish and its parts with water.

Basic cooking steps

The cooking process includes:

1. Treatment.
2. Salting.
3. Soaking.

salting

There are three main ways to salt fish:

• dry;
• wet;
• brine.

Dry salting

The dry method is most often used when salting trophies weighing more than one kilogram, namely:

• pike;
• carp;
• bream and other large fish.

For dry salting, you need to do this:

1. Cut the carcasses along the ridge, remove the insides, flatten.
2. Salt the inside.
3. Place the fish belly up in a wooden box.
4. Sprinkle the scales with salt.
5. Cover with foil and press down with a load.
6. Leave the box in a cool place for a period of three to seven days.

In this way, you can pickle a small fish without gutting it.

Wet salting

The wet method is used for carcasses weighing up to one kilogram. For salting you will need large enamel pots or plastic barrels.

This process includes steps:

1. Clean the fish from dirt in a dry way.
2. Remove the insides.
3. Cover the bottom of the container with a layer of salt for at least a few centimeters.
4. Lay the carcasses so that the back of one overlaps the abdomen of the other, sprinkling with salt.
5. Place the next layer of fish perpendicular to the previous one.
6. Finish styling, generously sprinkle the top layer with salt.
7. Cover with a lid of smaller diameter and press down with a load.
8. After some time, after the release of juice, which will cover the fish, remove the container to a cold place.
9. Readiness time depends on the size of the carcasses and is up to three days.

Salting in brine

This method of salting is best for small fish weighing up to half a kilogram.

For this method you need:

1. Prepare brine - add salt to the water and mix thoroughly. Determine the concentration of the solution by dropping an egg into it, it should float. Approximate ratio: three liters of water per kilogram of salt.
2. Place the fish in the solution so that it covers it completely (approximate volume is 1 liter per 3 kilograms of raw materials). It is more convenient to pre-string the carcasses on a rope and immerse them in the brine along with them.
3. Cover with gauze and press down with a load.
4. Keep three days in a cool place.

With his video recipe for salting large river fish shares Vladimir Plisov.

soaking

Before drying, the fish is subjected to soaking in order to remove excess salt from the carcasses, to desalinate the surface. This is necessary in order to ready-made The product was not soggy and was delicious.

For this you should:

1. Remove the fish from the brine and let it rest so that the salt is evenly distributed throughout the carcass.
2. Rinse fish thoroughly in running water. fresh water and remove mucus from it.
3. Put the carcasses in a container and pour them cold water, changing it periodically. (Soaking time is equal to salting time, readiness can be determined by floating carcasses).
4. Wipe the fish dry and put it on paper to drain excess liquid.

Drying

The final step is hanging the carcass for further drying.

You can do this in two ways:

1. The fish is suspended by the tail - for this, a hole must be made in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe rear fin, into which a wire is threaded. Then the bundles are hung in a ventilated place. In this position, excess moisture and the contents of the stomach will flow out through the mouth, therefore, the finished product will not have a bitter taste.
2. The fish is hung by the head - for this, a wire or rope is threaded into the eye holes. Fat and bile will remain inside and saturate the meat, it will become softer and will have a slight bitterness.

General rules for drying fish:

• hang carcasses on a stainless steel wire or a finely woven rope;
• workpieces should not be in contact with each other;
• bundles are hung in a small draft in the shade;
• for better drying, you can hang the carcasses under straight Sun rays for 3-5 hours;
• if the weather is humid and not warm enough, large fish need to cut the belly, open it and insert “strut sticks” there;
• the time of complete drying in good, non-humid weather is from three to five days.

In the apartment In the oven In an electric dryer Outdoors

Outdoors

Features of outdoor fish drying:

• the procedure is carried out in sunny weather at a temperature of 18-20°C;
• bundles are placed on horizontal grids, rails, hung in open boxes or under a canopy;
• in rainy weather they hide under an awning or in a room.

On the balcony

Ventilated balconies are suitable for drying the catch, especially in cloudy and cold weather.

On the balcony we dry the fish like this:

1. We cover the floor in the room.
2. We substitute the basin under the hung seafood so that the leaking fat does not stain the room.
3. Open windows to allow air to circulate.

In the room

Withering fish in the house - not the best way because of the specific smell. In the apartment, the bundles can be hung next to the heater (in the winter season), by placing a fan nearby, or the carcasses can be placed over the gas stove.

in the cellar

The cellar is suitable for drying small fish, but most likely it will have to be brought to the desired condition in a warmer place. Large seafood dries more slowly and goes rancid before it dries well.

In the cellar, due to the low temperature, drying can take up to two to three weeks.

In the attic

Benefits of drying in the attic:

• the roof gets very hot, drafts will speed up drying;
• neither the sun nor the rain will fall on the carcasses;
• there is always enough space under the roof.

The main rule is to hang the ligaments higher.

In the oven

Drying in the oven goes like this:

1. Lay the salted fish on the grill in rows. Place a baking sheet on the bottom or line with aluminum foil.
2. Set the temperature to about 80 ° C (not higher) so that you do not get just a baked fish. Open the oven door 5-7 cm.
3. The fish should dry for two hours, then cover the heads with heat-resistant foil and leave for another 4-6 hours.
4. Hang and dry for a few more days.

In an electric dryer

For drying, any convection electric dryer with a heating off function is suitable. The built-in fan will provide air circulation.

The temperature should be around 30°C, otherwise the fish will steam and start to fall apart. Depending on the size, the process will take from 2 to 4 days.

How to determine readiness?

It is best to determine the readiness of fish by taste or by other signs:

• the fish is translucent in the light;
• has a dense and elastic texture;
• has a greasy sheen;
• salt is completely absent on the surface of the carcass;
• skin or scales strong, removed without difficulty;
• has a rich spicy, spicy aroma.

Dried fish is suitable for eating immediately after drying. For final ripening, it should be left in a cold place for 3-4 weeks, wrapped parchment paper or newspaper.

How to get rid of flies?

In summer, the following methods are used to combat flies and other insects:

1. Before drying, the carcasses are soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of vinegar - 10 liters of water and 120 milliliters of essence.
2. Fish heads are treated with sunflower oil.
3. Carcasses are rubbed with onion or garlic.
4. Knits are covered with gauze, leaving no large holes. Spray it with 9% vinegar.
5. The blanks are treated with a solution prepared from vegetable oil and vinegar (at a ratio of 1: 3).

Drying drawer Drying drawer drying cabinet

Features of drying fish in the cold season

For high-quality drying, warm, dry weather is needed, so in winter and autumn you have to create it at home.

If we dry fish in the cold season, you need to know:

• after soaking, hang the fish over the bathtub to drain the fat;
• the best drying place is a glazed loggia or balcony with ajar windows;
• when drying in winter or autumn, only the dry method of salting is suitable;
• places near the battery or above the stove are suitable;
• plus drying in the cold season - the absence of flies.

In winter, it is difficult to cook high-quality fish. Drying requires fresh cool air and low humidity, and during the heating season it is very warm in the apartments. The meat will dry out quickly, but will not have time to ripen.

Storage of the finished product

Ready dried fish is stored in a cool, well-ventilated place using the following containers:

• breathable bag;
• wooden box with lid;
• plastic bag tightly wrapped;
• food foil, film or newspaper.

Video

The author of the video channel “Brothers Prikhodko fishing skill nature” will tell about how the fish is dried correctly, how long each stage takes.