How to salt crucian carp at home - two salting methods

How to dry crucian carp correctly and accurately? Having a husband who is an amateur fisherman, I almost always have crucian carp and other river fish. But how to salt crucian carp for beer so that all friends unanimously say that I am the goddess of the culinary industry - this is a more serious question. Many people think that salting crucian carp is not a particularly intricate science, but they don’t even imagine how deeply and deeply they are mistaken.

Many of us are residents of that era in which we relaxed quite easily and comfortably not on Turkish beaches or Alpine mountains, but in nature, in the country. A hammock, fishing rods and a small tent helped people relax and have a great time. It is we, the inhabitants of that last century, who so miss weekends in nature or gatherings with friends, a glass of beer and a fat roach. A bonfire, songs with a guitar and the absence of modern gadgets - this is the vacation that we only dream of! However, we, mammoths of the old school, are trying to find time for these pleasant, romantic meetings, which feed the soul and body with positive energy for a long time. Accordingly, for gatherings with friends, it is not enough to run into the store and buy a few bottles of beer. You can’t buy a roach like that from a Soviet movie with Batalov in a supermarket anymore. Therefore, I decided to learn the wisdom of how to dry crucian carp correctly and accurately. Having a husband who is an amateur fisherman, I almost always have crucian carp and other river fish. But how to salt crucian carp for beer so that all friends unanimously say that I am the goddess of the culinary industry - this is a more serious question. Many people think that salting crucian carp is not a particularly intricate science, but they don’t even imagine how deeply and deeply they are mistaken. How to dry crucian carp? - asks my friend, - yes, it’s elementary, Watson! - she answers laughing. I took salt, rubbed the fish well, hung it by the tail - and it was done. But the more I listen to her, the more clearly I understand that she is talking complete nonsense. And since my friend thinks the vast majority. So I decided, on the advice of the fisherman’s grandfather, to tell everyone the most interesting secret of how to dry crucian fish correctly and in an organized manner.

Crucian carp - why him?

My choice fell on crucian carp for a reason. They are excellent examples for our theory lessons. This tasty fish belongs to the carp family. It has two main varieties: silver crucian carp and golden carp. This fish can be colossal in size - about 5-6 kg. Of course, such huge fish, as a rule, are raised in private ponds and reservoirs, but even in the wild, their relatives are not far behind. The meat of crucian carp is tender and sweetish in taste. However, this aspect directly depends on the diet of these representatives of the aquatic world and their place of residence.

Preparing for drying

After the fish is salted, you need to know how to dry crucian carp. First of all, you need to remove the fish and wash it to remove excess salt and mucus .
After this, place the crucian carp in clean cold water for several hours. Each fisherman has his own recipe for calculating the soaking time. The most acceptable way is to soak for as many hours as the fish has been salted for days. That is, if the crucian carp was salted for 7 days, then it takes 7 hours to soak it.

After this, place in a colander to drain the water. Then pat each carcass dry with a paper towel.

To prevent flies from landing on crucian carp during drying, they need to be treated with vegetable oil or a weak vinegar solution. At this point, all preparatory work is completed and you can proceed directly to drying.

Drying crucian carp is the best time

The optimally correct and profitable salting of crucian carp at home occurs in winter and spring. It is at this time of year that the fish is the most fatty, which helps to obtain dried crucian carp with aromatic and elastic meat. Another important nuance when salting crucian carp for drying is the choice of salt. When buying salt for the event we have planned, pay attention to coarse salt. Fine salt in this case will be absolutely inappropriate, and preference should be given to coarse sea salt. Firstly, it is very good for health, contains an increased amount of minerals and iodine for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. And, secondly, coarse salt best removes moisture from the product salted with it, without burning or drying out the meat itself.

Preparing crucian carp - step-by-step instructions

So, let's take a closer look at how to salt crucian carp at home. To carry out this process correctly, let’s prepare the product that will be discussed further. As you understand, we will sort the crucian carp. Let's put small fish to one side, medium-sized fish to the other, but put huge fish aside. Why do we postpone? Yes, because we will only dry crucian carp of medium and small sizes. We will set aside large fish for preparing other culinary masterpieces.

Now I will tell you how to properly salt crucian carp of different sizes for effective drying. So, let’s take a small fish and rinse it under running water, thereby freeing it from mucus and river mud. The scales do not need to be cleaned. We rub the crucian carp with salt very carefully and scrupulously. Don't forget to dust the gills and pour more of the precious white powder into your mouth. For convenience, you can put small fish in a deep pan in layers and completely sprinkle with coarse salt. Mix thoroughly and leave to rest.

Preparing medium-sized crucian carp for salting and drying will take a little longer than small specimens. Here it would be advisable for us to get rid of the scales, although it is not necessary. It will be necessary to gut the crucian carp and get rid of the entrails. Another important aspect for obtaining luxurious salted crucian carp is the obligatory cut along the ridge of the fish, starting from the head and ending with the tail. Having freed the crucian carp from the insides, rinse it thoroughly under running water. Next, dry it a little with a kitchen towel. Take the fish and rub it well with salt, stuff the white gold into the belly, gills and mouth of the crucian carp. Place the fish in a remote place so that it absorbs the salt. It should remain in this form for at least 4 days.

How to dry crucian carp correctly

To make the process go faster, it is advisable to take small and medium-sized crucian carp. Then you don’t have to gut the fish, you don’t have to cut off the fins and the head - this way it will be much more natural, juicier and fatter. However, you need to take into account that the taste of the finished fish may contain some bitterness. Although there are people who really like this taste and find it piquant. If you only have large fish, then before salting the crucian carp, it is advisable to gut it and make a longitudinal cut on the back.

Dry method of salting fish

Now I will tell you how to salt crucian carp for dry drying. To do this, take a wooden box and lay a piece of material, preferably natural, on the bottom. Lay out the fish in layers and sprinkle with salt. We place a wooden board on top of the fish, on which we place a heavy load - a stone or something quite bulky. The fish will thus be under pressure, which will not let air through to the salting. This will prevent bacteria from developing and will also improve the quality of the salted meat. Please note that our wooden structure must be in a cool place.

How to salt?

How to salt ram at home? The process is simple, but requires patience. In addition, there are three main methods: drying, dry method and wet. All options are discussed in detail.

Dry method

This option is simple and requires a suitable container (it can be a wooden box or an enamel basin), salt and the fish itself.

Place a layer of salt about 7-10 millimeters thick at the bottom of a clean container.
Rub salt all over the fish, pushing it into the mouth and gills. You can also make several holes for better salting.
Place the fish on the salt, sprinkle it with a centimeter layer of salt. Laying for better compaction is done with heads to tails and backs to bellies, so that there are no free spaces left.
Having laid all the fish in layers and sprinkled it with salt, cover it, for example, with thick cardboard, a perforated board, or a lid with a diameter smaller than the container itself. Place a weight of about 7-10 kg.
Send the container to a cool place, such as a refrigerator, cellar or balcony (during the cold season).
How long should you salt fish using this method? The duration depends on the weight of one carcass: about 100-150 grams - two days, 500-700 g - three to four days, more than 800 grams - from five to seven days to two weeks (for large specimens).
During the salting process, juice will be released, which must be drained daily. You can determine readiness by the absence of liquid.
Now wash the salted fish and soak it in water to remove excess salt, and then in a vinegar solution (50 ml of 9% table water per 10 liters) to destroy bacteria and repel flies.
All that remains is to hang the carcasses in a ventilated room and dry them to the desired condition. You can also dry fish in wooden open boxes or on trays, turning them regularly.

Wet method of salting crucian carp

There is another way to salt crucian carp correctly and effectively. He is quite interesting and extravagant. Here crucian carp are salted using our own brine. That is, the fish itself will release the brine we need to form tasty and aromatic meat. Following this method, we take a deep container of enameled material so that it does not oxidize. Place the fish carcasses there, belly up. Sprinkle them with salt and sugar. Are you surprised? It’s not worth it - sugar gives the meat a more expressive taste, emphasizing its natural aroma and sweetness. In addition, with the help of sugar, the fish will become more tender. Next, press down the fish with pressure, as in the previous recipe. Leave for 7 days so that it is well salted. Only after 2 days will the brine we need begin to separate, so remain patient, gentlemen.

Now you know how to salt crucian carp for drying in several ways. Which method you choose is up to you. As for me, they are all equally effective and efficient. However, see for yourself.

Preparing fish for salting

Before salting crucian carp, you need to prepare it properly. We thoroughly wash the fish under running water to remove as much mucus as possible. For large specimens, we rip open the belly, remove all the entrails, and thoroughly wash the inside. We leave small carcasses whole.

You need to salt crucian carp for drying carefully, paying special attention to the gills and mouth, because there are the most microorganisms that can cause spoilage of the finished product.

Salting crucian caviar

If you happen to have a large fish containing caviar, I will tell you how to salt crucian carp caviar in a not at all difficult way. So, to carry out the intended process you will need the following components:

Crucian caviar – 400-500 grams;
Salt – 3 tbsp. spoons;
Water – 2 l;
Bay leaf, black peppercorns, allspice.

Having prepared all the ingredients we need, we get to work. Salting crucian caviar is quite easy, but follow all my instructions. So, take water, pour it into a pan and put it on fire. Pour salt, bay leaf and black and allspice into it. Do not overdo it with salt so that the caviar does not turn out too salty and tasteless. Spices will give the caviar aroma and a pleasant taste and aftertaste.

While the water is boiling, prepare the caviar. It needs to be cleared of the film that envelops the eggs. A colander is perfect for this procedure. Just carefully wipe the eggs in a colander: then the eggs will pass through the holes, and the film will remain on its walls.

Having completed this task, pour the cleaned caviar into boiling water. Stir it constantly. This procedure should be carried out for 2-3 minutes. During this time, the caviar will acquire a pleasant yellowish color. Leave the caviar to cool in the water for 15-20 minutes.

After the required time has passed, we need to filter our product. To do this, take a clean container, place a colander on it and cover it with gauze. It is advisable that the fabric be folded in three or four layers to achieve the desired effect. Also, the fabric must be moistened with water to allow moisture to pass through it better. Next, stir the caviar thoroughly and scrupulously in the water so that it all floats. Pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared colander with a cloth. Then all the water will drain into a container under a colander, and the acre will remain in it. Then carefully lift the gauze to completely free the caviar from water. Next, pour the almost finished caviar into a container for further preservation of this product. Some people add sunflower or olive oil to the caviar. However, if you are a lover of natural taste, you can leave it as is.

Proper drying of crucian carp

Fishermen with extensive experience and experience use several recipes for drying crucian carp. I borrowed several methods from them that I would be happy to share with you:

The most effective way to dry fish is the typical method that we have been using for centuries. Using this method, we string already salted fish onto a wire or fishing line through a hole in the eye. Thus, the crucian carp will dry well and acquire the aromatic taste of meat, which we love to eat with foamy, cold beer;
The second method is to string the fish on a string. To do this, take a large needle, thread a rope through it and then, as you understand, string fish after fish. Simple and fast;
And this is the most extravagant and unique method for which a plastic hanger is used. The lower part of this structure breaks and the fish is threaded through it onto the hanger. Strange - but true;
You can also string and dry the fish on a paper clip.

In principle, there are a great variety of methods and methods for drying crucian carp. There are quite a lot of craftsmen in our country, and this brethren has even more creative flights. Therefore, all the ways cannot be counted. The choice, again, is up to you. Go for it!