Sucker fishing Time and canning

News from Steve.

You may process your suckers by canning them, they taste just like salmon.

There's nothing wrong with suckers except the bones unless you know bow to can them. The bones of fish get very soft after the canning process, just like Tuna.

Most people don't like eating suckers because of the numerous tiny bones, and also because they are bottom feeders so people think they are dirty. However, if you ask those who eat suckers they will tell you, contrary to popular belief, that the meat is quite good.

A superb way to prepare Suckers "can them". Follow the directions below.

How to fillet a sucker

With the fish laying on its side, cut straight down just behind the gills until you hit the bone. Then, without removing the blade, turn it sideways and cut straight along the backbone to the tail. You now have one fillet removed.

Turn the fish over and repeat the steps on the other side.
You now have both fillets removed and the rest of the fish is for the compost.
Next thing slice out the rib section, the rib bones are large and easy to remove. You will see the ribs on the inside of the fillet. Just place the blade underneath the ribs and slice the section right out.

Now skin the fillets. With the skin side down insert the knife at the tail and cut the meat from the skin. If you start the cut about a half inch from the tail it will give you something to hold as you pull the knife between the skin and the meat. Pliers can be used to hold onto the fillet near the tail for a better grip.
Hold the blade on an angle it is almost like scraping the meat from the skin.
These fillets are all ready to be placed in mason jars, before the canning procedure begins some cautions are necessary. The canning of fish requires more care than canning high acid foods such as fruits or tomatoes. The United States Department of Agriculture
considers the pressure canner the only safe method for canning meat and fish. The water bath method, boiling the fish in the jars for three hours is unsafe.
Use a pressure canner only.
Note-----Water boils at 212 degrees F. (at sea level), but in a pressure canner steam expands and builds pressure, and as the pressure builds the temperature increases. At 5 pounds pressure the temperature is 228 degrees F., at 10 pounds pressure it's 240 degrees, and at 15 pounds pressure the temperature is 250 degrees.

Now, the recipe.

Take the fillets and pack them into hot pint or half-pint mason jars. Do not use quart jars.

Do not pack them too tightly, and be sure to leave one inch head space.

Do NOT add liquid. The fish creates its own liquid as it is cooked.
Add ingredients below in pint jar.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1-1/2 table spoon mazola oil
4 tablespoons tomato juice
Wipe the rim of the jars and put on the hot lids with sealing rings.

Follow manufacturer's instructions for using your canner.

Process the suckers for 110 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. (Add one pound pressure for every 2000 feet increase above sea level.)

After the jars are taken out, make sure they are properly sealed. With the metal lids it is easy to tell, you will hear them pop as they cool.
Jars are sealed when the lid is concave "curving" in the down position, press in the center of the lid if there is no give or up and down movement the jar is sealed.

Compliments of Steve