pickled.salmon

We had our first dip-netting adventure 2 weeks ago and harvested 32 red salmon (our limit was 35 – but we were tired). It was a crazy and fun experience which left us both very sore and our freezer full of fresh fish. In addition to steaks and fillets, the little leftover parts of the fish (think less waste!) were brined and thrown in the dehydrator to make a pseudo smoked salmon or jerky. So good…Yum. Great on it’s own to snack on or to mix with a little cream cheese for a to-die-for salmon spread….

But last night we finally put the last lid on the ’12 salmon processing season by pickling the last remaining fillets. First they were packed in salt for a week (to kill all the freeloading bad guys), then cut into strips and stuffed lovingly into jars with an assortment of veggies to keep the fish company (asparagus, kohlrabi, radishes, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, onions, garlic, jalapenos and a slice of lemon). They are now sitting in the fridge getting their pickle on….we can’t wait to give them a try in a month or so when they are done doing their thing. Something about processing your own food just makes it taste so much better!