PDA

View Full Version : fish on a fire



Camp10
03-06-2010, 04:39 PM
I did a search and didnt find what I was looking for. Probably because it is so obvious it doesnt need to be asked but I'll ask anyways.:)

I've always ate the fish as I caught them or I have had the option of throwing them in a cooler, etc to keep them fresh but my question is how would I go about drying/smoking fish over an open fire? It seems pretty basic but is there more to it than hanging them over the fire in the smoke? How long does the process take and how long can the fish keep for when treated this way?

Winnie
03-06-2010, 05:03 PM
Don't qoute me on this, but I'm not sure just hanging them over a fire would actually work. To use smoking as a preserving method, I think you have to cure it first, then cold smoke it. This would probably be difficult, but not impossible in the bush. Hot smoking is basically another method of cooking which imparts flavour at the same time, it wouldn't preserve your fish.

Camp10
03-06-2010, 05:06 PM
Don't qoute me on this, but I'm not sure just hanging them over a fire would actually work. To use smoking as a preserving method, I think you have to cure it first, then cold smoke it. This would probably be difficult, but not impossible in the bush. Hot smoking is basically another method of cooking which imparts flavour at the same time, it wouldn't preserve your fish.

Oh good...so my question isnt a complete waste!!:clap: Thanks for making me feel better Winnie!

Alaskan Survivalist
03-06-2010, 05:32 PM
I wrote a blog on this once and still have pictures on my computer, I'll go through it for you.


First make a brine. That is just salt water and I also pour lemon juice in it. It's not for flavor just another kind of preservative. This is the same mixture I brush on meat before hanging to prevent spoilage and that is what it is doing here. You will be drying fish not so much cooking it, remember that. If you use hot water to break down salt be sure to let it cool before puting fish in to soak. Fish cooks easily and will cook in warm water. Soak it pot while you go build fire thats enough time.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/015.jpg

Let the fire die down to a good bed of coals. Hold your hand at the level the fish will be at. If you can't hold your hand there the fish will cook and you are not cooking it as much as drying it out.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/019.jpg

Place fish on fire. If I add flavoring this is when I do it. I love the taste of smoked King Salmon so I usually just spice a couple pieces just for variety. The wood you use can give different flavors too. I have a bunch of alder so use it.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/022.jpg

I usually smoke mine 5 or 6 hours tending the fire the whole time. Adding more wood to low heat will create smoke. Temperature is controlled by size of wood. Thinner pieces burn hotter, thick pieces less so.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/023.jpg

I keep a piece on a seperate tray to sample. I taste it as I go. You can see the fat oozing out of the fish. The fish is still not cooking it is drying. I like mine a little moist and when it gets just where I like it I add a few pieces of wood and put a quick cook on it.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/028.jpg

The finished product. The drier it is the longer it keeps but you can imagine I have never had any problem with spoilage of smoked King Salmon.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/029.jpg

rwc1969
03-06-2010, 05:48 PM
That is one fine pictorial AS, now I'm really hungry. I love smoked salmon.

gryffynklm
03-06-2010, 07:01 PM
Dang AS, that looks tasty, I can almost taste it.

Rick
03-06-2010, 07:04 PM
For someone hesitant to post you sure do a quality job. Thank you. That is a great post. Worthy of some rep.

Ted
03-06-2010, 07:11 PM
For someone hesitant to post you sure do a quality job. Thank you. That is a great post. Worthy of some rep.

Agreed! Thanks Bro!

Alaskan Survivalist
03-06-2010, 07:50 PM
Glad you liked it. Smoking fish is like making chile or BBQ sauce. There is a million ways to do it. My father in law dries it overnight and then does it on a charcoal grill. My mother did it in an old refridgerator. I set up concrete blocks for a smoker if I have lots to smoke. Some people even have smokers that completly control everything electronically. It can be as simple or as complicated as some one wants to make it.

crashdive123
03-06-2010, 08:13 PM
Well done AS.

Camp10
03-06-2010, 10:16 PM
Thanks AS! Just the sort of info I was looking for!

crashdive123
03-06-2010, 10:19 PM
Camp - I thought this was pretty good. Explains cold smoking and hot smoking. http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/smoking.htm

Camp10
03-06-2010, 10:29 PM
Thanks Crash! I'll have to give it a try this spring when the ice goes out and the fish bite!

Tripwire
03-07-2010, 02:47 AM
Air drying is to cure the fish.
Smoke is to keep flies from laying eggs.

Winnie
03-07-2010, 05:27 AM
That was great AS! It's good to see/her from someone who does it, how it's actually done!

Rick
03-07-2010, 11:29 AM
Smoke is to keep flies from laying eggs.

While that's true, there is a whole lot more to smoking than just flies. There are a number of chemicals in smoke that retard the growth of bacteria. It's not just drying the meat that does it. Phenolic compounds keep the fat from oxidizing so it doesn't go rancid. But, of course, smoking does draw out a lot of the moisture, which contributes to spoilage. The CO and CO2 produced by the smoking process is what gives smoked meat the distinctive red or pink color of the meat. And compounds in the smoke called carbonyls is what allows the smoke to penetrate the meat and give it that smoky flavor.

If you test the pH of the meat before and after smoking, you'll find the smoked meat is more acidic because of the phenols absorbed into the meat.

Sarge47
03-07-2010, 12:01 PM
Well, I'm not a big "fish eater" but that info is indeed worth it's weight in gold! In an emergency situation it would be good to know! Positive rep will be forthcoming! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Alaskan Survivalist
03-08-2010, 02:42 AM
For those concerned about how long it keeps use soak in brine longer and cut into smaller pieces so the salt permiates better, then can. I just opened this canned salmon tonight and are Yukon Reds from last summer. Don't have electricity set up there so can most of it caught there. Everything caught on road system I just freeze so don't need to use extra salt.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/IMG_1055.jpg

Justin Case
03-14-2010, 04:03 PM
I wrote a blog on this once and still have pictures on my computer, I'll go through it for you.


First make a brine. That is just salt water and I also pour lemon juice in it. It's not for flavor just another kind of preservative. This is the same mixture I brush on meat before hanging to prevent spoilage and that is what it is doing here. You will be drying fish not so much cooking it, remember that. If you use hot water to break down salt be sure to let it cool before puting fish in to soak. Fish cooks easily and will cook in warm water. Soak it pot while you go build fire thats enough time.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/015.jpg

Let the fire die down to a good bed of coals. Hold your hand at the level the fish will be at. If you can't hold your hand there the fish will cook and you are not cooking it as much as drying it out.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/019.jpg

Place fish on fire. If I add flavoring this is when I do it. I love the taste of smoked King Salmon so I usually just spice a couple pieces just for variety. The wood you use can give different flavors too. I have a bunch of alder so use it.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/022.jpg

I usually smoke mine 5 or 6 hours tending the fire the whole time. Adding more wood to low heat will create smoke. Temperature is controlled by size of wood. Thinner pieces burn hotter, thick pieces less so.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/023.jpg

I keep a piece on a seperate tray to sample. I taste it as I go. You can see the fat oozing out of the fish. The fish is still not cooking it is drying. I like mine a little moist and when it gets just where I like it I add a few pieces of wood and put a quick cook on it.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/028.jpg

The finished product. The drier it is the longer it keeps but you can imagine I have never had any problem with spoilage of smoked King Salmon.

http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/029.jpg

Wonderful Post, Great Pics, made me really hungry for Salmon , :)

your_comforting_company
03-14-2010, 09:26 PM
Not exactly fish, but I thought it would be a practical addition to this thread regarding cold smoking. This is my "smokehouse" used for smoking furs, I prefer this method with furs, because you can smoke them when still damp, and the smoke helps finish drying the skin.
Certainly it could be modified with more racks to accomodate meats. I have a single pole for hanging skins.
We did a job that required changing out some cabinets. They were gonna burn them in a pile, so I salvaged one, took off the doors and the middle divider thingy, cut a hole in the bottom to add some flexy stove pipe. Ideally It would mount to hooks at the top and hang, but this worked for me. No heat, just cold smoke.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Brain%20Tanning/0120091541a.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Brain%20Tanning/0120091542.jpg

or maybe this should go in the "modifications to everyday items" thread? I dunno.. looked like it fit well here.