Pressure canned salmon is a great way to preserve your summer catch. There are many varieties of fish that can be canned, but here we will talk specifically about canned salmon.

In many northern climates, both raw and smoked salmon are canned for the coming winter. Raw salmon can later be used as a can of tuna that you would buy at the store. Think salmon salad, salmon sauce, fish soup, green salads, salmon empanadas, and many other recipes. Smoked canned salmon is also good as fish soup, but my personal favorite is on a cream cheese cookie. Yum!

Due

to

the low acidity of fish, it must be canned under pressure to be safe, just like all canned meats. Fish can be safely canned in pint or half-pint jars. Half pints are safe, but the consistency of the fish will not be so good. The pints are the best!

There are instructions for safely canning fish in quart jars at home…. However, the process is more complicated and the processing time is very long. Because of this, canning quarted fish is not practical or widely recommended.

Do not try to canning

this recipe using a water bath or steam canner, it is not safe

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This fish should be processed for 100 minutes for pint jars and half-pint jars at 10 pounds pressure

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With all fish, the head, tale, scales and fins should be removed before canning. I personally prefer to remove the skin completely before canning. Fish should be eviscerated within 2 hours of being caught and kept on ice until you are ready for processing.

fish into lengths of 3.5 inches or less. I usually cut it into strips of 1 inch or so, sometimes smaller. This only makes it easier to handle in the future. Smaller pieces can also be tucked in to fill jars. Fill the pint jars leaving 1 inch of headroom. If you decide to leave the skin on, place it against the glass. Pack the fish fairly tightly. You can add up to 1 teaspoon of salt if desired. Do not add any liquid. Fish fat will produce its own. I rarely add salt, choosing instead to season the final product.

There are

several types of fish that can be safely canned at home by following these instructions. These include mackerel, trout and other types of fatty fish, except tuna. Tuna can be safely canned at home, but the process is a little different than these. If you are canning tuna, you should follow the instructions for the tuna.

Small crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate can sometimes form in canned salmon. They usually dissolve when heated and are safe to eat. There is no way for home canners to avoid this.

Ways to Use Canned Fish

I grew up eating homemade canned salmon mixed with cream cheese and herbs for a cookie sauce, pan-fried salmon patties or in a salmon soup (think clam chowder, but with fish). It would be very tasty in our potato leek soup!

Pressure canned fish is a wonderful way to keep protein healthy in the pantry for your family throughout the winter and saves space in the freezer.

Thanks for sharing!