How to Pressure Can Fish
Get directions on how to pressure can fish at home!
Servings: 7 pint jars
Equipment
- pressure canner
- 7 pint jars
- jar lifter
- cooling rack
- sharp kitchen knife
- cutting board
- paper towel
Ingredients
- fresh or thawed fish
- 1 teaspoon of salt per pint jar
- white vinegar for wiping down fish
Instructions
- Add water to your canner and set on the stove.
- Prepare your fish by removing head, tail and all fins.
- If skin is slimy, dampen a paper towel with vinegar and wipe down so fish is easier to handle.
- Remove backbone in large fish (such as steelhead).
- Cut fish into lengths according to jar height, being sure to leave 1-inch headspace at the top.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt to pint jar (only 1/2 tsp for half-pints).
- Pack fish into jars.
- Wipe jar's rim with vinegar.
- Fasten canning lid and band into place.
- Put jars in pressure canner and tighten lid.
- Turn burner to high and wait until you see steam escaping from the vent.
- Set timer and let steam escape from vent for 10 minutes.
- Put weight on vent (or close if you have an old fashioned canner).
- Bring pressure canner up to the proper PSI for your canner type and altitude.
- When the proper PSI is reached, start your timer and monitor canner to be sure it stays in the proper PSI range.
- After timer goes, turn off stove burner and let canner sit undisturbed until the dial returns to 0. Do not remove weight, open valve, or remove lid during this time.
- When your dial reaches 0, you can remove the weight or open the vent.
- Carefully remove the canner lid, being sure to lift the far side first to avoid getting a nasty steam burn.
- Use a jar lifter to set hot jars on cooling rack.
- Let jars of fish sit undisturbed for 8-12 hours.
- Test jars for a seal, putting any that failed into the fridge to be used in a week's time.
- Sealed jars of fish can go on a pantry shelf and are stable for 1 year.
Notes
Whether you have a dial gauge or weighted gauge canner, raw fish in pints or half pint jars must be processed for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Here are PSI adjustments for your canner type and altitude adapted from the National Center Home Food Preservation.
Dial Gauge Canner
0-2,000 ft=11 lb
2001-4,000 ft=12 lb
4001-6000 ft=13 lb
6001-8000 ft=14 lb
Weighted Gauge Canner
0-1,000 ft=10 lb
over 1,001=15 lb
