Producing high-quality home-canned fish is a point of pride for many Alaskans.
Canning, also referred to as jarring, is an excellent way to preserve food,
allowing fish to be stored safely for up to 1 year before eating. I'm Sonja Koukel
with the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
This session will provide the necessary steps for canning fish in jars.
Because fish is naturally low in acid, pressure canning is required to kill
dangerous microorganisms. For more information on pressure canning, you may
view our complete learning module. Research on food preservation is an
ongoing process. The United States Department of Agriculture and the
Cooperative Extension Service continuously apply new research findings
to their recommendations for food preservation techniques. The guidelines
in this module may be revised as additional knowledge is gained that may
increase the margin of safety or improve the quality of home-preserved foods.
Consult your local Cooperative Extension office annually for updated information.
The equipment necessary for canning fish includes a pressure canner with a dial
gauge or a weighted gauge, widemouth, straight-sided jars, 2-piece
self-sealing lids, jar lifter, and a sharp knife. Before you begin, read and
familiarize yourself with the directions for your canner. If you don't have an
instruction manual, contact the manufacturer for a new copy. Make certain
that your pressure canner is in good working condition. Inspect the gasket.
It should be soft, pliable, and free from defects such as rips or tears that might
allow air to escape. The canner must be airtight when it's sealed. Check the
safety plug to ensure that it is correctly seated, and hold the canner lid
up to the light to be certain that the vent is not blocked. If you're using a
dial gauge, have it checked annually for accuracy. Dial pressure gauges may be
checked by your local Extension agent. Half-pint, pint jars, or quart jars may be
used for canning fish. Make sure you follow the specific instructions for the
jar size you choose. Procedures and processing times for the quart-sized
jars are different. Be sure to use wide- mouth, straight-sided jars as they are
easier to fill. You will use 2-piece lids to seal the jars. The flat lid has a
sealing compound. The ring holds the lid in place until the jar is sealed.
Lids can not be reused. Use new lids every time you can. The rings may be reused if
they are not bent or rusty.
When you catch fish, handle them with care to avoid bruising. Be aware that
exposure to the sun or heat may cause the quality of the meat to deteriorate.
Bleed fish immediately after catching to increase its storage life, and remove the
internal organs. And rinse the fish inside and out. Keep your fish iced, refrigerated,
or frozen until you're ready to can. The fish should be stored at temperatures
colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use either fresh or frozen fish for
pressure canning. Many Alaskans choose to freeze their catch for 1 year. When
fishing season arrives again, they take unused fish out of the freezer and can it.
This gives fish an effective shelf life of 2 years. Now, when using frozen fish,
it may be thawed in the refrigerator or by placing the wrapped fish under cold,
running water. To prepare the fish, rinse it in cold water. You can add vinegar to
the water, up to 2 tablespoons per quart, to help remove slime from the fish.
Remove the head, the tail, the fins, and the scales. It's not necessary to remove
the skin. You can also leave bones in when canning salmon. For halibut, you'll
want to remove the bones as well. Always keep fish refrigerated until you're
ready to pack in jars.
In preparation for canning, wash your jars in hot, soapy water. Run your finger
around the rim of the jar to check for scars or nicks that might prevent sealing.
Prepare the jar lids and the rings according to manufacturer's directions.
Often, you'll be instructed to heat the jar lids to soften the sealing compound.
Cut the fish into jar-length fillets or chunks. Keep it simple, using
the fewest cuts possible. You can leave the skin on or take it off. There is some
controversy as to whether the fish should be packed with the skin side out or in.
You choose. Either works. Pack the fish solidly into the jars. Press the fish
to fill up as much air space as possible. Fillets can be rolled before packing.
Leave 1 inch of headspace between the fish and the top of the jar.
Because salmon has a significant fat content, no additional liquid is required.
When canning halibut or lean fish, up to 4 tablespoons of olive oil or
vegetable oil may be added to each jar. The oil will add moisture to the product
but will also increase the calories. Salt, seasoning salt, or other spices may be
added on top of the packed fish. Check the Cooperative Extension Service
publication titled "Add Variety to Home- Canned Fish" for more suggestions.
After packing the jar, clean the rim with a damp paper towel or wipe with a dry
paper towel to remove any fish oil.
Attach the jar lids and the rings. Now, how tight should the rings be?
They should be finger tight. Remember that the purpose of the ring is to hold the lid
against the jar until it seals.
Over-tightening the ring may cause the lid to buckle.
Tighten the rings slightly beyond the point of resistance, no further.
To begin the canning process, center the empty canner on the heat source and add
2 to 3 inches of water.The temperature of the water should be similar to the
product in the jars. Put a rack in the bottom of the canner. The rack helps to
prevent direct contact between the jars and the heat source, causing the jars to
break or crack.
Place filled jars on the rack in the bottom of the canner.
If your canner is deep enough, jars may be stacked. After the first row is in,
put another rack in or offset the jars by placing one in between two others.
When your canner is filled, fasten the lid securely. Lids only fit on one way.
Most have an arrow showing where to match the lid to the handle. Be sure the lid locks completely.
Leave the weight off the vent port or open the petcock. As air inside
the canner heats, it expands. This pushes the excess air out of the canner through
the vent port. Heat the canner at the highest setting until steady steam flows
from the petcock or vent port.
Once there is a steady stream, allow the steam to escape for 10 minutes.
Now, close the vent by shutting the petcock or by placing the weighted gauge
on the vent. The canner will pressurize during the next 3 to 5 minutes.
When the pressure reaches 11 pounds on a dial gauge or 10 pounds on a weighted
gauge canner, begin the timing process. Process pint jars or half-pint jars for
100 minutes. Note the starting and ending time in writing, just in case.
And frequently monitor your canner. If the pressure drops below the
recommendation, the canner must be brought back to the recommended level
and the timing started over. For altitudes greater than 1,000 feet above
sea level, contact your local Extension agent for recommended times and pressures.
Now, if you decide to use quart jars, there are specific procedures to be followed.
When using larger quart-sized jars, more time is required to heat the
product thoroughly. The total time it takes to heat and vent the canner filled
with quart jars should never be less than 30 minutes. The total time may be
more than 30 minutes, especially if you have tightly packed jars, are using cold
fish or a larger-sized canner, such as this one. Once you close the vent and
bring the canner up to the recommended pressure, process the quart jars for 160 minutes,
or 2 hours and 40 minutes.
When the time to process is completed, turn off the heat and remove the canner
from the heat, if possible. Let the canner depressurize. Allow the pressure to drop naturally.
Don't apply cold water or a cold cloth to your pressure canner.
After 30 to 45 minutes, check to see if the pressure has dropped by tipping the
weight or checking the dial gauge. Open the vent when the pressure reaches zero
or no steam escapes when the weight is tipped. Then wait 10 minutes.
Unfasten the lid and remove it carefully.
Lift the lid away from you so that the steam will not burn your face. Remove the
jars from the pressure canner with a lifter and place them on a towel or
cooling rack. Allow the jars to cool for 12 hours before moving them again.
Never rush the cooling process or your jars may break. Jars should be cooled in
an area away from drafts because air blowing on hot jars may also cause breakage.
Jars will seal as they cool.
When the canning process is complete and your jars have cooled for 12 hours,
check the seals by tapping the jar lids. If some jars did not seal, such as this
one, you have three options. You can reprocess the unsealed jars within 24
hours using a fresh jar lid. Now, reprocessing does not affect the quality
of the fish. You may also freeze the contents of the
unsealed jars, or refrigerate the jars and use the product within 3 to 4 days.
The rings may be removed from the jars when the cooling process is
complete and you've checked the seal. Label your jars with the date, processing
method, and processing time. Store your canned goods in a cool, dark place, and
and for best quality, use canned fish within 1 year.