# Dried Fish



## smoke83340 (Jan 7, 2018)

Hi All and happy new year!
I've not posted in a long time but I do read things.
I have a MES 30 electric.

A friend says she takes dried fish on backpacking trips.  Are there any threads on drying fish [I assume that is past the jerky stage], safety, etc. that anyone remembers?

Alternatively, does anyone have any tips?  I'd probably start with trout.

Thanks!!


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## daveomak (Jan 8, 2018)

I would use cure#1 at 150-175 Ppm...  There are too many pathogens today to not use it...  Bone out the filets and slice across the length in thin slices...  leave the skin on and hang to dry..  2.75% kosher salt by weight, should provide adequate additional protection from pathogens along with the 0.25% salt from the cure...
The cure and salt can be applied in a brine solution.. 
weigh the filets..  weigh out 25% of that weight in distilled water(DW)..   add the 2 weights ..  weigh out 2.75% salt and 0.25% cure#1....   1% white sugar can be added to counteract the salt taste..   dissolve the ingredients completely in the DW...   Zip bag and refer for ~7 days for fish under 1" thick...   rinse and paper towel dry the surface..  air dry under 80F..  fish starts to cook at 85F...


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## smoke83340 (Jan 8, 2018)

daveomak said:


> I would use cure#1 at 150-175 Ppm...  There are too many pathogens today to not use it...  Bone out the filets and slice across the length in thin slices...  leave the skin on and hang to dry..  2.75% kosher salt by weight, should provide adequate additional protection from pathogens along with the 0.25% salt from the cure...
> The cure and salt can be applied in a brine solution..
> weigh the filets..  weigh out 25% of that weight in distilled water(DW)..   add the 2 weights ..  weigh out 2.75% salt and 0.25% cure#1....   1% white sugar can be added to counteract the salt taste..   dissolve the ingredients completely in the DW...   Zip bag and refer for ~7 days for fish under 1" thick...   rinse and paper towel dry the surface..  air dry under 80F..  fish starts to cook at 85F...


Thank you very much, neighbor [I'm in ID].   I'm not sure what the "cure #1 at 150-175 ppm" is - - is that parts per million?  How would I calculate that?
Adam


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## daveomak (Jan 8, 2018)

Adam, afternoon....  

Cure #1 is sodium nitrite in salt..  It's 6.25% nitrite...  It has many commercial names...







	

		
			
		

		
	
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It's primary function is to kill botulism...  It also adds flavor to some red meats...  It is considered necessary when smoking foods, due to the low oxygen environment in the smoker... 
There has been botulism found in freshwater fish, mainly in the mid west...  BUT, that being said, botulism is not something you want to get so....   I use it in all my fish...  smoked or not..  The USDA/FDA is recommending it in some home canning stuff...  Botulism is darn near everywhere...  it lives in the soil for one...  It could be transferred to your kitchen through root crops you have handled from the garden or your grocery store.... 
Anyway, it's highly unlikely you will get it from your fish but, I have found it does not change the flavor of fish..

Yes, that's Ppm...  Cure #1 is added at ~1.13 grams per pound of stuff..  1 tsp. per 5#'s of stuff..  pretty much everything I make, I add it..  I feed my grandkids my stuff..
When heated, it degrades starting at about 130 deg. F...  The FDA has tested processed foods for nitrite..  Seems all their testing shows 80-90% of the nitrite has degraded during the commercial cooking process...  Sooooo, there's about 20 Ppm residual in processed meats..  Just enough to continue protection from other food pathogens while in storage at the store and in your refer....
Well, that's probably more than you wanted...  BUT... I'm anal about food safety...

The calculation is....
1# is 454 grams...  if you want a 150 Ppm addition,
454 X 0.000154 = 0.07 grams of nitrite...
0.07 grams (of nitrite needed) / 0.0625 (% nitrite in the cure) = 1.1 grams of cure#1 required to meet that criteria...

If you have any questions, at times my explanations are a bit foggy...    I'm here....   Dave


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## Rings Я Us (Jan 8, 2018)

Or you could just buy salt cod and portion it.


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## SonnyE (Jan 21, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> Or you could just buy salt cod and portion it.



Now where's the fun in that, Johnny? LOL!

Hey Adam, I just ordered myself a pound from Walmart. Should last me a long, long time. I put 1/4 tsp in a pound of meat for my Jerky (which I dry more than most.)
I keep mine on the top shelf. Out of reach of everybody but me. I don't want to see it used wrong.

Anyway, here's a search about Drying Fish. Heed all warnings, Dave's and other-wheres.


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## smoke83340 (Jan 27, 2018)

daveomak said:


> Adam, afternoon....
> 
> Cure #1 is sodium nitrite in salt..  It's 6.25% nitrite...  It has many commercial names...
> 
> ...


Hi Dave and thank you very much for the useful information.  I've used nitrites in wine making, I'm not worried about them.   I will experiment with the drying process.  Happy smoking!
Adam


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2018)

smoke83340 said:


> I've used nitrites in wine making, I'm not worried about them.
> Adam



I think you mean sulfites.


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## SonnyE (Jan 27, 2018)

I recall my very short winemaking career when I was young.
Turned into some of the most potent vinegar I ever waft my nose over.... :p:eek:
Nope, I'll leave that to the ex-spirts.

Two Buck Chuck!


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