How To Can Salmon.

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh, cleaned, chilled Alaskan salmon.
• Pressure canner that uses steam pressure
• Water
• Vinegar
• Pint sized wide mouth Mason Jars, (Canning Jars).
• Lids and rings for jars.
  • Always use new lids to ensure a proper seal.

1. When you catch your salmon, bleed them right away, then remove the internal organs and rinse them and keep them iced, refrigerated or frozen. This ensures the freshest flavor from your Alaska canned salmon.
2. To prepare the salmon to be canned rinse with cold water (use two tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water to remove slime) remove the head, tail and fins. Keep refrigerated until ready to pack in jars.
3. Cut salmon into jar-length pieces or chunks, allowing for one-inch headspace (the unfilled space between the jar sealing edge and the top of the salmon).
4. Pack the salmon, with the skin side in, in clean pint jars. Run a plastic knife around the inside of the jar to pack solidly.
5. No liquid, salt or spices are required but may be added now for flavor.
6. Clean the top of the jar sealing edge with a damp cloth or paper towel and wipe dry.
7. Attach the jar lids and rings, gently tightening rings.
8. Add 2-3 inches of cool water to the pressure canner. (I also add some vinegar to the water to prevent the canner from discoloring.) Place the rack in the bottom of the canner.
9. Place the pint sized jars on the rack according to the instructions provided with your canner. Fasten the pressure canner cover but do not close/cover the lid vent.
10. Heat canner until steam escapes through the vent in a steady stream for ten minutes. This removes air from the inside of the canner.
11. Close/cover the vent by shutting the petcock or putting the weighted gauge on the vent at 10 pounds of pressure.
12. Increase the heat to high until the dial gauge reads 11 pounds or the weighted gauge starts to jiggle. Adjust heat to maintain steady pressure. Start timing for 100 minutes (1 hour 40 minutes), which is recommended process time for salmon. Remember to keep the pressure at 11 pounds for a dial gauge or 10 pounds for a weighted gauge (this is critical).
13. If you use ½-pint jars, the process time and pressure recommendations are the same as for 1-pint jars.
14. Shut off the heat at the end of the processing time and let the pressure drop to zero psi before opening the canner. Weighted canners have a lid lock that drops when zero psi is reached.
15. Slowly open the vent on dial gauge canners, or remove the weighted gauge. Open the canner tilting the lid so the steam escapes away from you.
16. Remove the jars with a jar lifter or tongs and place them on a towel covered counter or table too cool. Do not tighten the lid rings, as the sealing compound is still hot and soft. Most will seal with a pop sound when cooling.
17. Wash the jars, label with contents and processing date and store jars in a cool, dry storage area.
    

Anchorage Salmon Fishing