What to do if the weather is bad for pickling fish? Can you dry the pickled fish in the sun if the weather is bad?

We all know that pickled fish is a common way of eating. Many people pickle fish before the Chinese New Year. This is a traditional eating habit. Many people pickle fish at home. There are certain requirements for pickling fish, especially the choice of weather. So what should we do if the weather is not good for pickling fish? Let's take a closer look!

What to do if the weather is bad for pickled fish

Many friends may have encountered the phenomenon that the weather is suddenly bad during the process of making cured fish. If the weather is bad for a long time, you can wrap the fish in a bag and put it in the refrigerator for quick freezing, and then take it out and continue to air dry when the weather is good. If the weather is bad for a short time, you can hang the fish in a dry place and take it out to air dry when the weather is good.

Cured fish cannot be dried quickly, but should be dried slowly, commonly known as "drying in the shade". The same treatment should be applied in the early stage, but do not wash it with water, in order to prevent it from being polluted and rotten by raw water. Cured fish are made in winter. After cleaning, they are rubbed with salt, also at a salt dosage of 3%. They are marinated in a basin for three days, turning them over once a day, so that they are evenly marinated. Then they are hung out, but not directly exposed to the sun. They should be hung under the eaves in a ventilated place, and they will generally dry out in a week. It is at this time that the fish meat is also cured and has a strong cured flavor. It can be stored longer than dried fish, and can be stored for half a year without going bad, and can be eaten until early summer next year.

How long to pickle fish?

Marinate for seven days and dry in the sun for seven days.

Generally, grass carp or black carp is selected. Cut open the back, remove the scales and drain the blood. First, stir-fry salt, pepper and bay leaves, and apply them to the fish body after cooling. Place the fish in a ceramic jar, pour some white wine, and press it with stones. Marinate for a week, turning it over every three or four days. After about seven days, take it out and dry it in the sun.

Generally, fish is pickled in the twelfth lunar month when the temperature is low and the sun is not too scorching. It is OK to dry the fish until it is no longer watery and the fish is half dry. Normally, it takes about seven days and needs to be soaked in water before eating.

How to make pickled fish

After slaughtering fresh fish (silver carp and grass carp are best), remove the internal organs and wash it. Then take an appropriate amount of salt and rub it all over the body. Place it in a container and marinate. After marinating for 2-3 days, take it out and air dry it (it will take about 2-3 days until it feels stiff and the moisture is completely dry). After air drying, hang it in the firewood room and cold smoke it for about a week to complete the curing.

The production of cured fish and cured meat is generally mainly in late autumn, winter and early spring. Why? Because the climate starts to be humid after early spring, and it is easy to cause mold when making cured products; the weather is hot in summer and early autumn, and it is difficult to pickle meat products, which are easy to cause stink; so we usually choose autumn and winter to make cured products. At this time, the climate is dry and the temperature is low, which is the golden time for making cured products.