Discover Fish Jerky
If you'd like to empty an overflowing fish box without filling your freezer in the process, try this tasty recipe, including how to dehydrate and preparation tips.
July/August 1982
By Gary L. Nelson
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TOP, LEFT: Flavorful fish jerky starts with lean-fleshed swimmers such as crappie, bass, or pike. Fillet your catch... carefully cutting the meat from the bones. TOP, RIGHT: Next, scrape the meat away from the skin... using a simple back and forth movement. ABOVE, LEFT: slice the fillets thin and soak the pieces briefly in a marinade of water, seasonings and soy sauce. ABOVE, RIGHT: Dry the delectable delicacies on racks in an oven or dehydrator, or under the summer sun. A covering of cheesecloth or a similar material will help keep outdoor insects away.
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Or, if you'd like to empty an overflowing fish box without filling your freezer in the process...
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The next time you find yourself with a kingsized mess of fish, why not dry up a batch of seafood jerky? This old-time edible makes an inexpensive, nutritious snack all by itself . . . and can serve as an important ingredient in your homemade soups and chowders, too.
Like other dried foods, the tough and tasty strips are lightweight, compact, and easy to keep. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you'll find that fish jerky is an ideal trail snack. Also—when properly processed and stored—the chewy morsels are a valuable survival food.
Best of all, you can easily produce the victuals right at home . . . in a dehydrator, kitchen oven, or smokehouse, or with the help of a hot summer sun.
EASY DOES IT!
Fish with a low fat content (bass, pike, and crappie, for example) are the best candidates for jerky. Oily species such as catfish should be avoided for this use . . . since they're more likely to become rancid.
Once your catch is in hand, the first step is to fillet and skin the finny critters. When that's accomplished, cut the meat into convenient 1 " X 6" X as-thin-as-possible strips. (With very small fish-such as smelt-just clean out the innards and remove the heads . . . the small bones can be eaten.) Then move on to the next step: seasoning your snacks. A little added flavor before drying will make the jerky even more toothsome and can also aid in its preservation. Just soak the strips for a few minutes in soy sauce and drain or blot off the excess moisture.
DRY 'EM OUT!
As I noted above, fish can be dried in a number of ways. Smokehouses and cabinet dehydrators will, of course, do a fine job . . . but lacking those contrivances, you'll probably find the oven most convenient. Simply place the fish (close together, but not touching) directly on the oven rack, or—if that grate's spaces are too wide—cover the rack with a nongalvanized mesh or screen (galvanized metal may give off toxic fumes). Wipe the metal surfaces with a thin coat of cooking oil to keep your fish from sticking, and put aluminum foil or cookie sheets down below to catch any drippings.
Since jerky dried with low heat will be tastier and contain more nutrients, keep your oven somewhere around 110° and never over 150°F. Be sure to leave the oven door open a crack so moisture can escape.
