Canning Fish in Quart Jars

By The United States Department Of Agriculture
Published on July 7, 2014
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Home-canned fish is tastier than store-bought products, and the canning process is simple with these instructions from the USDA.
Home-canned fish is tastier than store-bought products, and the canning process is simple with these instructions from the USDA.
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Can fish in a dial-gauge or weighted-gauge pressure canner using these processing times.
Can fish in a dial-gauge or weighted-gauge pressure canner using these processing times.

Canning fresh seafood is a great way to keep delicious ingredients close at hand for future meals. In this helpful excerpt from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Complete Guide to Home Canning, you’ll learn the process for canning fish safely in quart jars. Use this and our other canning resources to keep your pantry stocked with fresh foods all year long.

The following is an excerpt from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning covering canning fish. 

Blue, Mackerel, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout and Other Fatty Fish Except Tuna

Note: Glass-like crystals of struvite, or magnesium ammonium phosphate, sometime form in canned salmon. There is no way for the home canner to prevent these crystals from forming, but they usually dissolve when heated and are safe to eat.

Caution: Bleed and eviscerate fish immediately after catching, never more than 2 hours after they are caught. Keep cleaned fish on ice until ready to can.

Procedure: If the fish is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator before canning. Rinse the fish in cold water. You can add vinegar to the water (2 tablespoons per quart) to help remove slime. Remove head, tail, fins, and scales; it is not necessary to remove the skin. You can leave the bones in most fish because the bones become very soft and are a good source of calcium. For halibut, remove the head, tail, fins, skin, and the bones. Wash and remove all blood. Refrigerate all fish until you are ready to pack in jars.

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