The best pickled pike recipe.

[WalleyeOne]

Hey Muskie board!
Avid walleye fisherman brought home a few northerns for pickling. (Dont tell the guys on walleyeCentral!):-) I have an old recipe for pickling northern pike but would like to know what else is out there. If anyone has a really good easy pickled pike recipe would they please post it? Thanks a million. Good fishen!
Ryan

[Jim McCullough]

DOWN boys...he said PIKE, not Muskie.

[RoyC]

Ryan,

Please post your recipe. I have never pickled pike, but would like to try it.

Roy

[Hunts]

Guys and Gals, here's what I've been using for the last 10 years or so:

1 gallon jar
4 cups of white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canning salt
4 table spoons Pickling Seasoning
2 medium onions sliced or 2 large if you like great onions
2 small pike or 1 large "small= 18-22" "large= 24-28"

once each day, shake and turn upside down to mix, and keep in fridge for 7 days. After that, it's ready to eat!

Line ain't thru all my guides! Hunts

[RoyC]

Hunts: Now for the stupid question--do you cook the fish first? Are you supposed to heat any of this? Is it true that y-bones aren't a problem when you pickle pike? They just "dissolve"?

Roy

[WalleyeOne]

Mine is similar to Hunts:
1st step: Filet your fish. You can leave the bones in the meat, as this recipe dissolves the bones as it cures. Cut fish in bite size or larger pieces.

2nd step: Pack loosely in quart glass jar. Add 5/8 cup of pickling salt per quart. Fill with White vinegar to cover fish. Shake jar until salt is dissolved. Let stand 5 days in refrigerator, gently shaking once a day.

3rd step: After the 5th day, remove fish from jar, wash fish with cold water, drain. Let stand in cold water 1/2 to 1 hour; drain agian.

4th step: Using a quart jar, fill the jar to the half-way point with the cold drained fish in loose layers of sliced onions. Add 2 cups white sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spice, dash of dried red peppers. Continue filling jar with alternate layers of fish and onions. Add enough white vinegar to cover the fish and onions.

5th step: Let stand in refrigerator for one week for flavor. Keeps in refrigerator for 3-4 months. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

[Mike T]

Here's an excellent recipe my grand father from McGregor Mn taught me years ago, it's a little less precise but that allows room for individual taste's.

1) Clean pike into fillets, then cut into bite sized chunks. I typically use pike in the 20" range or smaller.

2) Put chunks into large tupperware, cover & coat with salt, then pour in enough white vinager to cover chunks. Cover and refrigerate for 5-7 days, stirring mix at least once a day.

3) Remove from "brine", run under cold water for 1/2 hour to remove salt and brine solution, strain and keep cold.

meanwhile......

gather up the spices: I use whole peppercorn, allspice, mustard seed & cloves (generally easy on the cloves). Make a solution on the stovetop of 2 parts white vinager to 1 part sugar (qty's depend on amount of fish to cover, 2c vinager/ 1c sugar covers 2 wide mouth mason jars), add spices in desired qty's (generally 1 large T per 2c vinager) BRING TO BOIL, to break down sugar. Remove from stove and allow to fully cool to touch.

4) Slice some vidalia onions and lemons 1/2 thick, the round way to fit in the wide mouth jars. Add washed fish - lemons - onions, repeat. Pour cold suger/spice/vinager solution over pike, refrige and it's ready to eat when you are.

Serve with sharp cheddar & good crackers ~ Enjoy!

Mike T

[Hunts]

Roy, sorry for not being clear, but you just fillet and cut into the size pieces you like. Trial and error will tell you how big your preference is. I personally found about 1" to be right.

Yes, the bones dissolve, but there's where I found the length which is the best. In my opinion, fish over 23-24" aren't as good as the little guys between 18-23. You'll have to experiment to find your sweet spot! Suckers work good with this also, so for all the trollers, when you go home after a trip, save the bait for the pickling jar!

Line ain't thru all my guides! Hunts

[Mark]

Umm, in Indiana they have to be at least 20in.