Canning smoked salmon
I have been canning food for years and this year would like to jar up some of my smoked salmon. However, I cannot find a recipe or any directions on jarring smoked salmon. Would you know the simplest way to do this? Is it a pressured canning or could I just do a boiling water bath? The salmon is already fully cooked so I was hoping to be able to do a boiling water bath.
Chrischal Lyon
Delta Junction, Alaska
You can easily can up your smoked salmon. BUT DO NOT WATER BATH IT or any other meat, vegetables or fish! Cooked or uncooked, these products MUST be processed in a pressure canner to be safe to eat. Directions for canning smoked salmon and other fish is on page 183 of my book Growing and Canning Your Own Food. Here is a condensed recipe for you:
Cut pieces of smoked fish into pieces that will fit conveniently into wide mouth pint jars, leaving 1″ of headspace. Do not add liquid. Add four quarts of water to your 16 quart or larger pressure canner. Wipe rims of jars clean and place a hot, previously simmered lid on jars and screw down rings firmly tight. Place in canner. The water level may reach the screw rings of the pint jars. Process pint jars for 110 minutes (1 hour and 50 minutes) at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude if necessary. — Jackie
Canning nut milks
I have a case or two of hazelnut milk and almond milk that will expire in a month or so, and I thought that I’d can them to preserve them. These are aseptic packs, not the perishable (need to be refrigerated) kind, although not sure that matters. I’d love to know if I can just water bath them for 10 minutes or do they need special care?
Becky Rupert, ND
West Salem, Ohio
Honestly, I don’t have a clue. I wouldn’t recommend canning the nut milks. Probably, the expiration date is cautious; the milks will probably stay fine for a lot longer than the expiration date. However, I would recommend starting to use them so you can rotate to fresher products. — Jackie
