Curing fresh salmon eggs

[Rollin with Rolland]

Not sure where this topic goes.....this sounds appropriate. I just happen to have some fresh salmon eggs on hand (approx 24hrs old) and would really love to cure them, so I can use them for more salmon. Any good "recipe's"? I've never tried, but since I got them, why not??

[christopherbeebe]

ok well this is how my dad and i do it, take the skeins put them onto a cookie sheet, angle the cookie sheet so the fluids drip down and collect in the lip of the sheet use regular table salt and salt both sides of the skeins, set on the sheet let sit over night at room temp, they will cure up over night, cut the skeins into "bite size" pieces and roll them in borax, either the cheap 20 mule team stuff from the laundry section of the store, or the more expensive stuff from the sporting goods dept. and there ya go they will "milk" out great i've still got some in the freezer from last summer 07' good luck

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

2 choices:

- Buy the ready mix commercial cures from your tackle shop

- Use your own home made cure

I use a homemade cure. Simple ratio of 3 parts borax, 2 parts non-iodized salt, and 1 part sugar.

Coat all parts of the eggs with the mix. Refridgerate (they will get watery within the 1st 24 hours). During the next 24 hours, they will reabsorb the juice.

After they reabsorb, you can refridgerate or freeze. I keep mine in the fridge and they last for years, and continue to catch fish.

[Rollin with Rolland]

So it's that simple, eh? Sweet, I'll be fishing fresh eggs for the first time this fall!! Don't you have to put them in some sort of mesh also??

[Toni]

So it's that simple, eh? Sweet, I'll be fishing fresh eggs for the first time this fall!! Don't you have to put them in some sort of mesh also??

You don't have to. They would stay on your hook longer but I have never used them. The guide I fish with doesn't use them either.

Make sure you use an egg loop on your hooks.

I am also curing some right now. I use Pautzke fire cure.

[racfish]

I do the same only I use no salt and I use Potassium Nitrate (salt peter)instead.Also I add some red Jello for coloring if they are sockeye or chum eggs.Potassium Nitrate is what some butchers use to bring the red out in the meat or in this case egg roe.The only other thing I do is lay the eggs on wood not Aluminum. Alum tends to change the colors of certain fresh products.But I never go wrong with Borax /Brn sugar/and PN.

[Lotech Joe]

2 choices:

- Buy the ready mix commercial cures from your tackle shop

- Use your own home made cure

I use a homemade cure. Simple ratio of 3 parts borax, 2 parts non-iodized salt, and 1 part sugar.

Coat all parts of the eggs with the mix. Refridgerate (they will get watery within the 1st 24 hours). During the next 24 hours, they will reabsorb the juice.

After they reabsorb, you can refridgerate or freeze. I keep mine in the fridge and they last for years, and continue to catch fish.

That's the way my dad used to do them up. Not sure about the sugar though, but it makes great sense. After they were cured, he would freeze what he wanted too, and put the rest up in baby food jars, and keep them in the fridge in the garage. Mom didn't like fish eggs stored with the celery and lettuce.

[Bodofish]

All right on money for curing eggs. The commercial way to prep the eggs for curing wether for human or fish consuption is the first part of my cure. It draws any blood out and keeps them from milking before there time.
Gently stir the skiens in 100% brine solution for several hours. a little nitrite is good too. While it doesn't make the eggs red it helps to stop them from turning brown from oxidation. After the wash you can let them dry a bit and finish the cure any way you like with a commercial product or jello or borax. I like to use the borax, salt and sugar cure and let them sit for a day in the fridge ( My wife just loves it!!!!) I then cut them into bait size chunks borax once again then give them a little sprinkle of flourescent red mix and vac pac them in half day size packs and pop them in the freezer. They never freeze solid and when they come out they're nice and firm but still juicy. I get 4 to 5 casts before they need to be changed or a good drift.

[bob johansen]

All right on money for curing eggs. The commercial way to prep the eggs for curing wether for human or fish consuption is the first part of my cure. It draws any blood out and keeps them from milking before there time.
Gently stir the skiens in 100% brine solution for several hours. a little nitrite is good too. While it doesn't make the eggs red it helps to stop them from turning brown from oxidation. After the wash you can let them dry a bit and finish the cure any way you like with a commercial product or jello or borax. I like to use the borax, salt and sugar cure and let them sit for a day in the fridge ( My wife just loves it!!!!) I then cut them into bait size chunks borax once again then give them a little sprinkle of flourescent red mix and vac pac them in half day size packs and pop them in the freezer. They never freeze solid and when they come out they're nice and firm but still juicy. I get 4 to 5 casts before they need to be changed or a good drift.

I agree with Bodofish about the jello. I always mix some strawberry or raspberry jello into the borax. It makes the eggs nice and red and they even smell a little better.

[racfish]

I do like what everyone said except I dont do salt.Salt loosens the eggs up too much.In commercial egg business that sell to Japan ,they salt the eggs to loosen them off the skein.Its perhaps why you get 4-5 casts only on a chunk.JMO.

[Bodofish]

I've never had any problem with them loosening up. The wash restores any lost salinity and draws out any blood that could sour. Having been on the rubbing end of an ikura processing operation for quite a few years I can tell you it takes a lot more than a little salt water wash to get the eggs off the skeins. I like my eggs a little on the soft side so I don't borax them too hard. If you turn them to hard little balls they don't give off a nice strong sent trail like the fresh do.

[racfish]

Maybe we worked together Bodo.I did same for Ikura.Those were great egg years for me.I use to take home mucho eggs for steelies.