How to salt capelin in brine

If doctors could, they would call capelin a cure for many diseases. Indeed, in terms of the amount of vitamins A, B, D, selenium, iodine, phosphorus, potassium, etc., capelin is significantly superior to its ocean relatives. This is a unique combination when delicious food becomes incredibly healthy. Of course, during heat treatment, some of these beneficial substances are lost, and therefore, it is healthier to eat salted capelin. Let's look at how to pickle freshly frozen capelin so that it does not lose its beneficial qualities.

Before salting, capelin needs to be thawed. It is advisable for it to thaw on its own, but you can speed up this process a little. Place the capelin briquette in a basin or pan and fill the fish with cool tap water. After 10 minutes, drain the ice-cold water and fill the fish again with water at room temperature.

After the fish has thawed, find a suitable container for salting. Metal utensils are absolutely not suitable due to the reaction between fish oil and metals. Fish can be bitter, and this cannot be overcome by any spices.

Capelin is usually salted in brine. This is a quick method, and the most suitable for this fish.Some recommend cleaning the insides and removing the capelin head. Perhaps this method is good if you salt 100 grams, but it is very labor-intensive and pointless work if there is a lot of it. Heads and offal do not change the taste of capelin in any way during salting.

Prepare a set of pickling spices. You can use ready-made sets, or assemble your own bouquet, depending on your preferences.

For 1 kg of capelin you need:

• 1 l. water;
• 100 gr. salt.
• spices: to taste and as desired.

Boil water with salt and spices in a saucepan, and turn off immediately after boiling. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let the spices brew. When the brine has cooled to room temperature, pour it over the capelin, cover the container with a lid, and leave the capelin to pickle for a day in a cool place.

During this time, the fish will be salted enough, and it can be served, or left for later. If you need to preserve the fish, drain the brine and transfer the salted capelin into glass jars, layering it with sliced ​​onion rings and lemon slices. When you place the last fish, fill it with vegetable oil, shake the jar, and add oil again. Salted capelin can be stored in this form for up to a month, but no more is needed.

Capelin is available in stores at any time of the year and there is no point in collecting it for future use and pickling capelin for the winter. It is better to salt capelin as needed and always have freshly salted fish.

Watch the video to see how to quickly and easily pickle capelin: