How to pickle herring at home

Salted herring on the right is considered a national dish. She served to the table as an independent snack or side dish. Often herring is added to salads, giving the final product an exquisite salty taste. Store products are crammed with emulsifiers and stabilizers, which increase the shelf life, taste, color, texture, etc. Not everyone knows, but salting herring can be done independently, most importantly, you can observe important features. Consider the most delicious recipes in order.

Practical recommendations

1. Herring is ideal for homemade salting, which has not previously been frozen. Refuse to buy a frozen headless carcass. It could be processed several times, so that the quality is in doubt.
2. Baltic herring contains toxins and heavy metals, for this reason do not choose a similar sort of fish for salting. Give preference to the Atlantic or Pacific herring, it is allowed to use fresh-frozen carcass (2-3 hours from the freezing time).
3. To choose a quality herring, pay attention to the color, it must be uniform. Also about the quality of the fish speak bulging eyes, pressed to the carcass gills and fins.
4. Do not buy herring, whose body is dented, broken, has unevenly distributed scales. Important attention should be paid to the structure of the carcass: specimens with caviar inside turn out dry, less saturated, while the stuffed herring has a brightly pronounced taste and texture.

Herring in brine: "classics of the genre"

• fresh herring - 1.2 kg.
• fine salt - 125 gr.
• sugar - 75 gr.
• bay leaf - 5 pcs.
• pepper peas - 12 pcs.
• drinking water - 2.4 l.

1. For cooking herring in a classic recipe, you can use the Pacific fresh-frozen carcass. In this case, it must be thawed at room temperature to its original state.
2. Regardless of the option of freezing or lack thereof, before salting the fish should be washed. To do this, prepare a solution of 1.5 liters. filtered water and 45 ml. Table vinegar (optional, lemon juice). Such a move will eliminate the unpleasant fishy smell that spoils the whole impression of use.
3. After rinsing the carcass, cut off the gills and pull the inside out through the holes. Remove the fins, remove the eggs or milk, rinse, then re-insert into the belly. Since the fish is salted in its entirety, this stage cannot be skipped, just like chopping the carcass into pieces and cutting off the head.
4. After preparation, place the fish on paper towels to make the glass excess moisture. Start cooking brine. Pour purified water into an enamel pan, add sugar, salt and other spices. Put the container on the stove, languish until the crystals dissolve. Next, cover the solution with a lid, let cool to room temperature.
5. Prepare a wide container in which the ambassador will be made. The main thing is to close the container tightly and interfere with the whole carcass. Place the fish on the bottom of the container, cover with brine, seal, leave for 5 hours.When the time has elapsed, move the container into the cold for another 12-14 hours.
6. After a fixed period of time, the fish will become salted. If you keep it in the fridge for another 24 hours, the herring will gain a full (moderate) ambassador. It all depends on personal preference. Before use, you can wash the carcass or skip this step.

Herring in oil

• fresh-frozen herring - 1.1–1.3 kg.
• white onion - 600 gr.
• fine salt - 120 gr.
• corn or sunflower oil - 185 ml.

1. Thaw the herring in a natural way, wash it under running water, remove the scales, if possible, remove the skin completely. Cut the fins, remove the intestines, scrape the dark blotches from the abdominal cavity. Pull out the back, you only need fillets.
2. Rinse the pulp with an acidified solution, which can be prepared from 1.3 liters. filtered water and 55 ml. lemon juice (table vinegar concentration of 6%). Cut the loin into slices (about 3 cm thick).
3. Cut the white onions into rings, rub the salt into portions. Prepare a container for salting, ideal - a glass tank with a plastic lid. Sterilize the container, dry it and dry it.
4. Begin to lay the ingredients, alternating onions with pieces of herring. After the components are tightly tamped, fill them with oil. It is important that it covers the herring completely.
5. Duration of pickling in the refrigerator - at least 24 hours. If you want to get a richer taste, soak the fish for 2 days, periodically opening the jar and trying the composition to taste. Serve as an appetizer to mashed potatoes or add slices of herring in salads.

Salted herring

• Herring - 1.4 kg.
• sugar (preferably beet) - 35 gr.
• salt - 40 gr.
• ground black pepper - 5 gr.
• Peas - 4 pcs.
• laurel leaf - 4 pcs.
• 6% acetic solution - 30 ml.
• drinking water - 550 ml.
• red onions - 1 pc.

1. Pour water into the enamel pan, add spices, granulated sugar, table salt. In no case do not pour vinegar at this stage. Put the dishes on the fire, bring to a boil under the lid, stew the composition at low power for 5 minutes.
2. Next, remove the pan from the stove, leave for 2 hours, then pour in the vinegar solution and mix. Completely cool the brine, proceed to the purification of fish.
3. Clean the carcass from scales, fins and tail.Remove the insides, dark film, cut off the head at will. Rinse the fish first under running water, then dry with napkins.
4. Now wash the carcass with a solution of 1.5 liters. water and 60 ml. lemon juice to remove the unpleasant smell. Cut the herring into slices about 5 cm wide.
5. Pick a jar of the appropriate size, boil it over low heat for 15 minutes (for sterilization). Dry the container, chop the onions.
6. Begin to tamp herring with half-rings with onions in layers. When all the ingredients are laid in a jar, fill them with the prepared brine with spices. Put in the fridge for 1.5 days, do not rinse before use.

Don herring in brine

• cold drinking water - 1.2 l.
• coarse salt - 130 gr.
• Don herring - 2 pcs.

1. Not many people know, but Don herring has a creamy taste and an increased percentage of fat. For this reason, many housewives prefer salting this type of fish.
2. To begin the procedure, scrape the scales with a knife, remove the gills and fins, make an incision on the belly, remove the intestines and dark scurf.
3. Rinse the herring first under running water, then dry and rinse with lemon solution (for 50 ml. Of juice there is 1.1 l. Of pure water).
4. The traditional recipe involves the use of highly concentrated brine (Toulouse). To prepare it, dissolve coarse salt in water and mix until the crystals are completely dissolved.
5. Prepare a container for storing food or heating food in the microwave, wash and dry it. You can salt herring whole or cut it into pieces about 4 cm wide, it all depends on personal preferences.
6. Lay the fish layers, place a heavy object (yoke), seal the container, put in the refrigerator. Since the Don herring is 25% fatter Pacific, it will take two days for her to be slightly salted. If desired, increase the duration of salting.

Dry herring salted

• Pacific herring - 800 gr.
• salt coarse (not iodized) - 30 gr.
• sugar - 20 gr.
• spices (any) - to taste

1. Gut herring, rinse it under the tap, blot with paper napkins. If you wish, cut the carcass into slices, after removing the ridge and skin. Many people prefer salt herring entirely, it all depends on personal preferences.
2. Combine sugar and salt, add seasonings to taste (any).Pack the whole carcass or portion pieces in a sealed bag or wrap with plastic wrap. Place in food storage container.
3. Soak herring in the refrigerator for at least 2 days, then evaluate the result. If the fish is not salted enough, increase the salting time to 3 days.

Quick Ambassador herring

• fresh herring - 1.3 kg.
• granulated sugar - 40 g.
• salt - 45 gr.
• ground pepper (black) - 7 gr.
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.
• vegetable oil - 60 ml.
• Table vinegar - 35 ml.

1. Gut herring, cut off the gills and pull out the insides through the holes. Remove the fins, wash the eggs or milk (if available), then put back.
2. Wash the fish under the tap, then pour cold water into the basin and place the carcass in the bowl for 45 minutes. When the specified period passes, dry the fish with a napkin, rinse with a solution of vinegar and water (1: 8 ratio).
3. Crush the bay leaf in a coffee grinder to the state of flour, mix it with pepper, sugar and salt. With the mixture of spices, rub the herring carcasses, wrap the fish in food film.
4. Leave the product at room temperature for 3 hours.When this period expires, remove the carcass, chop into pieces. Mix vinegar with vegetable oil, pour portions of herring in portions and serve them to the table.

Marinated Herring

• carrots - 1 pc.
• sugar - 145 gr.
• purple onion - 2 pcs.
• lemon - ½ pcs.
• fresh herring - 2 pcs.
• ground black pepper - 8 gr.
• laurel leaf - 8 pcs.

1. This method of salting is called “Dutch” due to the fact that the herring is moderately salty and saturated. Clean the carcass from scales and skin, remove the fins, gills, the inside. Remove the ridge, you only need a filet.
2. Wash the pulp under running water, blot with napkins or towels, cut into thin slices (about 3 cm thick). Cut a half of a lemon with a sharp knife in half rings, do the same with onions.
3. Crush the leaf of laurel into powder, mix with black pepper. Peel the carrot, grate it on a large grater, combine with lemon, onion and spices.
4. Prepare a jar, start spreading herring slices, overlapping each row with spices. Put the fish under the yoke for 2 days, serve to the table under vegetable oil.

Herring ambassador at home is an easy process that does not require financial and time costs. Consider cooking in marinade, oil, in a classic or dry way, with spices. Marinate the Don herring by fast technology, vary the proportions at your discretion, experiment.

Video: how to pickle herring at home