How to Can Rainbow Trout
Canned rainbow trout is a good way to preserve your catch. While it’s certainly not as good as fresh caught trout or salmon, when you can it yourself it does taste much better than canned salmon you get at the store, and it has less chemicals and preservatives. You also still can get all the health benefits from eating fish, like the omega 3s and fish oils.
Jump to RecipeUsing a Canning Pressure Cooker
A canning pressure cooker is different than your instapot. It’s a special type of pressure cooker that’s made specifically for canning foods. Can you use your regular pressure cooker? You might be able to find a youtube video or blog claiming that you can, but don’t. Pressure cooking is somewhat dangerous and you don’t want to play around. You need to follow the directions with exactness. I personally love the All American Canner Pressure Cooker. It’s simple, and well built, and gets the job done.
All American Canner Pressure Cooker, 21.5 qt
Should I Fillet or Skin the Trout?
You don’t have to fillet or skin the trout at all. In fact, because they’re pressure cooked for so long, the bones go really soft and you hardly even notice them, if you notice them at all. You can also leave the skin on. All of that actually adds more nutrients to your canned trout.
Leaving the bones and skin on does make it look less appealing. If your family is used to opening up canned salmon from the store, or doesn’t like to think of the food they eat as animals, you’ll want to remove the skin at least. When I personally prepare my own, I will fillet the fish and will usually remove the skin as well, but I won’t remove the pin bones, which are smaller than most fish bones and nobody ever notices those after it’s been cooked for an hour and 40 minutes.
Using Your Canned Rainbow Trout
Canned trout can be substituted for fresh or frozen trout in many recipes, but the texture may be a little different than what you’re used to. This is a preserved food, not a fresh caught or fresh smoked fish. That said, your own canned trout will taste better than almost any store bought canned salmon or other canned fish you can buy. There are lots of recipes you can use it for as well. Here are some of our favorites.
- Trout Cakes Recipes
- Rainbow Trout Salad
- Trout Dip
- Trout Burgers
Canned Rainbow Trout Recipe
Canned Rainbow Trout
Equipment
- Canning Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- .5-3 Rainbow Trout per pint bottle, depending on size
- 1 tsp Salt per pint
- 1 tsp Butter or Olive oil per pint, optional
- Pint Mason Jars
- Lids
- Rings
Instructions
- Fillet fish and remove skin for best looking results, or leave skin and bones on for most nutrition
- Clean and sterilize bottles, lids, and rings
- Add trout, salt, and olive oil or butter to the jar. Pack dry while the jars are still hot up to 1 inch below the top of the jar.
- Follow the instructions for your specific pressure cooker for adding water and bringing your canning pressure cooker up to pressure.
- Cook at 10 lbs pressure for 1 Hour and 40 minutes. Adjust pressure for your elevation if needed according to the instructions in your pressure cooker.
- Follow your pressure cooker's instructions for releasing pressure safely.
- Allow to cool at room temperature, then wash and label your bottles.
No you don’t, but it is much more economical to process a full load all at once. If you don’t have enough fish, bring a friend next time, or follow our tips to catch more fish.
No. The fish will release liquids and oils. You do not need to add any more.
You can use these same instructions for other salmonid type fish, like other species of salmon, or trout. Other species of fish are canned in a similar manner, but not exactly the same.
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