How to pickle mackerel at home

Sometimes you really want something tasty. For example, salted fish. Of course, my articles have already described how to salt or marinate herring. But there is one that has not yet been discussed. Namely mackerel. They love it because it is suitable for pickling, smoking, and simply frying. Today in our article we will talk about how to pickle it quickly and tasty.

You can buy a ready-made product in stores. But most often it leaves much to be desired: the quality and taste do not always meet our expectations. In this case, I began to cook it myself. I choose a beautiful-looking fish from the store and salt it according to my favorite recipes. And there are so many ways that sometimes you grab your head and don’t know which one to use.

The mackerel turns out incredibly tasty. It can be served with potatoes or any other dish. And how quickly it flies off the table at some holiday. After all, this is also an excellent snack for strong drinks. Oh, my mouth is already watering, I really want to eat it! Let's not waste any more time and go to the kitchen to salt the mackerel.

How to quickly pickle mackerel at home in 2 hours

This method helps me out in cases where guests are already on the doorstep. Everything is ready and all that remains is to salt the fish. It turns out beautiful to look at and at the same time very tasty. The most important thing is to buy more of it so that you not only have enough to try, but also eat enough. And I can tell you for sure that one piece will not be enough for you!

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 2 – 3 pcs.;
Onions – 5 pcs.;
Coriander beans – 1 tsp;
Black peppercorns – 10 pcs.;
Allspice – 5 pcs.;
Bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
Ground black pepper - to taste;
Salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
Sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
Water – 1 l.;
Vinegar 9% – 2 tbsp. l.;
Vegetable oil – 100 ml.

Preparation:

1. First, let's prepare the marinade, since we need it cold. Therefore, put bay leaf, half a teaspoon of coriander, black and allspice pepper, salt, sugar into a saucepan. Also add one chopped onion. Place on the fire and boil for 2 – 3 minutes. Then cool to room temperature.

The fish will be cooked in hot brine. We need it salted, not boiled.

2. Now let's move on to the mackerel itself. Cut off its head and tail. We remove the insides and thoroughly clean all the blackness inside. Then we cut it into portions and put it in some container. I use a jar.

It will be better to cope with slightly frozen fish. This way it won't fall apart.

3. The brine has cooled down and now pour it over our pieces. We leave them aside and time them for exactly 2 hours.

4. During this time, peel and cut the onion into half rings. Place it in a deep cup. Add ground pepper to taste and chopped coriander grains. Also, don't forget about vinegar and oil. Mix everything well.

5. After time has passed, remove the mackerel from the brine and mix with the onion mixture. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour so that the fish is thoroughly infused.

The appetizer is ready, this yummy can be decorated with herbs and served.

Dry-salted mackerel, under pressure (instant cooking)

Very tasty, spicy and quick dry salting of mackerel in its own juice. The fish according to this recipe is moderately salted.

Products (for 8 servings)

Mackerel (uneviscerated carcasses) – 2 pcs. (weighing 350-400 g each)
Salt – 2 tbsp. l. no slide
Sugar – 1 tbsp. l. without slide (can be reduced to 1 tsp)
Ground black pepper – 1 tsp. no slide
Ground allspice – 1 tsp. no slide

Step by step recipe

How to quickly cook dry-salted mackerel:
When choosing frozen mackerel in the store, we give preference to large fish with light gray bellies and navels, without yellow spots or damage to the skin.
We defrost mackerel in the refrigerator or on the balcony during the cold season.
The fish must be gutted: cut off the head, cut the belly, clean out the gray film and the blood underneath it.
Wash the mackerel well in cold water with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. vinegar to fight off the fishy smell (you can do it without vinegar).
Blot excess moisture with napkins and start cutting the fish: cut off the fins, make a longitudinal cut along the back.
Separate the fillet from the backbone.
We clean off the skin.
Separately mix salt, sugar, ground allspice and black pepper.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the fish fillets. Place the fillets in a plastic (enamel, glass) container, skin side up.
Cover with cling film.
We put pressure on top - for example, a pack of salt 1 kg or 1.5 kg. Keep the mackerel at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours until the juice releases. Place the container with fish in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
Dry salted mackerel has a very dense structure and is easy to cut. To serve salted mackerel in the form of a rose, you need to cut the finished fillet with a knife into thin slices at an angle of 45 degrees.
Lay out the fish slices like dominoes, with an overlap of 2-3 cm, in one row. Taking one edge of the strip, roll it tightly, supporting it with your fingers.
The salted mackerel rose is ready.
Using a knife, carefully move the rose from the cutting board onto the plate. Decorate with herbs and lemon.
Drizzle dry-salted mackerel with vegetable oil.

Whole salted mackerel in brine - the most delicious recipe

I use this method when preparing for an event. For example, New Year. It takes longer to cook than in pieces. After all, it needs time to salt well. But the degree of salinity, of course, depends on how long the fish spends in the brine.

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 2 pcs.;
Mustard beans – 1 tbsp. l.;
Black peppercorns – 1 tsp;
Allspice – 10 pcs.;
Coriander beans – 1 tsp;
Bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
Salt – 4 tbsp. l.;
Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
Water – 1 l.

Preparation:

1. As in the previous recipe, in this one we will also first prepare and cool the marinade. To do this, pour water into the pan and add all the spices along with salt and sugar. Boil for a couple of minutes and cool to room temperature.

2. Rinse the fish and remove the gills. You don't have to do this, but it will taste better this way. We leave the head, tail and entrails. We put it in any container: container or jar.

3. Fill the contents of the container with brine. Close the lid and put it in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. During this time, our fish will become lightly salted. If we salt it a little longer, it will become salty.

Before serving, cut it into portions and season with onion and butter.

Salting mackerel (two methods: sagudai and salting in the freezer)

Two very quick ways to salt fish at home: sagudai and salting mackerel in the freezer. After just 4 hours with the first method and a day later with the second, you will get delicious salted mackerel.

Products

Mackerel sagudai:

Mackerel – 3 pcs.
Onions – 2-3 pcs.
Vinegar – 0.5 cups
Vegetable oil – 0.5 cups
Water – 1 glass
Salt – 3 tbsp. l.
Sugar – 1 tbsp. l.
Bay leaf - to taste
Ground black pepper - to taste
Dill - to taste

Salting fish in the freezer:

Mackerel – 2 pcs.
Ground paprika – 1 tsp.
Garlic – 3 cloves
Salt – 2 tbsp. l.
Ground black pepper – 1 tsp.
Bay leaf – 6 pcs.

Step by step recipe

How to cook marinated mackerel (sagudai):

Clean the fish and cut into portions, after cutting off the head and tail.
Prepare the dressing: mix water, vinegar and vegetable oil.
Cut the onion into half rings.
Finely chop the dill.
Place fish, salt, sugar, onions and herbs in layers in a jar.
Sprinkle pepper and place bay leaf on top.
Pour the prepared dressing over the fish. Close the jar with a lid and refrigerate for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, the pickled mackerel will be ready.

How to pickle mackerel for smoking?

Everyone has tried smoked mackerel at least once. This is so yummy, mmmm! But before you cook it in the smokehouse, you need to prepare the fish. Or rather, pickle it, it will be much better. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 1 piece;
Black peppercorns – 1 tsp;
Allspice – 5 pcs.; bay leaf – 1 pc.;
Coriander beans – 1 tsp;
Salt – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the fish. To do this, cut the abdomen and remove the entrails. Thoroughly clean off the black film with a paper towel. We also remove the gills.

2. Pour spices and salt into a mortar, except for the bay leaf. Grind everything thoroughly into a homogeneous mixture. If you don’t have a mortar, then put the grains in a napkin and crush them with a rolling pin.

One tablespoon of salt is needed per fish. Therefore, take the same amount of salt for two mackerel.

3. Rub the resulting mixture onto the fish on all sides (inside and outside). Place a bay leaf in the belly for flavor. Place in a container and cover with cling film. Place in the refrigerator for a day.

4. After time has passed, we take out the mackerel and rinse it under running water. Place on paper towels to dry.

The fish is ready, you can start smoking.

Salt mackerel in brine in pieces

When we salt whole fish, it takes a lot of time to do this. But we can shorten the process if we cut it into pieces. Then everything will go much faster. And if you serve this yummy with slices of lemon, it will be even better.

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 1 piece;
Allspice – 6 pcs.;
Bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
Salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
Water – 1 l.

Preparation:

1. Pour water into a saucepan and add salt, sugar, bay leaves and pepper. Boil for a few minutes and cool.

2. Cut off the head and tail of the fish. We remove the insides and thoroughly remove all the blackness inside. Then cut the mackerel into portions and put it in a jar.

3. Fill with marinade so that the fish is completely hidden. Close the lid and put it in the refrigerator for a day.

If you want saltier fish, leave it for two days.

Best served with pickled onions and lemon.

Quick salting mackerel at home - recipes

There are many recipes for quickly salting fish with your own hands. Some housewives prefer to salt the pieces, others prefer to salt the fillets. Some people like lightly salted whole carcass. But there are several recipes that are most often used for salting fish at home.

How to salt mackerel in 2 hours

You can find a lot of salted mackerel at sales points. But lightly salted - not always. After all, it has a limited shelf life. Therefore, not all manufacturers risk dealing with such a product. In a couple of hours, you can cook lightly salted fish yourself.

Ingredients:

fresh mackerel – 300 – 350 grams;
medium sized onion;
water – 2 glasses;
bay leaf – 2 – 3 pcs.;
salt – 25 g;
black peppercorns – 5 – 6 pcs.

Preparation:

Prepare the brine. To do this you need to boil water. Throw in the onion, cut into four slices, and pepper. Add salt. The brine should simmer for up to 10 minutes over low heat with the lid closed. Remove the container from the stove and let it cool.

Remove excess parts - the tail, as well as the head and giblets. Then the carcass should be washed and dried with a towel. When cutting, make the pieces 2 cm in size. Then they will be salted quickly and, most importantly, evenly. Place the pieces in a jar or pan. Pour in cooled brine and cover. Leave in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Good to know! When serving, garnish with onion rings or chopped green onions. Greens will also do. One disadvantage of such a delicious product is that it has a short shelf life. Therefore, it is recommended not to add too much salt.

Quick ambassador of mackerel under pressure

A quick way to salt fish. The resulting product is lightly salted, healthy, and also appetizing. Suitable for people who have dietary restrictions on salt.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 2 fish;
water - liter;
onions – 2 pcs. (purple);
salt – 45 – 50 grams;
sugar – 20 g;
laurel – 4 leaves;
allspice and black pepper – 3 – 4 peas each;
vinegar – 30 ml;
sunflower oil – 30 ml;
coriander – 0.5 teaspoon.

Preparation:

First you should gut and wash the fish. Separate the fillet parts from the bones, skin and head. Cut the onions into thin rings. For beauty, it is better to choose a more elongated bow shape.

Boil the brine:

pour water into an enamel pan;
add all the spices and seasonings;
boil;
boil for 2 – 3 minutes. Cool;
add vinegar. To stir thoroughly.

Place the fillet in a suitable bowl, arranging it with onion rings. Pour over the marinade. Cover with a plate or similar object that fits the diameter. Place pressure on the lid.

Note! The dish should sit in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. It is recommended to blot with napkins before serving and then refresh with sunflower oil. Place the cut pieces on a plate. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Classic recipe

A simple and convenient way to cook quick-salted fish at home yourself. The most popular recipe is the classic one. It is most often used by home cooking lovers. It does not require much knowledge and skills. Therefore, even people who are not experienced in the culinary arts can use this recipe.

Ingredients:

mackerel – carcass about 300 grams;
vinegar – 30 ml;
black and allspice, 3 degrees each;
sugar – 30 g;
water - liter;
salt – 45 g.

Preparation:

Prepare the fish: gut it, remove unnecessary parts, wash and dry with napkins. Pour all the spices into a saucepan with water. Boil.

Cook for about 6 minutes. Turn off the fire. Cool. Pour in vinegar and stir well. Place fish in pieces in a glass jar or food container. Pour in brine.

Afterwards, place the container in a secluded place where room temperature is maintained. Keep it for 24 hours. Then remove and place on a plate, garnishing with green peas, onions, etc.

Mackerel in spicy brine

The meat will be tender, juicy, with a spicy, spicy taste. This aromatic, quick-salted dish can be prepared at home. It will be in no way inferior to store-bought.

Ingredients:

mackerel carcass 350 grams;
water – 0.5 liters;
salt – 20 – 25 g;
sugar – 2 teaspoons;
black and allspice peppers – 3 peas each;
cloves – 2 seeds;
laurel – 2 leaves;
coriander – ¼ teaspoon.

Preparation:

Prepare the fish for quick salting: cut off the head, gut it, wash and pat dry with napkins. Cut the carcass into pieces up to 4 centimeters thick. Place the pan with water on the fire. Add seasonings and spices. Boil for 4 – 5 minutes. Let cool. Just let the marinade infuse. Strain thoroughly.

Place the pieces in a glass jar and fill with the prepared liquid. Close the lid. Leave for 8 – 10 hours at room temperature. You can leave it overnight. Then hide it in the refrigerator. Remove the pieces from the marinade and place on a plate. Sprinkle with white onion rings. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Mackerel in tea

The fish will be tender. The skin will have a beautiful golden hue, similar to a store-bought cold-smoked product. It will look great. This recipe for such salting is distinguished by the addition of black leaf tea, which makes the product special.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 300 – 350 grams;
salt – 25 – 30 g;
sugar – 15 g;
water – 500 ml;
black tea – 2 tbsp. l.;

Preparation:

Defrost the carcass. Gut it, remove unnecessary parts. Wash, pat dry with a towel. Pour tea into a container. Pour boiling water over it. Add salt, sugar. Wait until it cools down completely. Stir, strain. Place the fish in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 days.

After four days, remove the product and hang it by the tail over a bowl for 12 hours. Then remove and cut into portions. Place on a plate, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs. Serve with vegetables and side dish. This dish is also often added to salad, cut into cubes.

Onion peel brine

In a marinade made from onion peels, the salting will turn out to be especially beautiful and tender, as well as very tasty. It is better to salt the whole fish.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 2 fresh frozen carcasses;
water – 1 liter;
salt – 2 tablespoons with a small slide;
black tea – 5 g;
onion peel - 1 cup;
sugar – 20 grams.

Preparation:

Thaw the fish, leaving it in a bowl. The process must occur naturally to maintain the elasticity of the meat.

Make the brine:

Wash the onion skins thoroughly in a colander;
put it in a saucepan with water. Add spices and tea;
boil;
Remove the container from the heat and cover.

Place the prepared fish in another container. Pour in the prepared strained marinade. The carcass is salted for three days at a low temperature, covered. The mackerel must be turned over once a day. This way it will be salted on all sides and will also have a better color.

After salting, cut the product into pieces and place on a plate. Garnish to taste - lemon slices, green onions. Potatoes cooked in any form go well with this dish.

Mackerel with mustard

Mustard will give the fish a piquant taste, an interesting shade and a spicy aftertaste. Quick salted fish with mustard is suitable for true gourmets and lovers of spicy dishes.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 600 – 700 g (2 fish);
mustard - tea spoon in powder form;
sugar – 20 – 25 g;
salt – 45 – 50 g;
black pepper – 6 mountains;
laurel – 3 leaves;
water – 5 glasses.

Preparation:

First you need to cook the marinade:

put a bowl of water on the fire;
add mustard, spices, and seasonings;
boil for about 5 minutes. There is no need to turn up the fire too much;
turn off the stove. Wait until the brine cools down.

Gut and wash the fish. Wipe with a napkin. Cut into pieces. Then put it in a jar or plastic container. Add brine. Keep covered for up to 24 hours. This product goes well with white wine. It will also go well with vegetables.

Brine with vinegar and sunflower oil

This recipe is designed for quick salting. These pieces make great sandwiches. Cut them into cubes and add them to the salad. You can simply serve it as an appetizer as a separate dish, or with a side dish. Boiled potatoes are best.

Ingredients:

mackerel - two medium-sized fish;
salt – 60 grams;
laurel – 3 leaves;
garlic – 3 – 4 cloves (depending on size);
black pepper – 5 – 6 pcs.;
vinegar – 30 ml;
onions – 3 pcs. small size;
vegetable oil (sunflower) – 4 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation:

Disassemble the fish into fillet parts. Don't forget to rinse the fish first, removing the giblets. Salt the pieces and leave for 20 minutes. Grind the garlic and bay leaves. Add sunflower oil with pepper and vinegar. Place the fillet pieces into a suitable container.

Sprinkle with thin onion rings on different sides. Pour in the marinade and close. Store in the refrigerator for 10 – 12 hours. Serve along with pickled onions. This fillet, cut into small pieces, looks original on small sandwiches.

More and more people are trying to eat homemade dishes, sometimes not trusting the store even to salt fish. It's clear. Firstly, fresh fish is cheaper than salted fish. Secondly, during self-salting, the housewife herself decides what seasonings to add and in what quantities.

Note! Store-bought fish does not have such advantages. Home-salted mackerel can be served in a wide variety of forms, adding herbs, a side dish and a good mood in anticipation of trying a wonderful dish.

Mackerel in onion skins and tea (it turns out like smoked)

There is a little trick on how to make smoked fish at home. Of course, it won’t taste the same, but its appearance will deceive anyone. Well, it turns out very tasty. Anyone can prepare this simply at home in an apartment.

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 2 pcs.;
Allspice – 6 pcs.;
Cloves – 2 pcs.;
Bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
Onion peel - 2 handfuls;
Black leaf tea – 2 tsp;
Salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
Sugar – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
Water – 1 l.

Preparation:

1. Place onion skins, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, salt, sugar and tea in a saucepan. Fill with water and boil for 5 minutes. Then cool to room temperature.

2. Cut off the tail and head of the fish. We remove the insides. We put it in any container that you don’t mind spoiling. I took a plastic bottle from which I cut off the neck.

3. Pour the strained marinade over the mackerel. Place in the refrigerator for three days.

4. After time has passed, it can be served immediately, but I decided to dry it a little. To do this, tie a rope to the tail part and hang it in a cool place. Leave it like that for another 2 days.

Now the yummy can be served with onions and potatoes.

How to choose fish for salting

Juicy and aromatic lightly salted mackerel goes well with boiled potatoes and many vegetable dishes. It can be put on the table as a snack, eaten simply with black bread and added to salads. In addition to its excellent taste, mackerel contains many useful vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 acids, which, when consumed regularly, help strengthen the immune system, improve metabolism and vision , and normalize the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

In order for fish prepared at home to meet all quality standards, you need to choose the right seafood for salting in the store. Mackerel can be purchased either fresh or frozen. When choosing, you should take a closer look at its appearance: there should be no dents or other damage on the carcass. Fresh mackerel has a slight fishy aroma and is firm and slightly moist to the touch.

Quality fish have bright, evenly distributed color, clear eyes and a shiny, silvery skin. If the scales look faded, this is a sign that the product was not stored correctly and may have spoiled. It is better to give preference to mackerel weighing 400 grams or more - it is fattier and tastier.

How to pickle mackerel with onions (dry method without brine)

This is the simplest option possible. It cooks very quickly, but the taste is simply incredible. It is somewhat similar to the first method, but only there we cooked in brine. And here we only need salt and onions. Let's get started!

Ingredients:

Mackerel – 23 pcs.;
Onions – 2 pcs.;
Salt;
Vegetable oil – 100 ml.

Preparation:

1. Cut off the head and tail of the fish. We remove the insides and thoroughly clean all the blackness. Cut into portions.

2. Pour some salt into a plate. If there is not enough, you can always add more. We dip each piece into it. The salt should completely cover the fish. Place in any container. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours.

3. During this time, peel and cut the onion into half rings.

4. Mackerel is ready. Rinse under running water and add to the onion. Add oil and stir. You can eat it right away, but it’s better to let it sit for at least 1 hour.

Preliminary preparation

To prepare lightly salted mackerel at home, it is advisable to buy chilled carcasses. But if the store only has frozen ones, it’s not a big deal. The main thing is to properly prepare the fish for salting.

You need to defrost the fish on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, placing it in a plastic container. Do not speed up the process with hot water or a microwave.

In the salting process, cutting the fish is important. Before this, the carcass is washed in running water, the head and fins are cut off. Then an incision is made along the spine and a knife blade is drawn along the ridge, separating the fillet on both sides. The spine is cut near the tail so that the abdomen remains intact and retains all the juices. It is necessary to carefully cut out the black film lining the inside of the belly so that the product does not become bitter after cooking.

Video on how to pickle mackerel with mustard

I would like to share with you a video in which the author salts fish in a mustard marinade. I honestly admit that I myself have never prepared this recipe. But I want to do it soon. Everything is done quite simply, but it looks very appetizing! Maybe you also know this recipe and have already tried it? Share with us in the comments below: like it or not. It's always interesting to know for sure.

You see, everything is quite simple. The main thing is to have a good appetite and the desire to cook one. Imagine how you will eat it with potatoes and pickled onions, mmmm! That's it, I went to the store to buy fish. You definitely need to do this. Therefore, I say goodbye to you, see you later!