Helpful Tips, Recipes & Resources

Fish Tips

With fishing season just around the corner here are some tips on taking care of your catch to ensure quality:

1. Kill the fish quickly or keep them alive in a mesh basket or bag placed in a bucket of cold water or in the stream.

2. Clean and gut the fish promptly and thoroughly. Fish that are dead and not cleaned will spoil quickly.

3. Chill the fish with plenty of ice. Cooling fish is critical. Spoilage begins as soon as the fish dies. If you don't have ice, place the fish in cold water.

4. Cook the fish. Refrigerate, or preserve as soon as possible after returning home.

Properly cleaned and iced fish will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage freeze or can. The best way to freeze fish is in water. Place fish in milk cartons or plastic freezer bags and cover with water. Adding a little lemon juice to the water will help keep a fresh flavor. Vacuum sealers also work well for freezing fish. For best quality use the frozen fish within 3-6 months.

For more information refer to PNW 586 Home Freezing of Seafoods or see our other fish publications for other medthods.

Asparagus

When asparagus start to pop up in the garden and super market it is a sure sign of spring. Asparagus are a good source of vitamin A and C, as well as potassium, and it has about 35 calories to a large serving.

When purchasing asparagus select firm, straight stalks with tips that are well formed and tightly closed. They should be green for about 2/3 of the way down the stalk. Some people prefer the larger stalks, and others the smaller, slender ones. Slightly wilted stalks can be freshened by cutting a slice off the bottom and placing the stalks cut end down in a pan of cold water.

Asparagus can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be preserved by freezing, canning and pickling. Check the freezing, canning vegetables, and pickling publications for recipes and instructions.

Strawberry Tips

When picking berries bring several large flat containers to pick berries in rather than bowls and pans. This way the berries won't get mashed.

Pick with stems on if you plan to store the berries for any length of time. The stems will help keep the berries fresh longer. Be sure to refrigerate the berries as soon as possible after picking.

Plan ahead for how you will use the berries. If you plan to make jams and jellies you will need to pick 2 pounds of berries will make approximately 2 cups of mashed fruit and 1 cup of berry juice.

Berries can be frozen with or without sugar. To keep the berries firmer when thawed you might want to try freezing the berries in a mixture of powdered pectin and sugar. For every 3 gallons of sliced berries you will need 3 cups of white sugar and 1 package of powdered pectin. Mix the sugar and pectin together and then mix into the berries. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then package the berries in freezer containers or bags.

And don't forget the rhubarb. It mixes well with strawberries to make pies fillings as well as jams and other fruit spreads. Look for recipes and preserving methods and ideas under publications in the food preservation section.