How to Make Surstromming
Buy fresh herring during the traditional months of May and June., Brine the herring for a day., Decapitate and clean the herring., Put the decapitated, cleaned fish into a barrel, leaving an inch for any gas to escape without causing an explosion...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy fresh herring during the traditional months of May and June.
You don't want the rotted fish to sit around too long, but you want to be sure there is plenty of time for it to ferment during the traditional surstromming feasting time of late August and early September.
Make sure to also have a bucket for reserved brine. -
Step 2: Brine the herring for a day.
Leave the salt concentration a bit on the light side.
It should measure about 23 degrees with your salinometer.
After all, surstromming was created specifically because the locals didn't have enough salt to preserve fish in the normal way. , Fish heads and guts aren't part of the classic recipe and would ruin the distinctive taste of surstromming.
Leave them out for the local cats, if you wish. , Yes, surstromming has been known to explode or fizz out. , This crucial step jump-starts the process and gets that rot underway.
Stir it every 3 hours to achieve an even putrefaction throughout the mixture. , Mix the reserved brine back in and add about 5 gallons of 12 degree brine. , Surstromming experts recommend that it be kept at a temperature of 63-65ºF(17-18ºC). , -
Step 3: Decapitate and clean the herring.
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Step 4: Put the decapitated
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Step 5: cleaned fish into a barrel
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Step 6: leaving an inch for any gas to escape without causing an explosion.
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Step 7: Leave it out in the sun for 24 hours to begin the fermentation process.
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Step 8: Reserve about 5 quarts of brine and pour off the rest.
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Step 9: Move it indoors to a cool
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Step 10: dark place to let the fermentation continue until mid-August.
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Step 11: Finished.
Detailed Guide
You don't want the rotted fish to sit around too long, but you want to be sure there is plenty of time for it to ferment during the traditional surstromming feasting time of late August and early September.
Make sure to also have a bucket for reserved brine.
Leave the salt concentration a bit on the light side.
It should measure about 23 degrees with your salinometer.
After all, surstromming was created specifically because the locals didn't have enough salt to preserve fish in the normal way. , Fish heads and guts aren't part of the classic recipe and would ruin the distinctive taste of surstromming.
Leave them out for the local cats, if you wish. , Yes, surstromming has been known to explode or fizz out. , This crucial step jump-starts the process and gets that rot underway.
Stir it every 3 hours to achieve an even putrefaction throughout the mixture. , Mix the reserved brine back in and add about 5 gallons of 12 degree brine. , Surstromming experts recommend that it be kept at a temperature of 63-65ºF(17-18ºC). ,
About the Author
Betty Hughes
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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