Should I cure?

[Christopheraaron]

Ok, so as of today I have half a pound of brown roe (farmed). I have been doing some reading and it looks like I want to leave it uncured, do I have to do anything to preserve it before freezing? Also can you refreeze it? and finally do you tie it as you need it or all at once? Thanks!

[Rich]

I give it 3 hrs in a brown sugar/salt brine then tie it all at once if time allows. It milks more the more you refreeze it.

[Christopheraaron]

I give it 3 hrs in a brown sugar/salt brine then tie it all at once if time allows. It milks more the more you refreeze it.

 

 

Any specific measurements?

 

 

[Ralph Field]

I have always cured my roe, but from what I have read you may do better leaving it uncured. If you decide not to cure it I would divide it into small batches so you do not have to thaw it all out at once.

[BillM]

I wouldn't cure it... Tie up what you'll use and water freeze/vacuum pack the rest.

[Rich]

Any specific measurements?

 

VERY specific, actually. 2 cups boiled (then cooled to lukewarm) water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup table salt. Mix well, add eggs. Leave in refrigerator no longer than 6 hours.

 

I have SEVERELY messed up this brine by changing the ingredient amounts before. This way works perfect everytime. Personally i dont like brining more than 3 hours. This cure just keeps the eggs from turning white in cold water, without compromising their natural scent and consistency.

[Live2fish85]

I just put mine on a screen air it out for a couple hours. Then I on a paper towel wrapped in tin foil then a freezer bag and in the freezer. I put enough into a bag that I will use for a trip then if I have any left and it doesn't stink I freeze it again.

[Lunker Larry]

I was posted on the Queen Charlotte Islands back in the early '70s. Used to fish sea run steel head in the rivers using roe. The common practice was to just cure it with salt. Salt one side, leave it for a day or 2 (depending on how thick the roe slab is), flip it and salt again. Cut it into blocks and freeze it. Used small circle hooks, cut a chunk off and packed the roe around the hook. The rivers were usually very high and running fast when the steel head started in Dec/Jan. Some of the rivers we were fishing over the tops of the brush we were sitting in in the summer. The roe stayed on the hooks and milked beautifully.

Those were the days: fresh sea run steel head, dolly vardin and cutthroat trout.

[ecmilley]

when i was doing the river thing i used pro cure in its different colours and it produced fish (just wear gloves bright pink hands for two weeks first time i used it) or i used borax to preserve. though for the most part i started water hardning the eggs and zero preservitive and froze it in single day size containers

[Sinker]

No cure. Just pat it dry, freeze in ziplock bags with enough for a day trip in each bag, suck the air out of the bag with a straw, then put all the small packages into an airtight container and freeze. Lasts forever. Getting the moisture, and air out is the key.

 

I also like to kind of spread the eggs out flat in the bag once I suck out the air. They thaw quicker that way, and stack nice in the airtight container.

 

S.

[Canuck2fan]

I don't cure and I find I get the best results by tying all the roe at once as soon as I get it. I keep it fresh tied in the fridge for up to a week if I know I am going to get back out, if not then freeze it in containers big enough for a trip... If you tie it first before freezing you don't have to worry about tying roe that is really sticky which happens as the cells rupture from freezing. Also if you are out and run low on roe you can take a yarnie and run it around the plastic container where some of the gooey goodness has escaped as the eggs thawed.... and hang on when you send one of those through a drift.