Drying out Pillies

[garfield]

Hi all,

I want to dry out some pillies and need to know where I can buy rock salt please? I'd like to be able to buy atleast a kilo in one hit.

Thanks
Geoff

[Ironwood]

What about a bag of pool salt, I wouldnt use it for human consumption, but for bait it should be OK. You can get a 20kg bag for about $6.

[_fly_]

Any salt works. Those big table salt containers work just fine. But you can get 500 Gm bags of rock salt at woollies.

[garfield]

Thanks for that guys. One last thing how much would I need for 4kg? I plan to put them inn a bucket with a lid, do I need to put holes in the lid or is air tight OK?

Thanks

[bsrlee]

The salt will draw the water out of the fish & turn into a vile, evil smelly sludge - probably good berley or cat lure. You do NOT want to bottle it up.

I'd suggest looking for some old cake cooling racks in the next council cleanup, or when someone moves/dumps stuff in the street. Lay out a single layer of fish, layer of salt, leave in cat proof area with good air circulation. As the salt liquifies, replace with new dry salt & dispose of the liquid glurk thoughfully.

You will actually get faster drying with a food dehydrator or domestic oven - salt, rack & leave the rack/s in the oven on the minimum setting with the door open & family absent. Clean up any mess & deodourise the house before family return.

Seal dried fish in zip lock bags, then another layer of plastic bag & freeze - should last for years.

[garfield]

Thanks for the reply bsrlee. That sure sounds like a lot of work!
This method was suggested to me by a guy I met down south last holiday and I'm pretty sure he said just put the pillies in the bucket with the rock salt and that was it.... I just don't remember if he said to make sure the bucket was air tight.

Thanks
Geoff

[Christos]

I would use the rock salt from woolies or coles. Layer of salt, then pillies, then salt continue via layers finishing off with salt.

Put these in the fridge so that they do not smell. If you are going to use these that day then no need to freeze.

I would remove the salt before freezing.

The salt will also toughten the pillies a little so they will be easier to place on the hook.

[_fly_]

I usually buy a $20 box of fresh pillies from one of the fisherman. I pack half in zip lock bags as is. The other half I put in zip lock bags (bait size 500gm I guess) with a handfull of salt and then freeze em right away. They come out fine when I defrost em. Yes I need to wash the salt off them before using but thats fine.

[billiardbrett1]

I know this is a late answer but I have only just found this website. I used to prepare bait for sale and have found brining is the best way to preserve Pilchards for bait. In a large plastic container large enough to hold a block of pilchards pour in enough warm water to cover the block. Then add a mixture of 2 parts salt (any kind, although I used pool salt when I was doing this commercially) and 1 part brown sugar. Stir this in until it dissolves and the liquid will not absorb any more of the salt/sugar mix. I used to do this in a separate bucket and then pour onto the frozen block of pilchards and leave overnight, somewhere cool. Next morning you can remove the pilchards from the brine and place them into zip lock bags and place into the freezer. If you have used enough salt they won't completely freeze but will last for months. They will be much tougher on the hook and still attractive to the fish. If you are going fishing that day you can also take the brine with you and pour it into your berley pot.

Hope this helps
Brett

P.S. you can also preserve peeled green prawns with a salt and sugar mix, just don't add the water.

[_fly_]

P.S. you can also preserve peeled green prawns with a salt and sugar mix, just don't add the water.

For prawns I just freeze them in food containers and cover them in salt water (where I caught them).
Sonetimes I do them whole and sometimes I rip the heads off and just do the tails.

They stay really well in the freezer and don't get freezer burn on the legs etc.
They defrost perfect months later.