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Tony Page adds vinegar to his panfish for pickling.

Pickled panfish is preserved with vegetables.

Tony Page fillets a panfish to prepare for pickling.

Panfish is ready to brined and pickled. 

This recipe for pickled panfish requires a generous amount of salt.

Tony Page adds vinegar to his panfish for pickling.

Tony Page fillets a panfish to prepare for pickling.

Panfish is ready to brined and pickled. 

This recipe for pickled panfish requires a generous amount of salt.

As the cool breeze of autumn blankets the county, many outdoor lovers who spent the warmer months on the water fishing may begin to hang up their gear for a six-month break. Fishers in Lancaster County likely caught and enjoyed a variety of species, but one of the most abundant summer species of fish caught almost everywhere is the panfish.

Many fishers have an early memory of catching bluegills in their local pond or stream with family and friends, sometimes releasing them back into the water, or sometimes taking them home for a good old-fashioned fish fry.

Fishing for bluegills, crappie and other panfish isn’t a summer-specific catch — and with a year-round season, fall can be one of the best times to chase these delicious fish. Also, as the year begins to move into colder weather many traditionally turn to preserve their summer harvest of vegetables from the garden for winter-long enjoyment through the processes of canning and pickling. Chef Tony Page of Rooster Street Butcher in Lititz turns to this same technique for these fresh, flaky-fleshed fish.

Page enjoys having these glass jars of preserved protein for a fresh taste of summer in the cold weather of a Lancaster County winter. It’s an inventive alternative to the common go-to recipe of frying the fish in oil.

“I really do not like freezing fish, and you can only eat so much fried panfish fresh. When the creel limit is 50, you have to get creative with what to do with all that meat,” Page says. “I have also always been intrigued by the process of preserving meat products.”

Pickling the fish is also a healthier option than frying for those who are looking to enjoy their catch without the additional caloric content. Cooking meat with high-temperature oil also has its hazards so, if you’re looking to dodge a pan spitting oil at you at around 350 F, this may appeal to you.

The process of pickling isn’t a new one. Cultures around the world have been preserving and flavoring foods for centuries, giving us dishes like sauerkraut and kimchi. Pickling is essentially preserving food by using salt brine solutions and vinegar to kill any of the harmful bacteria that would make humans sick.

Page doesn’t just utilize pickling for panfish.

“The recipe works well for any fish that is lower on the oil content and has nice, firm, flaky flesh,” Page says. “I have also pickled smoked sausages and deer, beef, pork heart with good success.”

Pickled panfish is preserved with vegetables.

Pickling is a bit different than traditional canning preservation. Pickling keeps food safe for consumption longer by inhibiting harmful bacterial growth with a salt solution (brine) and vinegar. Canning will destroy and inhibit harmful bacterial growth by heating it in the container to a safe temperature and sealing it. This prevents oxygen from getting into the container, and therefore prevents the growth of microorganisms.

You may pickle foods with brine and vinegar, and then also use the heat from the canning process to can them. Pickling will preserve the food for weeks and canning can preserve it for months.

Lancaster County cuisine has long loved pickled foods. Just stroll through the local markets and it won’t be hard to find a jar of chow-chow or pickled peppers. Applying this to freshly caught fish instead of vegetables is not much different or more difficult.

Start by fileting your fish. Rinse the filets and cut them into about one-inch cubes if the filet is large enough.

Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze the fish for at least 48 hours to kill any possible parasites that can be found in freshwater fish. From there, you can follow Page’s recipe for brining and pickling.

So, what is Page’s favorite way to enjoy the final product?

“I really enjoy it as part of a breakfast or brunch,” Page says. “Serve it with toasted bread, bagels and crackers, hardboiled egg, fresh dill, capers, sour cream and/or cream cheese, and don’t forget to eat all those delicious vegetables you included in the pickle.”

Whether for flavor, longer shelf life, or both, pickling is worth an afternoon’s worth of effort to preserve your locally sourced fish to enjoy in the cold weeks to come. Catching the main ingredient yourself adds to the level of satisfaction every time you open the jar. It also gives you an extra reason to take a few more trips to the water in the enjoyable autumn weather.

Note: You’ll need 3 pint-sized canning jars for this recipe.

1. Dissolve salt in water and vinegar and once chilled submerge fish fillets into liquid. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 5 days, stirring once daily. After 5 days, the flesh should be firm to the touch and white in color.

2. Rinse fish in cold water twice and then soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Return fish to the refrigerator, and prepare the pickling liquid. (If you don’t get all the pin bones out of the fillets, no worries, they will dissolve on the pickling liquid.)

3. In a pot combine the vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice, and wine. Warm until the sugar dissolves and allow the liquid to chill again. In the canning jars, layer fish, onion, pepper, carrot and fish until the jars are full. Pour pickling liquid over fish and vegetables. Attach lids, and put them in the refrigerator for a week. Store the final product in your refrigerator and enjoy within 6 weeks. Discard when it no longer smells safe to eat.

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