Name: The Best Pickled Northern Pike Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 755 min
Ingredients: 1 cup kosher salt; 5 cups water; 1 pound northern pike, cut into 1/2-inch chunks; 2 cups apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp pickling spice; 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Pickled Northern Pike with red onions, lemons, and black peppercorns

The Best Pickled Northern Pike Recipe

Pickled pike is a classic treat here in North Dakota, but it also boasts a practical aspect: the acid in the vinegar dissolves the dreaded "Y-bones" that make filleting northern pike such a chore. Many anglers don't bother cleaning and eating them because of all the pesky Y-bones. But if you have a good recipe for pickled fish, it turns out nice and firm making it a perfect appetizer. Pickled northern pike is fantastic served on toasted rye bread, with a little mustard, but it's equally good on your favorite type of cracker.

EATING PICKLED FISH FOR GOOD LUCK

According to Smithsonian magazine, many cultures believe that you should eat fish to ring in the New Year in order to have good luck with abundance and fertility. "Consuming pickled herring at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve in Germany, Poland and parts of Scandinavia is associated with a bountiful catch."

I grew up in a Southern family that practiced eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's in order to receive blessings throughout the year. Eating pickled fish was not our thing. But then I got introduced to ice fishing in North Dakota and my world and food traditions evolved. If I look back at the genesis of my pickled pike eating on New Year's, I really don't think it had to do with the desire for good luck. It just happened to be the time of year when we were catching quite a few northern pike on tip-ups with frozen smelt as bait.

HOW TO PICKLE FISH

I learned how to pickle northern pike after a late December ice fishing trip on Lake Ashtabula near Valley City, North Dakota. No matter how many YouTube videos we watched on how to remove the y bones from northern pike, we just couldn't get rid of all of them and ensure a great fish fry.

The ability to clean fish with care and precision is a skill born of knowledge and practice. And I've cleaned a lot of fish in my day. But the northern pike is my nemesis, and I have succumbed to skinning them and cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces before dropping them in a jar to be covered with a pickle brine.

1. Freeze Northern Pike fillets for 48 hours to kill any parasites like tapeworms.

2. Remove Pike fillets from freezer and let thaw.

3. Add 4 cups of the water and salt to a small pot and heat until salt is dissolved. Let this brine cool to room temperature, but preferably colder. When it is cold enough, submerge the pike pieces in the brine and refrigerate overnight.

4. Next, bring the sugar, vinegar, and the remaining cup of water, bay leaves, and the pickling spices to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let this cool.

5. When the pike has brined, layer it in a glass mason jar with the bay leaves and red onion. Pour over the cooled pickling liquid with all the spice and seal the jars. Store your pickled fish in the fridge and wait at least one week before eating. You can store the pickled northern pike in the fridge for up to 1 month.

EATING PICKLED NORTHERN PIKE

Pickled northern pike is a delicious snack, and one I love to share with family and friends around the holidays. If you want to make eating pickled fish your new family tradition for New Year's, try this recipe and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

One thing to note: Due to tapeworm concerns, it's best to use pike that's been frozen for at least 48 hours.

My latest and most popular fish recipes are the:

- Smoked Fish Dip

- Mediterranean Fish Salad

- Coconut Crusted Fish

- Lahori Fish

- How to Smoke Fish

Or check out all my great fish recipes here.

CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITY

If you make this Pickled Northern Pike Recipe, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfish

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4.76 from 54 votes

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Keyword: how to pickle fish, how to pickle northern pike, northern pike, northern pike recipes, pickled fish, pickled fish recipe, pickled fish recipes, pickled northern, pickled northern pike, pickled pike, recipe for pickle fish

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 5

Brine Time: 12

Total Time: 12 35

Servings: servings

Author: Jeff Benda

Ingredients

1 cup kosher salt
5 cups water
1 pound northern pike, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cups apple cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon pickling spice
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Freeze Northern Pike fillets for 48 hours to kill any parasites like tapeworms.
Remove Pike fillets from freezer and let thaw.
Add 4 cups of the water and salt to a small pot and heat until salt is dissolved. Let this brine cool to room temperature, but preferably colder. When it is cold enough, submerge the pike pieces in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
Next, bring the sugar, vinegar, and the remaining cup of water, bay leaves, and the pickling spices to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let this cool.
When the pike has brined, layer it in a glass mason jar with the bay leaves and red onion. Pour over the cooled pickling liquid with all the spice and seal the jars. Store in the fridge and wait at least one week before eating. You can store the pickled northern pike in the fridge for up to 1 month.

The Best Pickled Northern Pike Recipe