Subsistence Fish (Anchorage, Seward: home, to live, store)

[warptman]

This should answer some questions on what Yup'ik People or Alaska Natives put away to eat in the winter months ahead. The men go and get the fish and the women cut them up into slabs or strips to dry and then they go into a smoke house. Not smoking like in a Little Chief smoker, but in a small shack where you either smoke them with cotten wood or alder wood, depending on preference. You teach the girls at a young age on how to cut the fish up so they know what to do when they get older.











Drooooools....

[Miss Blue]

Thank you ,Warptman for these photos I wasn't sure if the native Alaskans still did this or not..I just figured they fillet the fish, put them in a freezer bag and stick them in the freezer now days...

[spleenificus]

Warptman,

Excellent narrative photography!


Are they pulling out the pinbones with needlenose pliers?

Also, if I come up to live there, can I get folks to process my fish and smoke them for a fee if I catch any?

(I am from the lower 48 and quite unaware of how to do these things...)

Best,
-Merlin

[warptman]

I don't think anyone pulls bones out to my knowledge. The women are very good at filleting the fish. They dry the whole fish and smoke them, too. A lot of the families pack up from the home and head to fishcamp for the fish cutting. I've never seen anyone picking bones out of the fish.

[spleenificus]

Ahhh,

My confusion.
Thanks for the reply about the pinbones.

But are there any commercial places that will process fish for me?
(I certainly don't expect the subsistence folks to do it.)

Thanks,

-Merlin

[warptman]

Not too sure on that part. The way we do it here is different than the commercial operations. This takes more work than the normal smoking companies. The people's hearts are in the fish compared to store bought smoked salmon.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by spleenificus

Ahhh,

My confusion.
Thanks for the reply about the pinbones.

But are there any commercial places that will process fish for me?
(I certainly don't expect the subsistence folks to do it.)

Thanks,

-Merlin

A well filleted salmon will have no bones in the meat of the fish. Cutting salmon into steaks leaves the bone in the salmon.

As to commercial places, there are several in Anchorage, and you can usually find one or two in every town. A couple of commercial fish and game processors:

• Alaska Sausage & Seafood
  2914 Arctic Blvd
  Anchorage
  (907) 562-3636
• Yamaya Seafood Processing
  100 E 54th Ave
  Anchorage
  (907) 563-5588
• Indian Valley Meats
  Seward Hwy
  Indian Valley
  (907) 653-7511

They will also pack it in dry-ice and ship it to any destination you like, overnight. Each of these commercial processors will provide you with processed salmon in equal weight to the salmon you turn over to them for processing, but not necessarily the same salmon you caught.

I smoke my own salmon, and the key to good smoked salmon is in the brine and a low heat with a long smoking period. It took several attempts to get the brine just the way I like it. Most Alaskans use alder or cottonwood to smoke their salmon, like warptman previously posted. However, I prefer hickory or mesquite, and not as much brown sugar in my brine. I like a more savory smoked salmon. It goes better with beer and chips.

P.S. Great photos warptman, thanks! I tried to give you some Rep. for that photo spread, but apparently I have to spread it around some more before it will allow it.

[RayinAK]

Very nice photos.

Natives do the same along the Yukon. A couple of friends also catch and dry smoke their salmon by the Copper River. It's an arduous process, but worth it because of the great quality of such food.

[warptman]

All of a sudden I want strips. Should go raid the freezer.

[JavaPhil]

If there is too much from a good weekend, I take it to Alaska Sausage, and they have 4-5 different ways (flavors) of smoking. Excellent!