A simple device for drying fish at home. Three-tier vertical fish dryer. And also my recipe for homemade dried fish How to make a fish dryer
Delicious, dried fish is the best addition to beer on a nice pleasant evening with friends. To save money and avoid buying dried fish at the store, you can make it yourself. How? Very simple and inexpensive, you just need to put in a little effort.
How to make a box for drying fish with your own hands?
To make a box, we will need some materials, as well as some skills in working with tools.
We will need:
Wooden beams;
Mosquito net;
Stapler;
Wood screws.
1. First of all, we decide on the dimensions of our future box. We chose the size: 1 meter in height, 1 meter in length and 0.5 meter in width.
2. We cut the beams to the size we need and sew them together using screws.
3. To make the box more stable, we will strengthen it with several ribs.
4. We hook the cables between the side ribs. They immediately perform two functions: they do not allow the frame to stretch, and we will hang fish on them.
5. Let's start processing the wood. We open it in two layers with Bio-Doctor for bugs.
6. After the wood has dried, we proceed to opening it with varnish. It should be opened in two layers, with an interval of 5 hours.
7. After the varnish has dried, we will cover it with a mosquito net using a stapler. We cover it on almost all sides, we don’t cover the front side, that’s where we will have doors.
8. We make doors in the same way using beams, mosquito net, and hook them onto loops. They should close the box well.
How to properly dry fish in a dryer and how to make it yourself if necessary? What are the best ways to dry fish to give it best taste? How to avoid the most common mistakes when using these technologies? We’ll talk about all this in more detail in this issue and immediately please leave a comment at the bottom of the page to understand how successful the material turned out.
What types of dryers are there and what are they for?
There are many varieties of dryers by model, size, capacity, and materials for manufacturing. There are frame and folding, stationary and hanging, designed exclusively for drying fish and universal, that is, also suitable for drying berries, mushrooms, nuts, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and bee pollen.
What unites them all presence of walls made of mesh or gauze, which prevents contact of flies and their larvae with the fish, and allows the air to do its job. As well as the presence of a door for loading and unloading catch, shelves, hooks or wires for placing fish in the correct position.
It is precisely this opportunity to preserve your catch from infection with larvae and subsequent spoilage of products that is the advantage of using various kinds dryers before traditional way drying fish (by hanging it on a rope or wire somewhere under a canopy, in the attic or balcony).
Making a dryer with your own hands
Modern online stores, as well as fishing equipment departments in sports stores and markets, present the buyer with a wide variety of models of fish dryers in various options value for money.
But with all the variety of products offered, it is not always possible to choose a dryer model that suits the needs of a particular fisherman. After all, the catches of different fishermen can vary dramatically in the number and size of fish caught. The home conditions in which fish will be dried also vary. Therefore, many commercial fishermen adjust the parameters of the created device to their needs.
First of all, you need to decide where exactly will the drying take place?. If under a canopy or in the attic of a private house, there are no problems with the size. If it is in one of the rooms, on the balcony or loggia of the apartment, then the dimensions of the future dryer must be calculated based on the possibility of placing it in these rooms for drying and subsequent storage. You also need to keep in mind the size and number of fish caught in previous fishing. Or calculate these parameters for future catches.
If you have very little space, you can consider the options of folding and hanging dryers. After determining the required dimensions, you need to decide on the materials for manufacturing. They can also be very diverse. For the frame and door, they usually use bars, slats or boards left over from construction or repairs, the remains of an aluminum profile or corner - that is, any suitable durable materials.
- On assembled frame the door is hung.
- The opening is hermetically sealed to prevent the entry of insects.
- A net (preferably mosquito net) is tightly attached to the walls.
- Many people also put a net on the ceiling, but this is fundamentally wrong, since the deposited fly larvae can penetrate the cells and infect the catch. Therefore, the ceiling must be made solid, preferably from plywood or plastic sheets.
- A tray is placed at the bottom to promptly remove draining fish oil.
- After this, shelves are made inside the dryer or several rows of wire with hooks are stretched (in accordance with the expected size of the fish). The dryer is ready!
Below are some examples of the original creativity of our anglers.
As they say, it’s better to see once than to hear 100 times. Therefore, we invite you to watch the video from detailed description making a dryer with your own hands.
How and how much to dry fish
Drying time and the choice of technology largely depend on the type and size of the fish caught, as well as on the gastronomic preferences of the fisherman himself.
Before drying fish, it is necessary to salt it. Small fish can be salted whole. The larger one must first be gutted and cuts made along the back. And the biggest one will be needed cut into pieces, suitable for the size of the salting container. The duration of salting again depends on the size of the fish and the taste preferences of the fisherman - the longer it is salted, the saltier the fish will be. On average there is enough 2-6 days. After which the fish is taken out and washed running water and on average another hour is placed in a bowl with clean water for soaking and removing excess salt.
After soaking, the fish must be dried by placing it on a simple towel and placing it in a constructed dryer. Exists two ways to hang fish on hooks or ropes of the dryer - by the head (through the eyes) and by the tail (after making a hole in the right place in the fish’s body with an awl).
Each method has its pros and cons. For example, if you hang it by the tail, the fat will drain through the mouth and the fish may come out a little dry. And if you eat it by the head, the remaining fat can give the meat a unique taste. In general, each fisherman chooses the hanging method himself in accordance with the breed of fish and his experience and taste preferences.
After hanging, the dryer is placed out of range sun rays . Best in a draft. The catch takes about a week to dry. Samples are taken starting with the smallest specimens.
Possible errors
When salting and drying fish, you should avoid the most common mistakes.
- Salt for pickling should be regular, coarsely ground. No way not iodized! Its use is guaranteed to spoil the appearance and taste of dried fish.
- There is no need to wash the fish immediately before salting (wash it only before soaking), otherwise it will inevitably become dry.
- Herbivorous fish cannot be salted without being gutted in hot weather. The algae remaining in its interior will begin to rot - the fish will develop a bitter taste or will completely deteriorate.
- When placing fish in the dryer, ensure that they didn't touch. This will prevent even drying.
Dried fish is a tasty and healthy product. Some people enjoy eating this fish with the same boiled potatoes and washing it down with kvass. However, choosing truly high-quality dried fish is not so easy. Violation of drying technology, improper storage, the use of stale raw materials - all this can lead to severe poisoning. In order to be sure of the quality of the product, you can try drying the fish yourself.
The difference between drying and drying
Drying fish is its gradual dehydration. Before this, the carcasses are soaked in a salt solution. After losing moisture, the fish becomes ready to be eaten; it does not need to be thermally processed.
The drying process differs from drying in the length of time. Drying requires at least a day to achieve the readiness of the product. Drying takes only 6–7 hours.
In addition, drying involves fermentation - the breakdown of organic substances under the influence of enzymes. This does not happen during the drying process.
Fish drying equipment
If you are an amateur dried fish and want to cook it often, it may make sense to purchase certain equipment for this. Here are the types of devices that exist on the modern market.
- Closet. This apparatus is designed for drying fish using circulating air currents. It is equipped with a timer to provide the ability to set different programs for various types of products (fish, fruits, vegetables and other products). And also drying cabinet has a built-in ventilation system to create air flows, tubular electric heaters to dry them, a timer to turn off after time has elapsed. The duration of drying fish in such a cabinet is approximately 13 hours.
- Camera. In essence, the operating principle of the drying chamber is the same as that of the cabinet. This is a device in which air circulates using a built-in fan. When setting the required program, the device itself selects the temperature and direction of air flow, and turns off automatically. The water that the fish loses during the drying process leaves the unit either through open doors, or through an evaporator pipe, or is dried using heating elements.
- Dryer. This device differs from the above in that it can be electric, or it can be assembled with your own hands and not depend on the power supply. The most popular model of dryer is a hanging one, equipped with a mesh to protect against insects and dust. This dryer can be hung anywhere where there is air circulation: on the veranda, on the balcony, on personal plot. As for its electric counterpart, such a device, of course, costs more, but it speeds up the process and can be used even in a city apartment. Represents small locker made of stainless steel with several removable mesh drawers for storing fish.
- Net. In my own way appearance The drying net is somewhat reminiscent of a fish muzzle. Inside it is divided into several sections, into which fish carcasses are placed for subsequent drying. The grid is hung on open air, where the process takes place.
How to make a drying device at home
Let's take a step-by-step look at the process of making a fish dryer. To do this, we will stock up on the following materials:
- profile for drywall;
- “corners” made of aluminum;
- plastic mosquito net;
- 9 metal rods 70 cm long;
- thick wire;
- a sheet of polycarbonate material for the lid with a thickness of 0.5-0.7 mm;
- rivets, nuts, bolts, washers (5 mm);
- “corner” made of plastic for fixing the mesh from the outside;
- decorative metal “corner” for the lid.
Tools:
- drill, it is better to take it with a battery;
- grinding machine;
- riveter;
- pliers;
- scissors;
- spanner;
- stationery knife.
We will construct a device with the following parameters:
- height – 120 cm;
- length – 100 cm;
- width – 70 cm.
The dryer will be three-level: on each level we will place 3 metal rods, on which we will hang fish carcasses.
Our work begins with the manufacture of the dryer frame. To do this we cut aluminum profile: we make 4 sections of 120 cm, 6 of 100 cm and 6 of 70 cm. We retreat approximately 20 cm from the floor and mount a rectangular box by screwing the aluminum sections perpendicular to the longest ones.
It is very important to attach the profile so that it is flat - this will make it easier to install the mesh. We strengthen the bottom of the box with aluminum “corners”, screwing them on the inside.
We attach metal rods perpendicularly to the profile - 3 pieces at each level. The distance between them should be the same. We “string” wire hooks onto these rods for hanging carcasses.
Then we begin to attach the mesh. Try to cut it with a margin, tucking it inward when attaching it. Make sure that there are no gaps left through which unwanted “guests” can penetrate: flies, bugs and other insects. Cover the bottom of the box with mesh as well.
The cover will be made of polycarbonate material. First, we mount a frame from a decorative “corner” of such a size that it can cover our box without gaps. Using a utility knife, cut out a rectangle, insert it into this frame, and screw it on. Now we can easily open and close our dryer.
The device is constructed, the fish is caught and soaked in a salty solution - it’s time to start the drying process. Adopt a few simple life hacks that will allow you to make a tasty and healthy product:
- put the fish out to dry in the evening and let it sit until the morning: dark time days the air temperature is lower and there are no flies;
- During the first hours, periodically blow the carcasses with a fan - this will help “blow out” the specific smell and speed up the drying process;
- Start your practice of drying fish yourself with small specimens: they cook much faster than large specimens and will not spoil in the sun.
This is how you can easily and simply create a device for drying fish with your own hands at home and then prepare a tasty and healthy product for the whole family.
A master class on making a dryer for drying fish can be watched in the video below.
Often, after a successful fishing trip, the question of processing a large catch arises. What to do if you no longer want to fry and boil fish, but you simply don’t have a drying device yet, there hasn’t been a time for that until now. But everyone loves dried fish, but in order to dry it, you need to make a drying machine.
For just such a case, this is a video on our pressing fishing topic. This device is very simple and yet effective; it will work great at home and is not afraid of flies. It is made very inexpensively from plywood.
The dryer is a parallelepiped secured with aluminum corners. The mesh is suitable for the kind that is used to screen windows against insects.
The mesh needs to be larger so that the elastic band presses it to the structure with a reserve. Inside there are two plywood slats at a distance from the back mesh so that flies cannot lay larvae.
Window nails are placed on the rail at a slight angle. The caps need to be bitten off, which causes the nails to become sharper. The fish simply hangs on these hooks. Two slats were made. One is located on top, it is convenient to use for large fish. At the middle level, medium and small fish are hung, respectively.
Collapsible dryer for fish
The dryer is mobile, can be placed in hiking conditions on tree branches, etc.
An idea for anglers who are on vacation long time on a fishing trip.
Dryer for placement anywhere – for example, on the wall of a barn
This fish dryer can be hung on the wall of a barn or cottage. Very practical, as it does not take up much space like a stationary one. Removable design, easy to manufacture.
Dryer (dehydrator) for drying and drying fish
A dehydration dryer - in scientific terminology, but simply for drying and drying fish, in which fish are placed very compactly and en masse. It is shown how tightly the fish can be hung so that sufficient distance between them allows for good ventilation.
How to dry and dry fish on a fire
It is shown how, using simple steps and devices, you can dry fish over a fire. Place the fish at a sufficient distance from the fire to ensure the desired mode.
Fish dryer, catch drying
For every fisherman, it is important not only to catch fish, but also to properly store the catch. Drying fish is perfect for you in any conditions, even if you are going to dry fish in an urban environment on the balcony. We offer a variety of types of dryers, from compact hanging dryers for hanging on a balcony, terrace, tree, to prefabricated frame dryers that can be installed outdoors, in the country. All dryers have convenient designs for assembly, so they are convenient to carry with you, they do not take up much space and are packaged in waterproof cases, which will be extremely convenient if you travel by car. Dryers are washable, washable, do not fade in the sun, and are also protected from moisture and damage.
What types of dryers are there?
The Dom Fishing online store offers three types of fish dryers:
Hanging frame made of polypropylene mesh. She is presented various sizes, has three horizontal shelves for fish, a 3 mm fine mesh, which prevents insects from getting inside. This model also has an additional lower compartment, thanks to which the lower shelf with fish does not come into contact with objects and is protected from insects. The arched entrance with a zipper allows you to lay out the fish on the shelves and seal the dryer tightly. Hangs on special device from the cords included in the kit. Made in China.
Prefabricated frame dryer NPO KEDR Saint Petersburg. It is a fish dryer made of fine-mesh nylon with mosquito net inserts. The frame is made of metal, installed on a flat surface or suspended depending on the desire of the fisherman. It has from 3 to 6 chains for vertically hanging fish and drying it. Hooks are not included. This model is very convenient to use, as it does not require turning over the catch to dry, and is easy to wash.
Prefabricated dryer made of ECO material. Domestic production of drying, which has a convenient cube shape, can be hung, equipped with crossbars with hooks for drying fish, which is hung vertically in rows. The dryer is made of solid wood, which is why it has gained popularity among lovers of environmentally friendly products. Your catch in reliable dryers! The frame is covered with breathable thin breathable material and protects the fish from insects and damage. Packed in a box.
Large round dryer for drying predatory fish, herbs, mushrooms and roots. Has large shelves to place large items to dry. Well ventilated and protected from direct sunlight thanks to the fine mesh.
Dryers are very popular not only in summer, but also in winter, since the safety of the catch is an important component not only of pride in the past fishing, but also a safe way of preparing fish for further consumption. Long gone are the days when fish were dried on newspaper, thereby often spoiling the catch or being subject to the laying of larval eggs.
Choose convenient, modern fish dryers on the website of the Dom Fishing online store. We will deliver dryers to every fisherman in any corner of Russia: delivery by mail and transport company.
