Ok I'm not sure if this old guy has early alzheimers or is just pulling my leg, but he swore his brother would brine his herring in a recipe that included evaporated milk. Anybody hear of any secret brine recipes with evaporated milk?

I'm afraid to try it, cause then next week he'll have me curing my eggs in cream of mushroom soup.


VHawk

You sure he wasn't gonna EAT 'em, insted of using them for bait?
Sounds sorta like an old norwegian recipe or something...

maybe he meant powered milk, I have heard of that?????

Correction... It's a Jewish recipe....google it

VHawk, i have soaked the herring overnight in milk and borax, makes them stay shiney, and toughens them a little.

I've never heard of evaporated but powdered milk for sure.

RVW

I've also heard of the powdered milk brine (had to drink that $h!t as a kid, refuse to make my bait suffer) I'll stick with my current method.

I figured that's what powdered milk was invented for, brining bait... sorta like all the colorings one has the option of.

Never even gave it a thought that you could drink that crap ....

RVW

I think that the protiens in the powdered milk are why it tightens the scales on the herring, resulting in the shine and tougher skin. I use a combo of tap water, powdered milk, kosher salt(to leach moisture), sugar to harden, and borax so I can do 10 dozen at a time and they keep for a few weeks, but 10 doz usually lasts me about 5-7 days depending on how hard and selectively I fish-T

Personally I haven't had that much luck with powdered milk but some do use it in herring brines...

My most popular herring brine is done with a dozen at a time.

First, I cover the bottom of a 8" x 14" tupperware bowl with rock salt then I fill it to 3/4 full with water. Then I cut plug my herring (take guts out of herring) and throw it all back into the herring brine including the head and guts. I add a cap full of anise extract and a about a teaspoon of Liquid Joy and on occassion a capful of blue liquid dye depending on water color I'm fishing.

All in all it's pretty basic but one of the best formulas I've came up with.

Keith

These guys seem to know what they're doing. They use "powdered milk" to make the herring meat firm without burning it:

http://salmonuniversity.com/ol_brining_herring.html

Powdered milk for sure. The scales got serious flash with it.
Best brine....Powdered milk, kosher salt, small amount of green food coloring. Works awesome on the kingers up in Sitka, and here for halibut on the horse herring. Tried it a few years ago after reading it somewhere, had good luck, so I stuck with it. Ya know how that goes. Maybe just a habit, but it seems to work.

Rock salt and sea water has been working for me for about 35 years.

Locals in my area used to soak their herring in Lux liquid detergent. Don't ask me why. They caught fish that way though.

Powdered milk/borax/salt and liquid blueing.Add scent if you wish.Personally I like water and rock salt for fresh and brine & bite for frozen.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Powdermilk, rock salt ,crushed ice, and refrigerate over night.