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Roe bags

58 (29.4%)

Chunks

139 (70.6%)

Total Members Voted: 193

[Spoonman]

Roe issues..... Is anyone finding their borax to be drying out their roe?

I cured some chum roe the day before heading out (procure for 12 hours, patted excess liquids off with paper towel, and then put it into ziplock bag using a generous amount of borax, Mule 20 Team brand)...

by the end of the day, many of the outside eggs were beginning to dry out and harden. Prior to putting the roe in the borax ALL the eggs were very supple and ever so slightly moist.

I heard someone else complain that "they changed the borax formula"... but to my knowledge borax is borax (sodium tetraborate
Anyone else experiencing similar issues? Solutions? Perhaps i'm just using too much borax??


Thanks,
Blake Kid

............too much borax. A dusting after curing and a small amount in the bag is all that is needed...

[BladeKid]

Roe issues..... Is anyone finding their borax to be drying out their roe?

I cured some chum roe the day before heading out (procure for 12 hours, patted excess liquids off with paper towel, and then put it into ziplock bag using a generous amount of borax, Mule 20 Team brand)...

by the end of the day, many of the outside eggs were beginning to dry out and harden. Prior to putting the roe in the borax ALL the eggs were very supple and ever so slightly moist.

I heard someone else complain that "they changed the borax formula"... but to my knowledge borax is borax (sodium tetraborate)

Anyone else experiencing similar issues? Solutions? Perhaps i'm just using too much borax??


Thanks,
Blake Kid

[obie1fish]

x2 Michael T. I'm shy about just storing roe in borax for fear of the roe turning into crust. I've seen others do it just fine, but when I do it... bleh. I stick to Pro-Cure, Amerman's, or Pautzke, borax it the night before, and all's well.

On another note, I was down in Vancouver at a fabric store and found some great fabric for making egg sacs, including one shade that matched chum roe perfectly. Beware of tulling- that stuff tutus and prom dresses are made of- it can be pretty harsh and break the eggs. Here in Abbotsford, some of the stores that sell fabric from India have some silky stuff that works fine, even though it's not mesh. Strange source, but if you're looking for something different, there ya go.

[RICHARD CRANIUM]

A gift.



For this recipe, you will need:

1 quart water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of NON-iodized salt (Pickling salt)

1 cup of borax (20 Mule Team type.

2 tablespoons of Pautzki fire cure powdered red . Be careful with this cupcakes... it readily stains anything it touches! Wear gloves when using the coloring or this brine, or else you have pink hands for a few days!


2 tablespoons of krill powder.


2 squirts of Pautzki Red Fire Dye.




First of all, split your egg skeins lengthwise (Butterfly) It's easiest to cut down the portion of the skein without the membrane and lay the sac open.

Next, with THE EXCEPTION of the eggs, bring ALL of the above ingredients to a boil in a pot.
 Make sure to stir frequently!!!!!!

After the mixture has been boiled and all contents are dissolved, cool the mixture to a luke-warm temperature and then place your eggs in the brine. Allow the eggs to soak for about twenty minutes, stirring about every 7 or 8 minutes.

When they are a bit rough to the touch ...
Then, remove the eggs from the mixture and drain on a screen over night.

Once the eggs are relatively dry to the touch, roll them in plain borax and store in a plastic container.

I like to cut them into bait size chunks.
Mix them in a large ziplock bag with borax.



Although somewhat time consuming, this process has produced the best eggs that I have every used ...

[Spawn Sack]

Interesting. Where do you buy krill powder?

[Fish Assassin]

Any tackle shop should carry them.

[dennisK]

A gift.



For this recipe, you will need:

1 quart water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of NON-iodized salt (Pickling salt)

1 cup of borax (20 Mule Team type.

2 tablespoons of Pautzki fire cure powdered red . Be careful with this cupcakes... it readily stains anything it touches! Wear gloves when using the coloring or this brine, or else you have pink hands for a few days!


2 tablespoons of krill powder.


2 squirts of Pautzki Red Fire Dye.




First of all, split your egg skeins lengthwise (Butterfly) It's easiest to cut down the portion of the skein without the membrane and lay the sac open.

Next, with THE EXCEPTION of the eggs, bring ALL of the above ingredients to a boil in a pot.
 Make sure to stir frequently!!!!!!

After the mixture has been boiled and all contents are dissolved, cool the mixture to a luke-warm temperature and then place your eggs in the brine. Allow the eggs to soak for about twenty minutes, stirring about every 7 or 8 minutes.

When they are a bit rough to the touch ...
Then, remove the eggs from the mixture and drain on a screen over night.

Once the eggs are relatively dry to the touch, roll them in plain borax and store in a plastic container.

I like to cut them into bait size chunks.
Mix them in a large ziplock bag with borax.



Although somewhat time consuming, this process has produced the best eggs that I have every used ...

Thanks. Have you used it this recipe on the vedder? finicky fish.

[RICHARD CRANIUM]

It's a killer on all systems..
Roe trumps all.
Just say'n.

[montegobay man]

 Thx for  roe  tip !!!

[stsfisher]

Roe issues..... Is anyone finding their borax to be drying out their roe?

I cured some chum roe the day before heading out (procure for 12 hours, patted excess liquids off with paper towel, and then put it into ziplock bag using a generous amount of borax, Mule 20 Team brand)...

by the end of the day, many of the outside eggs were beginning to dry out and harden. Prior to putting the roe in the borax ALL the eggs were very supple and ever so slightly moist.

I heard someone else complain that "they changed the borax formula"... but to my knowledge borax is borax (sodium tetraborate)

Anyone else experiencing similar issues? Solutions? Perhaps i'm just using too much borax??


Thanks,
Blake Kid

Just finished a second batch. First batch was spring roe, second was coho roe.
Both where done naturally with only borax, as well as Wizard cured, then boraxed. The trick to both is to ensure you do not put your roe into borax prematurely, they must be air dried until tacky. This meant I needed to stay up until 1:00am last night to ensure it was done properly.

Whether using a curing agent or not you must not rush the final step and simply pat dry, you must air dry.
No issue with the borax for me, but I am tired. 

[Spawn Sack]

Just finished a second batch. First batch was spring roe, second was coho roe.
Both where done naturally with only borax, as well as Wizard cured, then boraxed. The trick to both is to ensure you do not put your roe into borax prematurely, they must be air dried until tacky. This meant I needed to stay up until 1:00am last night to ensure it was done properly.

Whether using a curing agent or not you must not rush the final step and simply pat dry, you must air dry.
No issue with the borax for me, but I am tired. 

Just curious, why do you feel it's so important to air dry the roe until tacky? After my roe has juiced out and juiced back in after 24hrs or so it goes straight from the mason jar to being tossed in borax.

Does air drying it first offer some advantage for catching fish? Or does it just make it milk out slower and/or stay on the hook longer?

[Fish Assassin]

Just curious, why do you feel it's so important to air dry the roe until tacky? After my roe has juiced out and juiced back in after 24hrs or so it goes straight from the mason jar to being tossed in borax.

Does air drying it first offer some advantage for catching fish? Or does it just make it milk out slower and/or stay on the hook longer?

Stays on the hook longer

[stsfisher]

Just curious, why do you feel it's so important to air dry the roe until tacky? After my roe has juiced out and juiced back in after 24hrs or so it goes straight from the mason jar to being tossed in borax.

Does air drying it first offer some advantage for catching fish? Or does it just make it milk out slower and/or stay on the hook longer?

One reason for air drying is for consistency of the eggs firmness on the hook for sure.

The other reason, and others may not agree, but I believe using borax while the eggs are moist and dripping wet does not allow any control of the cure. I believe Borax, if put on early in the process will continue to dry or pull moisture from the eggs when they are not air dried prior to applying. Maybe with the new cures on the market these days it is not as important to air dry, but when I first started curing roe in the early 90's I had too many batches ruined by not air drying so it is something I will always take the time to do.

[Spawn Sack]

Cool thanks. For what it's worth I don't air dry my roe and it catches fish. However, I would like it to stay on the hook a bit longer so I'm going to try and air dry the next batch before it goes in borax.