Home cured eggs vs store bought

[bigdog]

So I'm really new to the egg curing thing here, what I'm wanting to find out here is the different ways people cure eggs, steps took to cure eggs, why most say home cured are better then store bought?

One of the things I don't like anout eggs is you go through so many in a day, they don't seem to last very long. Is there something that can be done to help them last longer? I'm trying different things and wanting to see what other people are doing.

Why does everyone like home cured more then store bought? Is it just because you are doing them yourself so feel it is better or could it be that the cost is a lot cheaper by curing your own? Is there something wrong with how the store bought ones are cured, is it a bad cemical mix and don't like the smell or what.

When curing your own is it better to cure in a whole or should they be cut in the sizes you plan to put on the hoook? What are the best cures or even other cemicals to use for curing the eggs?

Anything more that I didn't ask please feel free to add to this. My hope with this thread is to learn a lot more about curing eggs and hope to help others learn what they need to learn with out ruining a whole bunch of eggs in the trial and error.

Thank you
CJ

 

[FishSchooler]

So I'm really new to the egg curing thing here, what I'm wanting to find out here is the different ways people cure eggs, steps took to cure eggs, why most say home cured are better then store bought?

Not that I'd ever cured eggs before... but I think customization/preference in the eggs. With storebought, maybe the cure isn't meant to be added with anything else. With homecures, you can throw in whatever you want.

Eggs last too short... use fake eggs? I was using ElazTech shrimp scented eggs. Tie them up with 4-6 eggs in a cluster, and we got quite a few bobber-downs. Im sure they dont fish as well, but they work and they are not messy and they last forever.

 

[bigdog]

Thanks Kevin, I know about fake eggs but what I'm looking for here is a way to get real eggs to last longer and trying to see what other people are doing to cure the eggs they have and then maybe play around a little and mix something in with what they are doing

 

[FishSchooler]

Thanks Kevin, I know about fake eggs but what I'm looking for here is a way to get real eggs to last longer and trying to see what other people are doing to cure the eggs they have and then maybe play around a little and mix something in with what they are doing

I am wondering that too... Just dipping whatever eggs I have in my hook seems to make them pop. All I know that will toughen those things up are borax (as usual), knox-gelatin, and salt. People will even cure fresh eggs by soakin em in salt water! :shock:

 

[Fishtopher]

I dont know man, but its just like spinners...gotta tune yer cure to the fish yer fishin for...sometimes river specific too.

 

[osmosis]

I suggest ALL of you interested in learning to cure your own eggs (with a successful recipe) check this video out!

Pacific Ghost Productions ~ Free Fishing Videos and Fishing Films

go to the above link, click "feature films" on the left of the page. The 13th video down from the top is called "Small Stream Salmon Fishing #1 Dragons Fire Egg Curing" - It is a 21 and a half minute tutorial on how to cure up some killer eggs done by a friend of mine.

After you're done with that one, check out some of the others while you're there.. If you watch some of those video's I bet you'll learn something.

Home cured eggs do work better than any store bought cured egg, granted the person does it right..
store bought cures (canned cures, like pro cure) work well, and are what I suggest to use until you learn what ingredients to use to develop your own.

fishtopher is right: cures are often species specific, and beyond that some work better in one river and not so well in another. After a few years you'll figure it out.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

I love those Vids, Visit them once a Week, Not many new ones though?

 

[osmosis]

He just got new software that he is trying to get dialed in. He has already told me about some of the upcoming videos and I can't wait to see 'em.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

I can't wait Either now. His vids are Great, Informative, And Interesting to watch.

 

[youngbuck307]

big dog i asked matt that same question and he sent me that video... It helped a lot all of his videos do

 

[bigdog]

big dog i asked matt that same question and he sent me that video... It helped a lot all of his videos do

Yeah I watched it last night and I like it helped some.

Good page thank you Alan.

 

[osmosis]

No problem, I hope you guys learn some tricks from Matthew's videos.
I know I'll put one of the vids on and in no time I'm tying leaders and itchin to hook some fish.

Only helped some? If you follow that video's instructions and use the cure that he was using (with or without the garlic slam ola) you will have eggs that hold together well and catch fish.

Make sure you rotate the bags or jars, whichever you are curing in, for 3 days while keeping them in the fridge. I rotate mine (from one side to the other) every about 4 hours to get even coverage of the cure juice deposited on the eggs.
the first day the eggs juice out, the second day they start the re absorption process and by the end of the third day they generally will have re absorbed all that they will and are ready for packaging and freezing or using.

Ahh, the wonderful process of OSMOSIS!

p.s. do not cure eggs indoors unless you want your wife/girlfriend to beat you.
wear gloves, do the curing outside, and store them in a bait fridge. If you do not have a bait fridge get a cardboard box, line it an inch of newspaper and put 6 or so layers of paper towels on top of the newspaper. put all your bags or jars inside that to keep your fridge from becoming PINK or RED.

 

[bigdog]

Ok so it helped more then a little. They seem pretty firm now and look good to me so we will see how they work this thursday. That is provided the fish are there.

 

[Fishtopher]

No problem, I hope you guys learn some tricks from Matthew's videos.
I know I'll put one of the vids on and in no time I'm tying leaders and itchin to hook some fish.

Only helped some? If you follow that video's instructions and use the cure that he was using (with or without the garlic slam ola) you will have eggs that hold together well and catch fish.

Make sure you rotate the bags or jars, whichever you are curing in, for 3 days while keeping them in the fridge. I rotate mine (from one side to the other) every about 4 hours to get even coverage of the cure juice deposited on the eggs.
the first day the eggs juice out, the second day they start the re absorption process and by the end of the third day they generally will have re absorbed all that they will and are ready for packaging and freezing or using.

Ahh, the wonderful process of OSMOSIS!

p.s. do not cure eggs indoors unless you want your wife/girlfriend to beat you.
wear gloves, do the curing outside, and store them in a bait fridge. If you do not have a bait fridge get a cardboard box, line it an inch of newspaper and put 6 or so layers of paper towels on top of the newspaper. put all your bags or jars inside that to keep your fridge from becoming PINK or RED.

Man! Thats the truth!! Just last batch I was beaten! Got the gloves right. Got the bait fridge right...DID NOT get the cure outdoors right!

Before I saw this video I was hesitant to use the Slam-ola I have, worried it would screw up my eggs, now Im glad I at least split up the eggs and did half with and half without. I dont think its garlic flavored though.

Do you have a preference as to jars or bags?

 

[osmosis]

Yeah, pink counters or sinks have a way of making them pretty angry!

Nothin wrong with both slam ola in regular or garlic, usually the regular works better. Monster bite is another pro cure product worth checking out.

I like glass jars for long term storage (freezing), but I do most of my curing process in gallon ziplocks nowadays. You can also do them in a tray if you want, but make sure you have a lid for the tray/tub.
after the 3 day curing process I put them into quart or pint canning jars.
For steelhead eggs, I pack them in the jars in layers alternating between eggs and borax.

 

[FishSchooler]

I have several questions to add to the stash... (after watching the dragon fire cure video)

The dye powders have all the chems needed to successfully hold/preserve them (besides additives like the scents)?

Where do you get canning jars?

I thought skeins were very very delicate and shouldnt be handled without gloves, and in the video, he held them without gloves and he was slapping them all over the place.

Thanks... and if you do it indoors, you can cure in a room which you wanted to paint and save the extra work... haha

 

[Anyfishisfine]

Where do you get canning jars?

Safeway or Albertsons I think. If not there check Bi-Mart.

 

[bigdog]

I have several questions to add to the stash... (after watching the dragon fire cure video)

The dye powders have all the chems needed to successfully hold/preserve them (besides additives like the scents)?

Where do you get canning jars?

I thought skeins were very very delicate and shouldnt be handled without gloves, and in the video, he held them without gloves and he was slapping them all over the place.

Thanks... and if you do it indoors, you can cure in a room which you wanted to paint and save the extra work... haha

You should be able to get jars about anywhere. I get mine at bimart for the price is good there. I'm sure freddys walmart and any other place would have them as well.

The skein as far as I know is the hardier part it is the eggs that I worry about, but when you are curing enough I guess a few popped eggs aren't going to hurt.

As far as the cures I have been told they have everything in them that is needed to cure the eggs.

 

[FishSchooler]

You should be able to get jars about anywhere. I get mine at bimart for the price is good there. I'm sure freddys walmart and any other place would have them as well.

The skein as far as I know is the hardier part it is the eggs that I worry about, but when you are curing enough I guess a few popped eggs aren't going to hurt.

As far as the cures I have been told they have everything in them that is needed to cure the eggs.

Thanks you... I meant skeins as everything that is in there.

 

[Mike123]

I dont know man, but its just like spinners...gotta tune yer cure to the fish yer fishin for...sometimes river specific too.

I have noticed this a lot... Kinda frustrating!
Sandy fish seem to be quite finicky!