Another spawn ? ....quick answer?

[Huntnut]

How long will fresh uncured spawn stay good in the fridge for?

Fishing with it this upcoming weekend...

Quick salt cure, fresh water cure, or none?

Thx

Hunt

[SteelYarn]

Hi Huntnut,
Well after running some tests in a recent post, river cured spawn lasted about 5-6 days in the fridge. After that time the eggs started appearing deflated slightly. The Eggs I put into a salt solution, then refrigerated them like I said in my post are like they just came out of the skein. Also the hot water bath technique seems to be working as well. Remember if you try the hot water make sure the eggs are in it for a few seconds, and do not use city water.

Without doing anything to the eggs maybe 3 days life then its really downhill for them at that point.
I had picked up a hen on Sat tried to river cure the skien and packed the eggs on ice till I got home on tues night and the eggs were starting to deflate. So I had to cure them with borax.

[Huntnut]

Thanks SteelYarn,

I figured better safe then sorry, and saltwater cured them....they're in the fridge now ;)

I didnt think fresh spawn would stay firm for more than a couple days...

Thx again,

Hunt

[Erik]

If you keep the eggs cold you might get a week out of them. Hate to see eggs go to waste though. I like to cure/preserve mine as soon as possible.
Just for the record. Just because the eggs look a little wrinkly doesn't mean there no good. In fact some of the the most plump and round eggs actually suck for catching fish, and some of the nastiest gooey globs sometimes catch the most fish. It all has to do with the rate at which the eggs milk out while fishing, and the amount of naturel scent remaining on the eggs. If they milk out too fast you don't get very many casts with them before you have to rebait. If they don't milk out at all, (kind of like the eggs you buy from the store) than they wont atract fish. The reason most peoples cured eggs aren't as good as fresh ones is because they wash all the scent off with water before curing, or they cover any naturel scent with the type of cure they use, or they just plain over cure them. Handling the eggs with your hands is a bad thing too. Touch them as little as possible!
My opinions:)

[SteelEd]

I wrap mine in platic wrap nice and tight and freeze them immediately. Make sure you get all the air out when you wrap them. It usually works good to roll the skein in the wrap. I then put them in a ziplock bag and suck all the air out with a straw as I seal up the bag. They will keep for a year in the freezer with little or no freezer burn. The day before you fish thaw out a skein and cut it into chunks to tie bags with. They work great.
Loose eggs you can do the same. I usually put them in a small ziplock bag and get all the air out before freezing them.

Hope this helps.

Ed

[flydunker]

If you do not want to cure them with any salt or brax then try this. Ty your up your normal spawn bags, put as many as you would use on a normal days fishing in a baby food jar and then cover the sacs with mieral oil and freeze. I have some in the freezer that are 2 yrs old.

[SteelYarn]

what I do with cured eggs It seems to help I will take some of the eggs and not tie them up but put them in my tupperware container with the tied up ones and break them and let the juice saturate the tied bags..

Great points Erik that makes a lot of sence I've caught a lot of fish on the gooey stuff hmmm.
I also have broken up some eggs get my hands good and eggy before I tie, thats if latex gloves arent around.

[stoney]

In the past I have stored them in mason jars in the fridge.
Right before I put the lid on I put a candle in with the spawn,
light it and screw the lid on tight.
When the candle goes out there is know more air in the jar.

Stoney