Mackerel with Vegetables Winter Salad
The most delicious homemade preserve for seafood lovers. Mackerel winter salad with vegetables is far tastier and healthier than any store-bought canned fish. Juicy, appetizing mackerel works as a standalone dish or alongside side dishes.
Updated : 08 August, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
2 kilograms
Mackerel
2 kilograms
Tomato
500 grams
Onion
700 grams
Carrot
0.25 cup
Sugar
0.5 cup
Vegetable oil
1.5 tablespoon
Salt
3
Laurel leaf
20
Peppercorns
70 milliliters
Vinegar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
You can use either fresh or frozen mackerel for the salad. When choosing, look for evenly silver-colored fish without yellow spots or visible damage. If using frozen fish, place it in the fridge (bottom shelf) ahead of time. Do not fully defrost it - this makes it easier to clean and cut.
Step 2
Gut the mackerel and rinse it well. Be sure to remove the black membrane inside the belly, as it can give a bitter taste. Cut off the heads, fins, tails, and fillet the fish. The total weight of cleaned fish was about 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs).
Step 3
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Grate them on a coarse grater or pass them through a meat grinder. I used a grater and discarded the skins. I got about 1.6 liters (1.7 quarts) of tomato juice. Pour it into a large pot.
Step 4
Peel and rinse the onions and carrots. Slice the onions into thin half-rings or quarter rings. Grate the carrots with a coarse grater or use a Korean-style slicer. Add the chopped vegetables to the pot with tomatoes.
Step 5
Add salt, sugar, and refined vegetable oil to the pot. Stir everything thoroughly.
Step 6
Place the pot on the stove. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the vegetable mixture under a lid for about 1 hour. Add bay leaves and black peppercorns.
Step 7
Cut the mackerel into medium-sized pieces. Add the fish to the pot.
Step 8
Gently stir the salad to avoid breaking the fish pieces. Let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until the mackerel is fully cooked. Add vinegar, stir again, and taste. Adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar if necessary. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Step 9
Sterilize jars and lids in any convenient way: in the oven, microwave, or using a water bath. Pour boiling water over the lids and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. Fill sterilized jars with the hot salad and seal tightly.
Step 10
Turn the jars upside down and wrap them in a warm blanket. Let them cool completely before storing in a cellar or pantry.
Step 11
Your delicious mackerel salad is ready to enjoy!