diy aquaponics for beginners
For the first time in my life I killed an animal to eat. And it was delicious.
Those of you who have been following my aquaponic gardening travel know that Ive struggled with the notion of harvesting the fish. Even as a child when I used to go fishing with my father, I was the kid who would try to keep them alive in the cooler and then in the bathtub when we got home. As an adult, I became a pescetarian a decade ago, partly for health reasons, partly for environmental reasons and partly because I couldnt stand the notion of live animals to be slaughtered. The fact that we are still eating fish altogether was only because of a compromise agreement with my poor man.
And yet, as an educator and advocate for aquaponics I often get asked about eating the fish. Have you ever eaten your fish? How would you kill them? What they taste like? When I reply that I do not quite managed to "do the deed" but because Ive grown rather fond of them, in general the women smile on me aware and confess, "I dont think I could do it" and the men looking at me with disappointment and wonder how I would be such a WIMP.
John and Luna
So when my dear friend and colleague aquapon, John offered to come over and help me through the process, I took him up on it. John was, after all, the man who introduced me to this whole thing aquaponics in the first place, so it seemed somehow fitting that he would also to me in the aquaponic full adulthood.
At 1: 00 pm yesterday afternoon show up John at my door with a big smile on his face and a leather sheathed boning knife in his hand. We took the bag of ice from the freezer and a cooler of the garage and ran to the Conservatory. He asked how I felt about all this. I thought about it and replied that this fish so big and so old (some would be a lot of fingerlings of more than two years ago) that they will eventually just die anyway ... so they might as well be our dinners. John agreed, the large just picked up and set about the task of catching the biggest fish if they all swam frantically around the tank.
As each fish was caught, was sent to the ice bath which we had made in the cooler with a "thank you" for giving her life for our food (one of my favorite Indian traditions). While this is not the quickest way to kill a fish, we agreed that it was faster and more humane than asphyxiating them and easier on our Boulder-Liberal, practicing yoga, quasi-Buddhist, peace-loving psyche than hammering them over the head or a knife driving through their brains!
When five fish their icy graves that we decided to met a break, sit on the deck and catch up with each others lives for about 15 minutes-were just to be sure the fish really dead. Then the cooler was pulled into the kitchen, cutting boards and knives set out, along side a bag for the guts, and the "processing" started. John gleefully grabbed the first fish from the cooler, the cutting of anus to sternum, and earned the guts with only the slightest grimace. The fish looked so fresh and so live that I would not have been like had the heart still beating ... but Im really glad it was not surprised! John then filleted fish, and the skin using techniques he had learned on YouTube removed. And they were beautiful filets!
After John one more fish fillets in a few converted it was my turn. I put my hand in the ice water deposited and picked up a fish that looked so life that I actually saw it for a while to see if it would move. I then had to cover her eyes to go about the task of stripping, but once the entrails are removed filleting was only a technical challenge; not an emotional one. This was familiar ground because I have filleted whole fish before I bought from the supermarket.
The following fish was easier, and the challenge of capturing as much meat from the bone in the Haas was the focus; not dealing with the emotions of a recently alive. John called this "standardisation" and his goals that State was for the afternoon. He hoped that after doing this together that this process would be her emotional charge for us both losses and be a normal part of being an aquaponic gardener. I think we achieved that goal.
When we finished, John selected a fillet and broth for a few carcasses to take home, and the rest of the carcasses were dumped in a stock pot with some carrots, celery and onions, a few Bay leaves.
What happened to the fillets? They were the centerpiece of dinner with friends that night. Our friend Jim is a chef, and he took the fillets, lightly floured, fried them them in olive oil and butter, then finished them off with a touch of lemon. Served on a bed of Garden Greens just picked with a grilled Vidalia onion; they were divine. Everyone at the table could not believe how good the tilapia was; Unlike each tilapia had any of us ever had before.
And the stock? Part of it went a miso soup that evening, and the rest went into the freezer. I received the following wonderful email from Jim this morning with the subject heading "Blog post for today is: dont forget the soup!"
The fish was so good that I was afraid that the soup would get overlooked. You must have simmered it for only a short time because the taste great and not at all fishy was (Note: I actually simmered for four hours). That can be difficult to do but it gets easier with really fresh fish. I think that the stock would fit well for many applications for experienced cooks. I thought a light garlic, shallots and saffron soup. I would do with tofu or maybe shrimp, chives and garnish. The Broth would be great with fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded and a bit of Chervil or act as a basis for a more savoury soup with potatoes, tomato and the fish itself. I would use in that soup Dragon. Some thoughts from if I drove last night. Thanks again for a great evening. Jim
Im at peace with my decision to harvesting these fish. They had lived well, humane died, treated with dignity and provide us with an exceptional meal with friends and family who will be remembered. I must admit that I looked at the remaining large fish in the tank a little different today and gave them some extra food this morning. Eat, eat my pretties ...
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Aquaponic fisheries: Harvesting Jade PerchAquaponics Tilapia BreedingTilapia for Aquaponics systems now AvailableAquaponic Fishy feeding FrenzyAquaponic gardening addiction
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