egg cures.

After catching that hatchery hen coho I should have cured them already but not sure what I want to do.I have some balls o fire stuff from steelhead and trout eggs but not sure the best way to go.homemade , premixed,additives, and so on.any help will go a long way.thanks

A bottle of Pro-Cure Egg Cure lasts me years and ensures the right mix each time.  Just make sure you let your skiens dry for a while before sealing for storage.

I got lazy on a couple of batches this year and had to re-process them by letting them air dry in the fridge.  They just weren't firm enough to stay on the hook past a couple of casts. 

-Mark-

  Just make sure you let your skiens dry for a while before sealing for storage.

-Mark-

This seems to be my problem most of the time.  I get lazy and toss them in the freezer before they are done.  They still catch fish but are a bit messy.

I also use that Fire stuff.

 Pautzke's Fire Cure works really well but you're left with a stainy, goopy mess. If I'm too lazy to remember to get gloves and a rag to keep my hands clean, i'll just sprinkle plain borax on the already Fire Cured eggs. That helps to soak up all the juicy goodness and it really makes them more manageable.
My go to cure is just plain borax but I have had great success on either of those cures.

I recently tried a recipe that called for Knox gelatin to add with the borax. I was really happy with how the eggs came out. I caught a bunch of fish with those eggs too. They held up really well which saved me lots of bait in the long run. We have a problem here in the tide water with little perch and bullheads always nibbling your bait. The eggs with gelatin added had a firmer texture and it seemed like that kept the "Pogies" off the bait.

Pro Cure Borax O Fire is another good option. I've caught lots of salmon and a couple steelhead with that cure.

Good luck on whatever you decide!

Thanks guys.looks like I will stick with the stuff I got.I might do half with my stuff then do the other half with ling ling hero's idea to firm them up a tad.we have the same problem with pikeminnows.

good on ya for curing the eggs of your hen!  It will be that much more rewarding on the next salmon you catch!!

Congrats on the salmon - heart raising and your eyes getting bigger seeing your rod bounce and dip in the water...its an awesome feeling.

I'm still learning the curing process but each time it just gets better and learned a lot from others too -

Started using Beau Mac's Pro Glo cure and they are straight forward. Like what other people wrote on here is to pat them dry before the sprinkle. Also wearing gloves helps

- Depending on the size of the skeins, butterflying or opening it up through the middle will help get the mixture in the eggs

- With the skeins laid flat Sprinkle Pro Glo cure then I usually place skeins on a ziploc bag and let the juice form. After about an hour you'll see juices forming. Turn and spread the juices in the bag. I usually turn and move the bag around every hour. Doing it 2-3 times.

- Then using paper towels or cloth, lay the skeins to air dry and usually I do at least 24 hours to 48 hours depending on the firmness you want.

- Everyone has there preference, but once done air drying, cut them up into pieces and in the jar/container they go. That way i don't have to worry about cutting them up when I'm on the water.

Next time, I will photograph or do a video for visual reference.
Hope that helps. Good luck and go catch another one :]

Here is a new recipe I found that is really clean & consistent firm eggs. I like that it's simple & basic but can be modified for scent or color.

1 cup borax to 1 tbs cure (powdered kind) to 10oz eggs... Mix borax and cure, quarter egg skeins, place in ziplock with mixture, shake around to make sure all a gas are covered. I do this and leave them in the fridge 3-5 days adding borax if necessary.

Did not see it mentioned:

Very important: Do not freeze the eggs prior to curing. The ice crystals will puncture the membrane of each egg and they will milk out very quickly.

Second tip: When air drying, be sure to make it impossible for critters I.e. cats, mice, etc. to get to them. Nothing like going out to the garage to see half your work gone.

History lesson: Pro-Cure was the very first commercially available egg cure on the market. Some of you may recall the Salmon, Trout, Steelheader magazine adds to buy a 1 pound bag in Red Hot Red, Steelhead Pink or Natural for $3.95 including shipping; that was 30 years ago (1984). The stuff was great back then and has been improved in many ways since. Visit the website at www.Pro-Cure.com and click on "Products" then "Egg Cures" after you get past the front page. Even if you are not a buyer at this time, at least see what's available for future use.

Correction to my last post:
The 1984 STS Magazine add was for 2-pounds of Pro-Cure egg cure at $3.95 including shipping; sorry for the misinformation.

That was 4 years before I was born lol.none the less it is interesting. Thanks rv. I did 2 of pro-cures cures. One was what I already had w\ UV then I bought some enhanced borax cure they make for a less messy one.

No offense but that first video is garbage.
Try something along these lines:

Thanks Ben Guss, I like the explanation & diversity of cures Steven shares. I just figured the previous video worked well because they hold up on the hook for many casts & I've been catching fish with them! Thanks again I'll try Mr Lynche's recipes this next time.
HH

Thanks Ben Guss, I like the explanation & diversity of cures Steven shares. I just figured the previous video worked well because they hold up on the hook for many casts & I've been catching fish with them! Thanks again I'll try Mr Lynche's recipes this next time.
HH

If they are working for ya- keep on it!