And the work continues, day two...and smoked fish!

I am showing them how to Kavraq...the aana way, and getting 99% of the blubber off is a good thing because we are going to stretch this skin in a couple of days.

Annnd, the work continues.

You know, if I didn't have to work full time, take care of four kids, and a slew of ducks and dogs...and didn't have softball committments, I'd LOVE to work on Ugruk all day and all night.


After the blubber is removed, in slabs, the kids and inexperienced get to cut it into strips to render.

Its just that we have so much to DO in this present time, that just Kavraq-ing (removing blubber from skin) is hard.


Maddie LOVES to help with whatever she can get her hands dirty with. She would be a great Eskimo wife!

Its a good thing we have lots of help. Both my sisters were around today, as were, Cathy, Eric and Kari and my cousin Stacey. The kids helped too, so it wasn't too long, only two hours of work today.


You never know what you might find in a seal, when you're working on them. We have found old harpoon tips, predator teeth, old bullets, and last night, we found....MONEY. Seriously, this was all rolled up between the blubber and the meat, with no hole leading to it. Very odd. But, cool!

But, two hours of work after working 8 hours, playing in a softball game and having dinner is exhausting. I don't think I have slept this hard in a while.


The intestines are hanging and ready to dry.

I'm not going to complain about how well, or not well, our other helpers were in getting the blubber as close to the skin as possible. Because I was beat, and I'll take any help we can get.



While the women were busy with the seal, Dean, my AWESOME husband, has found a new favorite hobby. Canning stuff.


14 jars fit in there...14 for 2 hours, times the speed of light equals one happy wife and four happy kids!

He is just so cool sometimes! I had never had canned fish, or meat, unless you count canned tuna, which SUCKS compared to HIS fish. It is SOOO good. I am pleasantly surprised. And very happy that we have so much food now! We didn't quite know what to do with our 18 cu ft freezer FULL of fish.


Mmmm, pre-pressure cooker.

His mom was not using her pressure cooker anymore, so we snatched it from the garage, and since we've been home, he has canned King Salmon, Copper River Red Salmon, Chum Salmon, Shiifish, and Caribou.


Behemoth!

All the while experimenting on what goes in the jar before sealing... LAST night, he hot smoked a bunch of Copper River Red Salmon that sat in a brown sugar and garlic brine for a few hours, and let me tell you, the smell of SMOKED Fish wafted through our house, our backyard and is STILL stuck in my nasal cavities! I LOVE it.


right out of the smoker...

And I love you honey...I'm coming home at lunch today, ready for some salmon spread!

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