How to make homemade anchovies in salt: a complete step-by-step guide

Summary: Making homemade anchovies in salt is a fascinating project for any food lover. It's an ancient artisan process that has been practiced for centuries in the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean, and you can reproduce it in your kitchen with surprisingly good results. However, you need patience: the full process takes a minimum of 6 months.

Table of Contents

• Is it worth making anchovies at home?
• Raw material: fresh anchovy
• Required materials
• The step-by-step process
• Curing: patience as an ingredient
• Filleting and packaging
• Storing homemade anchovies
• Food safety: histamine and risks
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them
• Frequently asked questions
• Conclusions

Is it worth making anchovies at home?

Making homemade anchovies in salt is a fascinating project for any food lover. It's an ancient artisan process that has been practiced for centuries in the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean, and you can reproduce it in your kitchen with surprisingly good results. However, you need patience: the full process takes a minimum of 6 months.

Is it worth it? It depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking to save money, probably not: fresh anchovies are not cheap at the fish market, and the time invested is considerable. But if you're looking for the satisfaction of creating your own artisan product, understanding how anchovies are made from scratch, and enjoying a unique result (because your anchovies will be different from any you buy), then absolutely yes.

At Bacalalo, we sell artisanal Cantabrian anchovies made by professional canneries with decades of experience, and we recognize that it's difficult to match that level at home. But this guide will allow you to get very close and, above all, will give you a deep understanding of why artisanal Santoña anchovies cost what they do.

Raw material: fresh anchovy

The quality of your homemade anchovies fundamentally depends on the quality of the fresh anchovies you obtain. Here are the keys to choosing well:

Season

The best time to buy anchovies is during the spring season (April-June), when the fish has more fat and better flavor. Autumn or winter anchovies are leaner and will result in drier, less flavorful anchovies. If you live on the coast, look for fresh anchovies from the fish market. If you are inland, many fish markets receive fresh anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea in season.

Size

Choose medium-large size anchovies (8-12 cm). Those that are too small are difficult to fillet after curing. Very large ones (over 14 cm) have a more fibrous texture. The average size is ideal for homemade anchovies.

Freshness

The anchovy must be extremely fresh: bright eyes, firm flesh, and a clean sea smell (not "fishy"). If the anchovy has been on ice for days, the quality of the final anchovy will suffer. Ideally, salt it on the same day of purchase, as professional canners do.

Quantity

Buy at least 1-2 kg of anchovies to make the process worthwhile. Keep in mind that you will lose 50-60% of the weight between cleaning, curing, and filleting: from 1 kg of fresh anchovies, you will get about 300-400 g of cured anchovy fillets.

Required materials

• Fresh anchovies: 1-2 kg (or more if you wish).
• Coarse sea salt: the same amount as fish (1:1 ratio by weight). Do not use iodized salt or fine salt: coarse salt drains moisture better.
• Glass, ceramic, or food-grade plastic container: with a lid. Do not use metal (it reacts with salt and fish). Large glass canning jars work perfectly.
• Weight for pressing: a plate that fits inside the container with something heavy on top (clean stones, canned goods, a bag with water). The weight is essential to expel liquid from the fish.
• Sharp knife and cutting board for cleaning and subsequent filleting.
• Extra virgin olive oil for preserving the anchovies once cured.
• Small glass jars with lids for final packaging.

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The step-by-step process

Step 1: Clean the anchovies

1. Remove the head of each anchovy by pulling downwards: the guts usually come out with the head.
2. Open the belly with your thumb and remove any remaining guts.
3. Do not remove the spine or tail: they are left during curing and removed during later filleting.
4. Do not wash with water: water is the enemy of salting. If you need to clean residue, do so briefly with salt water and dry immediately with paper towels.

Step 2: First layer of salt

1. Cover the bottom of the container with a layer of coarse salt about 2 cm thick.
2. Place a layer of anchovies on the salt, all in the same direction, close to each other but not piled up.
3. Cover with another generous layer of salt (1 cm).
4. Repeat: layer of anchovies + layer of salt, until all anchovies are used.
5. The last layer should be a thick layer of salt (2-3 cm) to completely seal the fish.

Step 3: Pressing

1. Place a plate or disc that fits inside the container on top of the last layer of salt.
2. Place a weight on top: 2-3 kg for 1 kg of anchovies. You can use canned goods, clean stones, or a zip-lock bag filled with water.
3. The weight expels liquid from the fish (brine), which will rise during the first few days.
4. Cover the container (without sealing hermetically: it needs some air) and place it in a cool, dark place (basement, pantry). Ideal temperature: 12-18 °C.

Curing: patience as an ingredient

This is where the magic happens, and where you need patience. Salt curing is a slow transformation process:

• First 48 hours: the salt begins to draw water from the fish. You will see liquid (brine) rise. Do not remove this liquid: it is part of the curing process.
• Weeks 1-2: the anchovy changes color (from silvery to dark pink) and texture (from soft to firm). The smell will be strong but clean: of salted fish, not rotten.
• Months 1-3: curing progresses slowly. The flesh darkens and compacts. The flavor begins to develop umami notes.
• Months 3-6: the anchovy is "edible" after 3 months, but we recommend waiting at least 6 for a full flavor. Between 6 and 12 months is when it reaches its optimal point.

During curing, check the container every 2-3 weeks. The brine should cover the fish. If the level drops, add more brine (saturated saltwater: dissolve salt in water until no more dissolves). If you see mold on the surface, remove it with a clean spoon: it does not affect the fish underneath if it is covered with brine, but it is a sign that you need more weight or more salt.

Filleting and packaging

When the curing is complete (minimum 6 months), it's time to fillet and package your anchovies. This is the step that requires the most skill:

1. Remove the anchovies from the salt: carefully remove them. They will be firm and dark.
2. Remove salt and skin: briefly rinse each anchovy under cold water to remove coarse salt. With your fingers, peel off the skin (it comes off easily from well-cured anchovies).
3. Fillet: with a thin knife or your thumbs, separate each fillet from the central bone. Gently pull the bone and the two fillets will separate. Remove the tail and any remaining bone.
4. Dry the fillets: place them on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
5. Pack in oil: place the fillets in small glass jars, layer by layer, and cover them completely with extra virgin olive oil. Seal tightly.

Freshly filleted and oil-packed anchovies still need 1-2 weeks of rest before eating them: the oil needs to penetrate the fillet and "soften" the texture from curing.

Storing homemade anchovies

• In salt (unfilleted): Salt-cured anchovies can be stored for up to 2-3 years in their original container, as long as they are covered in brine and kept in a cool place (12-18 °C). It's like a "storage" from which you take as needed.
• Filleted in oil: In a sealed jar, in the refrigerator, they last 3-6 months. Once the jar is opened, consume them within 7-10 days, keeping the fillets always covered in oil.
• Do not freeze: Freezing deteriorates the texture of cured anchovies. It's not necessary if they are well preserved in salt or oil.

Food safety: histamine and risks

The main safety concern when making homemade anchovies is histamine. This compound forms when fish is not kept at adequate temperatures and certain bacteria convert histidine (a natural amino acid in fish) into histamine. Excess histamine can cause intoxication (headaches, nausea, skin rashes).

To minimize the risk:

• Absolute freshness: salt the anchovies on the same day of purchase. Keep them on ice or in the refrigerator until salting.
• Curing temperature: keep the container between 12-18 °C. Never cure in a warm place (above 22 °C).
• Sufficient salt: do not skimp on salt. The 1:1 ratio (salt weight equal to fish weight) is standard for safety.
• Hygiene: clean hands, clean utensils, clean containers. Cross-contamination is a real risk.

If at any point in the process you detect an unpleasant odor (ammonia, rotten), an intensely bitter taste, or a pasty, decomposed texture, discard the entire batch. Correct salting produces a strong but clean odor, never putrid.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Insufficient pressing weight: if you don't press enough, the liquid doesn't come out, and the curing is uneven. Use at least 2-3 kg of weight for every kg of anchovies.
• Too short curing time: impatience is the greatest enemy. "3-month" anchovies are edible but bland. 6 months is the minimum for a decent flavor; 10-12 months is optimal.
• Inadequate salt: use coarse sea salt. Fine salt forms an impenetrable crust; iodized salt leaves a metallic aftertaste.
• Metal container: never use metal. The salt-metal-fish reaction contaminates the product and produces unpleasant flavors. Only use glass, ceramic, or food-grade plastic.
• Not monitoring the brine: if the brine level drops and the anchovies are exposed to air, they oxidize and spoil. Check every 2-3 weeks.
• Filleting without experience: the first anchovies you fillet will be imperfect. Don't be discouraged: it's a matter of practice. The sobadoras of Santoña take months to master the technique.

Do you prefer to leave the artisan work to the professionals? At Bacalalo you will find Cantabrian anchovies made by master canners with decades of experience.

Frequently asked questions