Salty Bites (Trout Jerky)

Salty Bites: Steelhead Trout Jerky, Dried a Full Day

Fish jerky that stays tender. Twenty-four hours of slow drying is what does it — long enough to concentrate the flavour, short of the point where trout turns to leather. The meat is pale and delicate rather than heavy, seasoned with sea salt and marinade so the fish stays in front. Boneless, so a whole pack goes down without interruption.

How We Make It

• Deboned by hand. Every fillet cleaned and boned before cutting. This is the slow step, and it is why nothing needs picking out.
• Seasoned with sea salt and marinade. Measured to lift the trout, not to cover it.
• Dried twenty-four hours. Controlled temperature across a full day. Faster drying is cheaper and gives you jerky you have to work at; a day gives you something tender.
• Nothing added. No preservatives, no dyes, no gluten.

How to Eat It

• Straight from the pack. Boneless and ready — this is the one that goes in a bag for a hike or a flight.
• With cold beer. Salt, smoke and a slow chew against something cold.
• Over rice. Torn into a rice bowl with an egg and spring onion.
• In salad. Scattered over greens, where it behaves like a savoury crouton with more to it.
• Warmed briefly. Seconds in a dry pan soften it further and lift the aroma.

Keeping It

Sealed and refrigerated at 32–39°F it keeps one to three months. Once opened, press the air out and reseal — it will not spoil quickly, but it keeps drying and firms up over time.

Fuller guidance is in our storage guide.

Common Questions

How does it compare to beef jerky? Lighter and less chewy. Trout has finer muscle fibre than beef, so it yields rather than resists — people who find beef jerky hard work usually get on with this.

Is this the same as your trout straws? Same fish, different cut. Jerky is thicker and softer; the straws are thin strips with a longer, drier chew.

Are there bones? None. Every fillet is deboned by hand before drying.

Is it very fishy? No. Steelhead is mild to begin with, and drying concentrates savouriness rather than fishiness.

Is it cooked? Cured and dried rather than heat-cooked — a preservation method in its own right. Ready to eat from the pack.