Step-by-step cooking:

Preparing the fish: Clean the fish from scales, remove the entrails, heads, fins and tails. Rinse thoroughly. Cut into portioned pieces that fit comfortably in a jar. Put in a large container, sprinkle with salt (500 g), mix and leave for 30–40 minutes.

Pre-frying: Heat some of the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the fish pieces until golden brown (approximately 3 minutes on each side). This is necessary so that the pieces keep their shape and do not turn into "porridge" during prolonged cooking.

Preparing the brine: Boil 5–6 liters of water. Add salt (focus on taste, the brine should be rich but pleasant). Cool to room temperature.

Packing in jars: At the bottom of each clean sterilized jar (0.5 l) put: 1 bay leaf, 5–8 peppercorns. Tightly place the fried fish pieces, leaving 2 cm to the edge of the neck. Add to each jar: 1 tbsp. l. vinegar, 1/3 tsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. l. oil. Pour the prepared brine so that it completely covers the fish, but does not reach the very top of the jar (leave 1 cm of space).

Sterilization (simmering process): Roll up the jars with lids and be sure to put on special clamps (clips) so that the lids do not break off under pressure. Place a wooden grate or dense fabric at the bottom of a 36-liter saucepan. Place the jars in several tiers. Pour cold water so that it completely covers them (2–3 cm above the lids of the top row). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. The water should only be slightly "trembling". Cook for 5–6 hours.

Cooling: After the time is up, turn off the heat, but do not remove the jars. Leave them in the pan until completely cooled naturally (this is additional sterilization).

Enjoy!