what salmon is better?

oldsmoker · March 14, 2009, 05:54:25 PM

need help add in paper in guy is listing salmon wild caught in alaska . said that he orders a ton at a time frozen. list coho and sockeye at $4.95lb. just wanted to know witch one is better and if it is alright to buy it frozen and thaw it to smoke and freeze it again. all help and thoughts welcome. thanks ahead for replies.

Kummok · March 14, 2009, 06:30:55 PM

Personal taste, Oldsmoker. Coho (Silvers) is milder and dryer (less oily) than Sockeye (Reds) which is bolder and more moist. My personal preference in those two choices would be Reds but most smoked salmon "newbys" like Silver.....just my own experience.

I freeze/thaw/smoke/refreeze all the time with never a negative side effect.......

BTW...if you have a choice, troll caught and flash frozen at sea is always best choice.....however, most occasional eaters won't be able to tell the difference between that and netted or caught and clubbed....

tsquared · March 14, 2009, 09:12:11 PM

I'm with Kummok on this one. I love coho but I love sockeye even more. They used to swim by here every couple of years but that hasn't happened for a while. :-[ $4.95 is a good price.
T2

West Coast Kansan · March 15, 2009, 01:35:45 AM

Wow, wild caught of any kind is a great deal in SOCAL at 4.95... Freezer to be filled!

Roadking · March 15, 2009, 08:28:08 AM

At that price any of them are good, but since you have a choice I would go with the Coho.

You can refreeze as long as you cook or smoke it first.
If you defrost it then refeeze it, that's a big no no. If something came up where you couldn't cook or smoke it after defrosted, I would encase it in salt and remove all moisture so it's like salted Cod. Then you could use it for fish cakes, would be better then discarding it.

Habanero Smoker · March 15, 2009, 02:00:30 PM

I just want to add, that on the USDA site it mentions that you can refreeze meat if it has been completely thawed while in the refrigerator and properly handled.

Roadking · March 15, 2009, 07:57:50 PM

Quote from: Habanero Smoker on March 15, 2009, 02:00:30 PM
I just want to add, that on the USDA site it mentions that you can refreeze meat if it has been completely thawed while in the refrigerator and properly handled.

Do you have the link? I'd really like to read that.

Habanero Smoker · March 16, 2009, 02:24:15 AM

Quote from: Roadking on March 15, 2009, 07:57:50 PM
Do you have the link? I'd really like to read that.

It's fairly easy to find information on the USDA/FSIS site. Just do a search in this case just type in "refreezing meat", or "refreezing food".

Here is one link, and you can find many more when you do a search. You may need to scroll down a little.

Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?

Roadking · March 16, 2009, 05:09:56 AM

Habanero Smoker, Thanks, all these years I've been under the impression that you shouldn't refreeze. I guess you can teach an ole dog a new trick.
Well Mother was wrong and I won't correct her, she's 86 now and will argue this one to death. I'll just leave this one alone.

stillsmoking · March 16, 2009, 05:56:43 PM

Oldsmoker, I like all the Pacific Salmon if caught and processed in the right way. Having said that Coho was always my favorite right up until I had my first Sockeye. We eat both and like both but in most cases if I had a choice I would take the Sockeye. Both are nice firm fleshed fish. Look at the fish, they should look noticeably different. Sockeye flesh should look very reddish and coho pinkish orange, they should be easy to tell apart. Try some of both would be my advice, if the fish was handled properly they are both very good to eat and smoke.