Trying new maple syrup candied brine for salmon

[Nickster]

Hello Everyone,

I just bought a 4 rack Bradley Smoker, have my fish ready, and want to start smoking right away. A friend gave me a recipe that he had used to make candied smoked salmon:

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup coarse salt (rock salt)
2 cups water
2 cups of pure maple syrup

I was supposed to boil the mixture so that it would break down or dissolve the salt, but after 1/2 hour of boiling, the salt remains...it just won't dissolve. Does that matter, or should I try using table salt or some other smaller grain salt?

Thanks for your help.

[Tenpoint5]

You might want to try Kosher Salt. But it might be of a different amount. I remember Habs or somebody posting the differences in weight for the same 1 cup amount of different salts.

[squirtthecat]

I wouldn't use table salt either...  Might be iodized. (then your fish will have a slightly metallic taste)

Welcome to the forum!

[SouthernSmoked]

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forum...Enjoy!

http://www.susanminor.org

Remember we like pic's!!

[Nickster]

Thanks Tenpoint5 for the reply... and thanks to everyone else as well. I will do a search for "salts" and see if I can find that posting. Somehow I don't feel as if some undissolved salt in the brine mix is going to make much of a difference in any case.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Nickster;

Pickling/Canning salt or pure salt dissolve a lot faster then coarse salt or kosher salt. Pickling/Canning salt or pure salt is the same granule size as table salt. Pickling/Canning salt can be found in most super markets; especially this time of year. Or if you use the rock salt, it may dissolve better in plain boiling water, then once full dissolved add the syrup and sugar.

If you have a scale, you should weigh one cup of of the coarse salt. The following was taken from JJC's Curing & Brining from the recipe site.

1 cup table salt (all brands) = 10 oz. = 285 grams
1 cup Morton Kosher Salt = 8 oz. = 225 grams
1 cup Diamond Crystal Salt = 5.5 oz. = 155 grams