Storing smoked salmon

[jann]

Hi all,

I am processing a batch of salmon.  Does anyone know if after vacuum bagging them, am I able freeze them or should they be kept in the fridge, and how long is it safe to store them?

Thanks.

[Edward176]

Hi jann, I was just reviewing a recipe for smoked candied Salmon when I read your post and will copy and paste the opinion of said recipe author: "Excellent BRADLEY Smoked Alaskan Salmon"

Storage- Can leftovers be frozen? "Freeze it and it just gets better. I actually prefer the salmon AFTER it's been frozen several months than I do fresh out of the smoker....the smoke flavor just seems to permeate the meat along with the oils and make it more moist than when it's fresh out of the Bradley."

[beefmann]

i would recommend a vacuum sealer, some have a feature that allows you to stop when just enough air is sucked out and where it wont crush the meat... i have the food saver version with a manual start and stop for the vacuum and manual seal... this  might be the best way 

[jann]

Thanks for the help edward176 and beefman.  They're on their way to the freezer.

[Salmonsmoker]

I may be a little late to the game here but, to confirm some earlier replies............Short answer is yes to freezing. I smoke approx. 250 lbs. of salmon yearly and the big majority of it is vacuum packed and frozen, excepting the small amount that IO pressure can for convenience and shipping. If you don't vacuum pack, freezer life is very short-maybe six months due to freezer burn and the high oil content of salmon that can cause fast deterioration. Vacuum packing on the other hand greatly extends the freezer life. More than once I have "found" packages of smoked salmon in the freezer 2,3,4, years old that still showed little or no deterioration. Make sure you use at least 2.5-3 mil or better yet, 4mil vac bags if you can find them, depending on how long you think you're going to preserve them. The thicker, the better. There isn't any sense in going to all of the effort and then cheaping out on the last stage of the process. Re: the amount of vacuum to pack at.... I also make lox which has a higher moisture content than my smoked salmon, and I can take that to the highest atmosphere capacity of the vac machine without any moisture extraction from the product. One of the techniques I've learned over the years that improves the flavor of the product is to put the smoked salmon in the fridge for 24 hrs. covered lightly with plastic wrap, so that the smoking has a chance to meld more evenly throughout the pieces. This also helps with firming up the fish and "locks" the moisture in so vac packing doesn't draw it out.  Cheers!

[tskeeter]

I may be a little late to the game here but, to confirm some earlier replies............Short answer is yes to freezing. I smoke approx. 250 lbs. of salmon yearly and the big majority of it is vacuum packed and frozen, excepting the small amount that IO pressure can for convenience and shipping. If you don't vacuum pack, freezer life is very short-maybe six months due to freezer burn and the high oil content of salmon that can cause fast deterioration. Vacuum packing on the other hand greatly extends the freezer life. More than once I have "found" packages of smoked salmon in the freezer 2,3,4, years old that still showed little or no deterioration. Make sure you use at least 2.5-3 mil or better yet, 4mil vac bags if you can find them, depending on how long you think you're going to preserve them. The thicker, the better. There isn't any sense in going to all of the effort and then cheaping out on the last stage of the process. Re: the amount of vacuum to pack at.... I also make lox which has a higher moisture content than my smoked salmon, and I can take that to the highest atmosphere capacity of the vac machine without any moisture extraction from the product. One of the techniques I've learned over the years that improves the flavor of the product is to put the smoked salmon in the fridge for 24 hrs. covered lightly with plastic wrap, so that the smoking has a chance to meld more evenly throughout the pieces. This also helps with firming up the fish and "locks" the moisture in so vac packing doesn't draw it out.  Cheers!

Thanks for the great advice, SS!

[Salmonsmoker]

I may be a little late to the game here but, to confirm some earlier replies............Short answer is yes to freezing. I smoke approx. 250 lbs. of salmon yearly and the big majority of it is vacuum packed and frozen, excepting the small amount that IO pressure can for convenience and shipping. If you don't vacuum pack, freezer life is very short-maybe six months due to freezer burn and the high oil content of salmon that can cause fast deterioration. Vacuum packing on the other hand greatly extends the freezer life. More than once I have "found" packages of smoked salmon in the freezer 2,3,4, years old that still showed little or no deterioration. Make sure you use at least 2.5-3 mil or better yet, 4mil vac bags if you can find them, depending on how long you think you're going to preserve them. The thicker, the better. There isn't any sense in going to all of the effort and then cheaping out on the last stage of the process. Re: the amount of vacuum to pack at.... I also make lox which has a higher moisture content than my smoked salmon, and I can take that to the highest atmosphere capacity of the vac machine without any moisture extraction from the product. One of the techniques I've learned over the years that improves the flavor of the product is to put the smoked salmon in the fridge for 24 hrs. covered lightly with plastic wrap, so that the smoking has a chance to meld more evenly throughout the pieces. This also helps with firming up the fish and "locks" the moisture in so vac packing doesn't draw it out.  Cheers!

Thanks for the great advice, SS!

You're welcome.

[West Coast Kansan]

Freeze and vacuum pack.  I suggest a quick freeze prior to food save bagging.  Getting the product at least partly frozen prevents crushing and allows you to pull a good full vacuum.