refreezing smoked salmon

[32incheye]

I have a question for you guys.  Can salmon be cold smoked (LOX) and then refrozen?

I have a pile of frozen salmon and if I was going to make LOX I'd like to mnake more at one time than just one or two fillets.  If it is hot smoked, could it be refrozen as well?
Thanks for the help.

[bsolomon]

Smoking it then freezing it is not a problem, especially if you vacuum seal it.  Some people say the texture of the lox actually improves somewhat after it has been frozen and then thawed.

The only caveat to the above is the fact that the salmon you plan on smoking has already been frozen once before.  The above assumes you are smoking fresh and then freezing.

Perhaps someone esle can chime in on the merits of smoking previously frozen fish, and whether it is then a problem to re-freeze?

[Phone Guy]

My Uncle (retired Butcher) told me once that if you can eat it, then you can freeze it then eat it. The only thing I would check is the texture after freezing and thawing.

[SMOKEHOUSE ROB]

i do it all the time, i perfer to freeze all my salmon first then smoke it hot or cold, it will take out some of the moisture which will give you a beter product, then refreeze it,

[manxman]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> do it all the time, i perfer to freeze all my salmon first then smoke it hot or cold, it will take out some of the moisture which will give you a beter product, then refreeze it,<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I agree, I have done the same with other fish such as mackerel.

Manxman.

[tsquared]

I agree with Manxman and Smokehouse Rob. I have done it many times with good results.
T2

[oguard]

I have done this also.when we catch our fish in the summer it is to warm to cold smoke so freezing it to a later date is the only way to go.


Mike

Catch it,Kill it,Smoke it

[32incheye]

Watched "How it's made" on Discovery last night.  The topic was smoked salmon.  They got whole frozen salmon, thawed them, cleaned them, put a salt cure on for an hour, rinsed them, brushed them with maple syrup and cold smoked for 24 hours alternating 3 types of wood for 8 hours each.  They then skin them, froze them to -3C and then slice them, packaged and vacuum packed them, and were then flash frozen to be shipped for sale.

I guess if it is good enough to sell it is good enough for me too.

[Phone Guy]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by 32incheye</i>
<br />Watched "How it's made" on Discovery last night.  The topic was smoked salmon.  They got whole frozen salmon, thawed them, cleaned them, put a salt cure on for an hour, rinsed them, brushed them with maple syrup and cold smoked for 24 hours alternating 3 types of wood for 8 hours each.  They then skin them, froze them to -3C and then slice them, packaged and vacuum packed them, and were then flash frozen to be shipped for sale.

I guess if it is good enough to sell it is good enough for me too.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I guess that answers that. Very interesting.

[Chez Bubba]

<font color="red">Flash freezing</font id="red"> <b>MAY</b> be the key word here guys. I don't have any real experience to share other than reading about its' superior results.[?]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?