Smoked Salmon

[Tela T]

I have an unopened package of smoked salmon in the fridge with a 'sell-by' date of 11/2/2008 - is it still good? It's been in the fridge the whole time and would hate to throw it out...

[naguere]

Open the package and smell the ingredients.

If it smells good it probably is good.

In Captain Scott's Winter quarters there is tinned food from 1912, no sell by date, no use by date and from investigation it is still potable.

Edited January 1, 2009 by naguere (log)

[budrichard]

Does it say refrigeration needed on the package? Some of this stuff is so industrial and vacuum packed that it needs no refrigeration but if it does need refrigeration, then be careful as its two months over date and you can get very sick from bad smoked fish even if it looks and smells OK As I well know, so 'if in doubt........" .-Dick

BTW "In Captain Scott's Winter quarters there is tinned food from 1912, no sell by date, no use by date and from investigation it is still potable."

This was I believe frozen and not refrigerated.

Edited January 2, 2009 by budrichard (log)

[Peter the eater]

Open the package and smell the ingredients.

If it smells good it probably is good.

In Captain Scott's Winter quarters there is tinned food from 1912, no sell by date, no use by date and from investigation it is still potable.

←

Are you referring to Robert Falcon Scott?

Edit: from budrichard's comment I assume you are. They would've been as frozen as George Mallory's meat lozenges after 75 years on Everest.

Edited April 8, 2009 by Peter the eater (log)

[jackal10]

Salmon, especially the Nova or London style is usually lightly salted and cold smoked, so should be treated as fresh from a hygine point of view.

You used to be able to get kippered or red salmon (cured like red herring) or squaw candy which was heavily salted and smoked, and sometimes dried like jerky. Although it can keep without refrigeration, you would not want it on your bagel..more of a flavouring ingredient.

Tinned food is much more highly pastaurised, and is effectively sterile, but the food is cooked internal to the tin to a high temperature, like tinned salmon.

Edited April 8, 2009 by jackal10 (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Salmon, especially the Nova or London style  is usually lightly salted and cold smoked, so should be treated as fresh from a hygine point of view.

You used to be able to get kippered or red salmon (cured like red herring) or squaw candy  which was heavily salted and smoked, and sometimes dried like jerky. Although it can keep without refrigeration, you would not want it on your bagel..more of a flavouring ingredient.

Tinned food is much more highly pastaurised, and is effectively sterile, but the food is cooked internal to the tin to a high temperature, like tinned salmon.

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I had always assumed squaw candy required no refrigeration - the stuff that my grannies friend made always arrived from BC at room temperature and I don't recall we stored it in the fridge - so when I brined and smoked a batch and took it back to my barracks room in Ottawa and put it in a drawer - it came as quite a shock when I found it moldy a week or so later. Perhaps not smoked long enough - but it sure tasted great before it went off.

[Peter the eater]

KB, does squaw candy = Indian candy = salmon jerky?

[Kerry Beal]

KB, does squaw candy = Indian candy = salmon jerky?

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Yup, but being vaguely politically correct these days I'm more inclined to call it Indian candy (also politically incorrect I'm sure).

[slowday]

I have an unopened package of smoked salmon in the fridge with a 'sell-by' date of 11/2/2008 - is it still good?  It's been in the fridge the whole time and would hate to throw it out...

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I'd hate to throw it out also. But I'd hate even more getting sick from it. Unless something makes you really desperate to eat it...toss it.

Allan

[Toliver]

Open the package and smell the ingredients.

If it smells good it probably is good.

In Captain Scott's Winter quarters there is tinned food from 1912, no sell by date, no use by date and from investigation it is still potable.

←

Are you referring to Robert Falcon Scott?

Edit: from budrichard's comment I assume you are. They would've been as frozen as George Mallory's meat lozenges after 75 years on Everest.

←

As an aside, while the food within may have possibly still been potable, it probably would have been high in lead content due to the leeching of the lead used to seal the cans which would have caused lead poisoning in those who ate it.

The things we learn from PBS...