What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? (2016–)

[YvetteMT]

Back here I shared my smoked salmon technique. I've got another batch started today with all of the FTPeck kings,  no alaskan fish.  With that, I'm trying a dry brine as was suggested in hopes of a firmer fish. Fingers crossed. 

I'll give them a shake every few hours.  In 6 hours or so, I'll pull them out and set them up on racks in the fridge to dry overnight. Tomorrow, smoke. 

 

[TicTac]

49 minutes ago, YvetteMT said:

Back here I shared my smoked salmon technique. I've got another batch started today with all of the FTPeck kings,  no alaskan fish.  With that, I'm trying a dry brine as was suggested in hopes of a firmer fish. Fingers crossed. 

I'll give them a shake every few hours.  In 6 hours or so, I'll pull them out and set them up on racks in the fridge to dry overnight. Tomorrow, smoke. 

 

 

If I may offer one observation/suggestion based on my experience making gravlax - the salt and sugar exudes a lot of liquid from the fish.  Only concern is that the ones on the bottom will soon be swimming (sorry, had to!) - so perhaps consider a single layer or better yet, a rack.

 

I am sure it will be great, regardless!

 

 

[YvetteMT]

Appreciate it @TicTac. I'll keep it in mind for next time.  If these start doggy paddling, I'll try and get some of the liquid out.

[YvetteMT]

Already looking promising- fish firmed up a great deal. Fingers crossed!

Another 18ish hours for the pellicle and then, smoke. 

[TicTac]

14 hours ago, YvetteMT said:

Already looking promising- fish firmed up a great deal. Fingers crossed!

Another 18ish hours for the pellicle and then, smoke. 

Cool rack system!

 

 

 

[YvetteMT]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

Cool rack system!

 

 

 

I can honestly say that I've never put a loaf of bread on my cooling racks!

 

Onto the Traeger this morning with a smoke tube.  Traeger is still off at this point, we like a little extra smoke on our salmon so the smoke tube first for a couple hours and then hot smoke.  I'm going to forgo basting these with maple syrup this time since i don't know how sweet they'll be with the 3 to 1 dry brine.  Maybe I'll do the belly strips only. 

 

[ElsieD]

@YvetteMT. Do you ever cold smoke your salmon?

[YvetteMT]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

@YvetteMT. Do you ever cold smoke your salmon?

And leave it at just cold? No. I'm the only one that likes it cold smoked. 

 

So,  I start all my salmon with cold smoke.  (Right now it's 40F, breezy, and the smoke tube creates minimal heat). Once the tube burns out, I'll get to hot smoking.  

 

With alaskan salmon I usually inhale a piece (or3) after the cold smoke. I'm the only one that eats it and it's my "cooks treat" on smoking day. 

These are hatchery fish, still wild fish as they aren't farmed, and live their entire lives in fresh water in Montana.  My initial experience with these is that the flesh is soft, nearly mushy to me, and borderline unpleasant, so I won't be trying these as cold smoked. 

[YvetteMT]

After 3.5 hours in hot smoke, out and cooking off.

 

 

 

And since the smoker was going anyway, I added a pheasant (breasts and legs) that will be going into gumbo tomorrow. Pheasant is by no means cooked and spent an hour in the smoke, the legs will get braised, the breasts chopped up and added near the end.

Should add a nice lil smoke to the gumbo.