Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600579
10/13/97

### SMOKING FISH

        Wood  smoke has little,  if any,  preservative  action.

    Smoking
    merely adds flavor and color and removes some water.

    Smoked
     fish are almost as perishable as fresh  fish.   Home

    processors
    would do well to heed the Michigan state law that

    applies
    to commercial smokers.   Smoked fish should be  kept

    at
    temperatures under 36 degrees Fahrenheit and  used within

    14
     days.  If smoked fish is to be kept longer than 14 days,

    it
    should be  frozen immediately  after smoking.  Freezing

    old
     fish  only  further  reduces the quality of an already

    deteriorating
    product.

    AT
    THIS TIME, SAFE METHODS FOR CANNING SMOKED FISH ARE STILL

    BEING
    TESTED.  PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR COUNTY EXTENSION HOME

    ECONOMIST
    FOR UP TO DATE INSTRUCTIONS.

        The  four  basic  steps in smoking fish  are  cleaning,

    curing,
    drying and smoking.

    Cleaning

        Clean  fish as soon as possible after taking them  from

    the
     water.   Scale fish and remove viscera,  including  the

    kidney,
     which is the dark streak along the  backbone.   The

    head
     may  also  be  removed  from  larger  fish,   but  the

    collarbone
    should remain to provide shape.   Fillet or steak

    large
    fish.

    Curing

        Cure  the fish in salt,  either dry or in a brine.   If

    dry
     curing fish,  follow the procedure  for  salting.   Dry

    salted
     fish  will have a high salt concentration  and  will

    need
    to be freshened before smoking.

        The  goal  of  brining is to produce a  thoroughly  and

    uniformly
    salted product.   A basic brine consists of 1  cup

    salt
     to each gallon of cold water (30  salimeter).   Sugar,

    spices,
    and saltpeter are often added to the brine.

        Here is one recommended sugar spice brine:

        1 gallon cold water

        1 cup salt

        1/2 cup sugar

        1 teaspoon saltpeter (optional)

       *Cloves

       *Bay Leaves

       *Pickling spices

       *Sage

     *optional

        Use a mixture of spices at the rate of 1 tablespoon per

    gallon
    of water.

        Another  spice formula is 1 tablespoon whole cloves and

    1
    teaspoon bay leaves per gallon of water.     Saltpeter may

    or
     may  not  be  added,  according  to personal preference,

    but
    it does provide a margin of safety against botulism.

        Place  fish in a large nonmetal container so  they  lie

    flat.
      Cover  with brine.   use one gallon for each 4 to  5

    pound
     of  fish.   Use a plate or cover to weight down  fish

    enough
     to  submerge  them without  packing  them  together.

    Allow
     fish  to cure in the coldest part of the refrigerator

    (34
    to 38  Fahrenheit) for the appropriate time.

        There  is no one time which is right for all fish under

    all
      conditions.    Brining   times  vary   because   brine

    concentration
    and amount, and fish condition and size affect

    how
    quickly and how much salt will be absorbed.

                  TABLE OF BRINING TIMES

     (for  a  brine of 30 salimeter,  2 parts brine to  1  part

    fish)

     Size                           Condition

                            Fresh       Refrig.       Thawed

    1/2
    to 1 inch thick,     18 to 24       16         12 to 14

    fillets
    or split         hours        hours        hours

    fish

    Large
    whole fish         48 to 72     36 to 60     24 to 48

    10
    lb. or larger         hours        hours        hours

        Salt Concentration- The  stronger or  more concentrated

    the
    brine, the shorter the brining time required.   However,

    short
    (more concentrated brine)  brining times will not salt

    fish
     as uniformly as slow (less  concentrated brine) times.

    A
     brine concentration of 30 to 40 salimeter is recommended.

    This
     is  about  1 or  1 1/4 cups salt for  each gallon cold

    water.

        Amount  of Brine to Fish

        The amount of brine to the  amount of fish affects  how

    uniformly
     and thoroughly the fish  will be salted.   A good

    ratio
    is  2 parts  brine to  1  part fish.   One  gallon  of

    brine
    weighs about 9  pounds.   This means you would need 20

    pounds
    (about 2 gallons brine) for each 10 pounds of fish.

       Rate of Brining

       Muscle fibers of freshly caught fish  are  still intact.

    Intact
    muscle  fibers  absorb  salt  slowly.  Freshly caught

    fish
    will require  about 18  to  24 hours  of brining.  Fish

    held
     in  the  refrigerator for  24 hours  will  absorb salt

    faster
    (about 16  hours).  Thawed  fish  absorb  salt  still

    faster
    and will be thoroughly brined in 12 to 14 hours.

    Usethese
    times with brine concentrations of 30 to 40

    salimeter.

        Size

        Brining times are affected by the thickness of the fish

    pieces.
      Fresh pieces 1/2 to 1 inch thick  require 14 to 16

    hours
    of brining.   A large,  whole  fish  such  as  salmon,

    requires
     48 to 72 hours of  brining.  For such  large fish,

    the
     concentration  of  the  brine  should  not  exceed   30

    salimeter.

    DRYING

        When  fish  are  cured,  remove from  brine  and  rinse

    thoroughly.
      Fish  may be dried in the smokehouse or  in  a

    protected
    area  with heat and air  circulation.   Place fish

    on
    smokehouse hangers or racks wiped with vegetable oil, and

    allow
    surface to dry.   A shiny skin-like pellicle will form

    on
     the  fish surface.   The pellicle seals the surface  and

    prevents
    loss of natural juices during smoking.

        Fish require approximately 1/2 hour of drying at 70  to

    80
    degrees  Fahrenheit  before smoking.  Air circulation and

    humidity
    will affect the time.  A fan will speed the drying

    process.

    STORAGE
    OF SMOKED FISH

        Smoked fish should be kept in the refrigerator below 36

    degrees
    Fahrenheit and consumed within 14 days after smoking

    For
    longer storage, the fish may be frozen immediately after

    smoking.
    Store smoked fish in the freezer for no longer than

    2
    to 3 months.

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