PDA

View Full Version : Keeping Smoked Fish



bigmack
11-05-2006, 03:53 PM
Can any of the veteran fish smokers on the forum please tell me how you keep a decent quantity of smoked fish; do you have your own miniature cryovac machine and how long does home smoked fish keep.

Thanks
Phill

baldyhead
11-05-2006, 05:33 PM
I have a sunbeam foodsaver and divide the smoked fish into meal lots and then shrink em. These will last for 3 years @ least in the bottom of the freezer. Before the foodsaver I used to package meal lots in heavy duty placcy bags then immerse all but the last 2" into a 20l drum of water,which forced all of the air out of the bag then heat sealed the bag. This is almost as good as the foodsaver but a bit messier. The 3 years ? Well I date the bags and recently found one in the bottom of the freezer when I defrosted it and the date was 3 years and 5 mths old. It was as good as the day that I packaged it and passed the taste test. cheers baldy

karana
11-05-2006, 05:42 PM
Good question and a few years ago I used to smoke my catch and then freeze and it would just about last forever.

Then I was in England talking to some smokers over there and they suggested I freeze the fish and thaw and smoke on demand. I bought one of those small circular smokers and took their advice. The end product is brilliant and as I only catch enough for three months eating at a time the smoked fish is always comparatively fresh.

Hookem_Herby
12-05-2006, 05:57 AM
Good question and a few years ago I used to smoke my catch and then freeze and it would just about last forever.

Then I was in England talking to some smokers over there and they suggested I freeze the fish and thaw and smoke on demand. I bought one of those small circular smokers and took their advice. The end product is brilliant and as I only catch enough for three months eating at a time the smoked fish is always comparatively fresh.

Phill,
I agree with Karana .... freshly smoked has the best flavour imho.
Freeze the fish, thaw it out when needed and prep for smoking. Should taste nicer hot (or cold) when freshly smoked. Unless you have or wish to invest in a cryovac machine that is!?!? #:P

Cheers,
Herby
p.s What kind of smoker do you have?
I have a Webber Smoker - one of the big suckers as I do other meats and deli goods as well. Love it, just LOVE it! #;D

bigmack
15-05-2006, 04:49 PM
Guys - thanks for the answer - just got back to the thread after weekend / mothers day etc.

At the moment I dont have one - but seeing that there are plenty of tailor about - it had me scheming.

I was going to try a very simple one which is two stainless steel bowls with a circular cake rack inside (someone in ausfish suggested that). I have a hooded BBQ but is open at the back so probably not so good for smoking - its a bit like a boat really - they are all a compromise.

What about special brines or putting stuff on the fish.................? Marinates?

Tx
Phill

GES
15-05-2006, 11:31 PM
Phil
There are two ways of smoking fish ... hot smoke and cold smoke.

The hot smoke is done in a kipper box type arrangement.
Method :- marinate the fish fillets in a brine made up of one litre of water with two tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of brown sugar melted in it.
Soak the fillets for anything from half hour to one and a half hours, depending on your taste. Then you take the fillets out and dry them off a bit with a clean tea towel or such.
Put a small handful of selected saw dust on the bottom of the box , place fillets on cake racks and put inside the box.
Heat the box by whatever means (metho burner, BBQ etc.) for about 20 minutes until the fillets are cooked and smoked.
This method fits the fish for immediate consumption. Or perhaps you can freeze it, I never do, the fish doesn't last long enough to freeze it ;D

Method for cold smoke:-
For this you need a specially constructed smoke house or box. This can be done by constructing a FIRE BOX in a safe place.
Fit this box with a couple of metres of fire proof pipe at the top (not PVC pipe, it will burn).

Then construct a SMOKE BOX to fit on the other end of the pipe.
With those boxes built, you are now ready to try it out.

You brine the fish as above, hang them on wires inside the SMOKE box.
Light a fire in the FIRE box and put saw dust on the fire to make a smoldering, smokey fire.
The pipe should conduit the smoke to the fish hung in the smoke box but without the heat from the fire.
The smoke penetrates the fish but does not actually cook it. This method is an ancient method of preserving fish without refridgeration.

Personally, I think the the kippering system is easier and quicker. You cook/smoke the fish whenever you need it.

GES

Punkin
16-05-2006, 05:45 AM
Cold smoker looks like this....

No it doesn't, thats a hot smoker ;D

Punkin
16-05-2006, 06:01 AM
Sorry wrong pic.

This is my cold smoker...