How much and how to store smoked fish at home?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Many gourmets like to pamper themselves with smoked fish - a tasty and high-calorie product with a specific taste and aroma. It is known that it remains suitable for food for a longer period, compared with fresh. At the same time, not everyone knows how to store smoked fish at home correctly.

This product has a specific shelf life in the refrigerator. Everything will depend on what method of smoking was used, as well as on a number of some other factors.

Existing smoking methods

The fish is smoked hot in the process of the created temperature regime - not lower than 80 and not higher than 170 degrees Celsius.

The cold method is obtained when the smoke passes through a long chimney, while having time to cool down. It turns out the temperature is not higher than 40 degrees. The labor intensity of the process with this method, of course, increases, but the quality of the product is significantly improved.

When combined, or semi-hot, smoking, the temperature is maintained from 50 to 80 degrees, which gives the finished product special properties both in taste and shelf life.

Among professionals, exceptIn addition, a classification is applied that takes into account how the wood decomposes. There are smoky, smokeless, wet and mixed smoking, but this aspect practically does not affect the shelf life of finished smoked products, so it makes no sense to take it into account.

How to store smoked fish in the refrigerator?

In order for the products of smoking in the refrigerator to remain in a normal state for as long as possible, it is necessary to ensure that the appropriate conditions are maintained in the internal chamber of the refrigeration unit, and specifically three parameters are taken into account.

Temperature regime. When storing a hot product, the temperature should be plus or minus two degrees. Cold-smoked fish should be stored at zero - minus five degrees.

The humidity level should be kept around 90 percent. A lower value will cause the fish to dry out and lose its quality, with high humidity the product may become moldy.

Availability of ventilation. The refrigerating chamber should sometimes be opened so that it is possible to change the air in it. Fish should not be packed in containers that do not allow air to pass through. The exception is vacuum packaging, which allows you to create a completely airless environment.

How long can smoked fish be stored

The most quickly spoiled fish, cooked by hot smoking. Placed in the refrigerator, it loses its original taste properties already on the fourth day, evenif all of the above parameters are perfectly observed.

If these conditions cannot be maintained, then the safe storage time for such products is further reduced.

Cold-smoked fish in the freezer at a temperature of minus 2-5 degrees gets many times longer shelf life.

The cold-smoking method allows longer storage of such products due to its low moisture content, high s alt content and the presence of bactericidal components.

Smoked herring, mackerel or horse mackerel prepared in this way can be stored for 50-60 days. More resistant fish species can be stored this way for up to 75 days.

Possibilities for extending storage periods

Many modern housewives know how to store smoked fish for a longer period.

The easiest and most effective way to increase the safe storage time of such products is to use special vacuum packaging.

At present, any hardware store can offer such packaging at a fairly low price, while the effect of its use will be quite significant.

By placing smoked fish in an airtight shell, where an airless space is created inside, you can be sure of the safe storage of the product for a three-month period.

Significant increase in the shelf life of smoked fish can becan also be achieved by deep freezing. Fish frozen at -30 degrees can stay fresh for up to a month.

It is not always possible to deep freeze or vacuum pack, but many people know how to store smoked fish in an easier way. In this case, it is simply wrapped in foil and placed in the refrigerator. Where, at temperatures up to plus two or three degrees, it can retain its taste for up to seven days.

Additional recommendations

Various recommendations on how to store smoked fish are available in the relevant literature.

To avoid the absorption of foreign odors by the finished fish, it should be wrapped in parchment or foil. Before placing smoked meats in the refrigerator, it is advisable to defrost it and rinse all the shelves.

Smoked fish should not be placed next to any spoiled food. You can store finished smoked meats using saline. For its preparation, water and s alt are taken in a ratio of 2: 1. A thin cloth is soaked in the prepared solution and wrapped around each fish. From above, the fish is wrapped in thick paper and placed in the refrigerator, in the lowest section.

It was noted above how long to store smoked fish in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, but along with this, remember that by wrapping it with parchment paper beforehand, you can also save its exquisite aroma.

Storing smoked fish without refrigeration

Comfortablekeep smoked products in the attic by placing them in cloth bags.

Storage in small boxes is acceptable, where it is sprinkled with sawdust or chopped. The fish should be ventilated and cleaned of soot beforehand.

How to store smoked fish during a camping trip or a picnic in nature? In this case, a small box can also help, the main thing is to keep flies and other insects away from it, as well as protect it from an unpleasant foreign smell.

During the smoking process, it is recommended to put juniper twigs on the bottom, which also has a positive effect on increasing the further shelf life.