How long does lightly salted salmon last? Methods for storing red fish at home after salting. How long can salted fish be stored?

If salmon appears at home, it means a holiday is approaching. This is considered to be the case, since it is a real, and today also very expensive, delicacy that requires a special occasion. Atlantic salmon, also known as lake salmon, is another name for this fish. She is born in fresh water, but continues her life cycle in salt water. You can catch salmon in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean; closer to us, it is found in the reservoirs of Karelia, Onega and Ladoga lakes, the Baltic and White seas. During spawning, salmon can lay up to 26,000 eggs, after which it becomes half lighter. Every supporter of a healthy diet knows about the benefits of this salmon representative - thanks to its high content of valuable minerals and fatty acids, the benefits of consuming this product can hardly be overestimated. But, like all fish and seafood, salmon spoils quickly, so it is important to know where and in what, how to store it correctly and for how long.

The most important things about storing salmon

Chilled fish can be stored at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.

In the zero freshness zone of the refrigerator, salmon can be preserved for approximately 7-10 days.

In the freezer, if all freezing rules are followed, the fish will last about 6 months.

How to choose the freshest salmon

Atlantic salmon is a fairly large fish, weighing up to 45 kg and having a body length of one and a half meters. Of course, such an individual is difficult to find on the shelves; usually the fish that goes on sale is medium-sized or already chopped. Salmon is, to put it mildly, not cheap, so it is important to be able to choose the right quality product.

Unfortunately, the high cost of red fish has become a very tempting way to make money, or rather, to deceive buyers. And often the red salmon fish, in fact, turns out to be not entirely red, but rather colored. It is bred in incubators, like broilers, and fed with growth stimulants, antibiotics and other chemicals, thanks to which the fish acquires a marketable appearance and grows to enormous sizes in two to three years (the lifespan of real salmon is 13 years).

It doesn’t matter what kind of fish unscrupulous sellers pass off as salmon, the main thing is how to understand that it is a low-quality product. The only sure way to do this is to put a piece of fish on a sandwich with butter and leave for 10 minutes. If the butter is colored, you can safely file a claim with the seller.

You can find different salmon on sale: fresh chilled, frozen, marinated, lightly salted and salted, as well as smoked. Based on external features, you can choose high-quality fresh fish.

How to choose chilled salmon

It should have a specific marine smell. For some it is pleasant, for others it is not, but the fish should have a smell. Not only an unpleasant smell indicates the product is stale, but also its complete absence. Inventive implementers have long come up with a way to get rid of the rotten smell of fish - they simply soak it in vinegar and citric acid, after which it does not smell at all.

Fresh fish should have light eyes. Cloudy or sunken eyes are the first sign of stale fish, which is why it is often sold without a head.

The color of salmon gills is another sure sign of freshness. If the salmon's gills are white, gray or green, then you definitely can't buy it. Fresh salmon has bright red gills.

If the fish does not have mucus, this indicates that it has already been “reanimated”.

You can immediately determine the age of salmon by the color of its scales:

• in young individuals the color of the scales is dark and there are clear transverse spots;
• in adult salmon, the belly is white, the sides are silver, the back has shades of blue and green;
• The color of females during the spawning period becomes bronze with red spots.

The flesh of high-quality salmon should be elastic (if you press on it with your finger, it will quickly restore its shape). And, by the way, the buyer has every right to ask the seller about it.

If the fish is sliced ​​or it is a salmon steak, then light veins should be visible on the cut.

How to choose lightly salted or salted salmon in vacuum packaging

In a vacuum you can find salmon bellies, steaks, fillets or slices. One thing can be said about the latter - it’s not worth buying, because no one will ever know what it consists of and how fresh these pieces were. These cuts usually contain benzoic acid, which is added as a preservative.

It would be easier to choose high-quality salmon in a vacuum if the packaging indicated exactly what part of the fish was there. To understand this yourself, as well as the quality of the salmon, you need to take a closer look:

• near the head the meat is most tasty and tender, and closer to the tail the white veins become more and more numerous;
• if the flesh of a steak easily separates from the bone when pressed, then the fish is not fresh;
• cuts should have clear edges, not torn;
• the flesh should be elastic, like that of chilled fish.

How to choose smoked salmon

Often, stale salmon is made into smoked salmon. In addition, it is very profitable for the manufacturer to use such popular and dangerous cold smoking methods as “liquid smoke” or artificial dyes. High-quality hot smoked salmon has the following characteristics:

• uniform color of the pulp, which is easily separated from the bone;
• bright color of the meat in the cut and the presence of yellow veins, especially closer to the skin;
• wood smoke aroma;
• moist and tender flesh;
• absence of salt deposits on the surface of the fish;
• short shelf life.

How to choose frozen salmon

It is quite difficult to judge the quality of frozen fish, since the organs of touch and smell are not useful here. The quality of such fish can be judged by the following characteristics:

• no signs of re-freezing (ice build-up, twisted or sticky flesh);
• transparent packaging, through which you can see the external signs of the quality of fresh salmon, indicated earlier;
• presentation - that is, the integrity and attractiveness of the packaging.

And finally, it should be said that you cannot buy fish from spontaneous and dubious sellers, that is, “from your hands.” You need to buy from trusted sellers who, upon request, will present the necessary documents confirming the quality of the goods.

How to store chilled salmon

Regardless of when the chilled salmon is cooked, it should be stored in the refrigerator. No more than 2 hours - that’s how long you can keep it at room temperature. The shelf life of fresh salmon at a temperature of 0-2°C is no more than 10 days.

A few secrets will help maximize the shelf life of salmon:

• You can’t store fish open in the refrigerator - it needs to be covered with a cloth, or better yet, wrapped in foil;
• Fresh salmon should not be placed in polyethylene, as this will reduce its shelf life;
• fish in the refrigerator should be as far as possible from other products; it is better to give it a separate shelf;
• if you place salmon in cold water, it will retain its juiciness;
• storing salmon will be as long as possible if you sprinkle its surface with citric acid or wrap it in a cloth soaked in vinegar;
• Chilled salmon will feel best in the refrigerator if it is placed in ice cubes.

How to store salmon in the freezer

If you do not plan to cook salmon in the near future, then it should be stored in the freezer.

At -18°C it can be stored there for up to 6 months if frozen correctly.

To do this you need to adhere to the following rules:

• Do not freeze fish that has begun to spoil;
• before freezing, it is wrapped in cling film or placed in a sealed food bag;
• you can store fish in an ice crust; to do this, it is placed in the freezer in a container with water, and after a crust of ice several centimeters thick has formed, it is placed in polyethylene and sent back to the freezer;
• in order to properly defrost salmon, you must not expose it to heat; you must place it in the refrigerator or ice water;
• Lightly salted, salted or smoked salmon can also be frozen, but it is advisable to first divide it into portions.

How to store smoked salmon

Hot smoked fish will be stored at a temperature of 0 to 2°C for 5 days. If it is vacuum packed under these conditions, it can be stored for up to two months.

Cold smoked salmon will be suitable for consumption for the same amount. If it is placed in polyethylene, the shelf life in the freezer will be no more than 4 weeks, in intact vacuum packaging - 3 months.

How to store fried salmon

The question of whether it is possible to store fried salmon is very relevant. You can get poisoned from cooked fish just as easily as from raw fish. This dish should be stored in the refrigerator.

At temperatures up to 2-3°C, the shelf life of fried salmon will be no more than 48 hours.

Pieces of fish after they have cooled can be placed in a bowl or pan. At the same time, they are not stacked on top of each other, but “placed” edgewise. The dish with fish must be covered with cling film or covered with a lid.

How to store salted and lightly salted salmon

Salting is one of the most popular ways to prepare salmon. Salted fish is very difficult to spoil; even if you put too much salt, the fish will take exactly as much as it needs. For salting, you will need non-metallic utensils, otherwise the salmon will be spoiled by a faint metallic taste. It is customary to salt fresh salmon with a mixture of sugar and salt (they are placed in equal proportions), as well as spices and spices to taste. The pickling mixture is usually prepared at the rate of 4 tablespoons per 1 kilogram of salmon. After salting, you can leave the fish in the brine, placing it in the refrigerator or on the balcony (if the temperature there does not exceed +2°C).

It is also possible to store lightly salted salmon without brine. Before storing salted salmon at home, it is skinned, cut into pieces and placed in a non-metallic container, tightly closed with a nylon lid or covered with cling film.

Thus, the shelf life of lightly salted salmon will be the same amount of time as chilled salmon – up to 10 days. In intact vacuum packaging, salted and lightly salted salmon can be stored for up to 2 months. You can freeze it - at -18°C salmon will be stored for several months.

Salted red fish is an excellent appetizer that is often enjoyed at the holiday table. It goes well with white bread and butter or becomes an ingredient in many salads. But after salting, a logical question arises: how to store salted red fish at home?

All the rules and secrets of storing red fish are in our article.

The benefits of salted red fish

Red fish is salted to maximize its shelf life.

The product is highly valued due to its large number of useful substances. Red fish contains vitamins B, D, E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as healthy proteins, fats, carbohydrates and amino acids that are vital for the human body.

Doctors around the world advise including this product in your diet, and here's why:

1. Fish oil strengthens the skeletal system and prevents rickets in children during cold periods, which occurs due to a lack of vitamin D.
2. Fatty acids lower blood cholesterol levels, relieve stress on the cardiovascular system, and help cope with depression.
3. Melatonin has a beneficial effect on sleep and helps cells recover.
4. Vitamins strengthen the immune system, improve the digestive system and liver function, removing harmful substances and toxins from it.
5. B6 helps with problems with the reproductive system, improves hormonal processes and fights infertility.
6. E slows down the aging process and improves the condition of skin, hair and nails.
7. Vitamin A normalizes the functioning of the visual system.
8. B12 replenishes the lack of hemoglobin in the blood and improves blood circulation.

How to choose

Here are a few rules for choosing salted or fresh fish for home salting:

1. Decide in what form it will be more convenient for you to store it: by weight, cut into pieces or as fillets in vacuum packaging.
2. After pressing on the fish, there should be no traces left on it. A quality product will be dense and elastic.
3. If you buy pink salmon or salmon by weight, pay attention to the color. It should be light pink, without any spots or dark areas. will give a dark color, frozen - a light gray shade.
4. If you buy salmon or trout steak, pay attention to the gray layer between the flesh and the skin. It should not be too thick, and the bones should fit tightly to the meat and not lag behind it.
5. Fresh fillet has an even side cut.
6. If the piece has a lot of white veins, it means that the part that is close to the tail was used. This part is drier, but the meat closer to the head part is tender and fattier.
7. If you buy a product in vacuum packaging, make sure that there is no air or water droplets inside. If the packaging does not fit tightly to the product, this means that the storage and production technology was violated.
8. Pay attention to the product label, which indicates the production date and expiration dates.

If you take these simple rules into account when purchasing and observe the shelf life of salted fish in the refrigerator, it will delight you with a fresh, unique taste.

Important. If a vacuum-packed product is stored in a store not in the refrigerator, but on a shelf, the risk of damage to the product is too high - do not buy such fish.

How to store red fish after salting at home

Salted fish is a perishable product. The storage location is chosen to be cold and dark. Check the fish every 2-3 days.

If you find signs of spoilage, do not eat it:

1. Sticky coating on the skin. Rinse it off with brine and eat the fish immediately. The next day it will be irrevocably damaged.
2. Loss of density and elasticity. Press the product with your finger: if the resulting dent does not straighten out, the fish has spoiled and should not be eaten.

Non-refrigerated storage method

If it is not possible to place salted fish in the refrigerator, find the darkest and driest place in the house with a temperature of up to +10°C. If it exceeds the specified values, the product will begin to deteriorate after about 2 hours.

Cold storage

Wrap the product in cotton cloth or paper, then immediately put it in the refrigerator. Store it at a temperature of +2...+4°C for no more than 5 days.

Soak a piece of cloth in table vinegar, wrap the fish, put it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. This way it will last no more than 10 days.

Another way is to leave the product in brine:

• lightly salted can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6 days;
• medium salted - 2 weeks;
• in a concentrated saline solution - a month.

If you are preparing a delicacy for a specific event, calculate the time in advance and choose a pickling method that allows it to be stored for the longest possible time.

Advice. Do not leave fish near other foods, especially eggs or vegetables. Bacteria form on them, which will lead to spoilage of the product if they lie nearby.

If the fish is purchased in a store in vacuum packaging, its shelf life is much longer:

• in the refrigerator at temperatures up to +6°C - 1 month;
• at temperatures down to -8°C - 1.5 months.

After opening the vacuum packaging, consume the product within 24 hours.

Freezer storage

The freezer is the optimal place for long-term storage of red fish. To freeze salted salmon or trout, follow a few simple recommendations:

1. Cut the fish into large pieces and pat them well with a paper towel or cloth. Rub until they are completely dry.
2. Wrap the pieces in cling film, then place in a plastic bag.
3. Remove excess air from the bag and seal tightly.
4. Place the pieces in the freezer on one shelf. Then the odors will not mix during storage.

You can leave the fish in the freezer for six months, but the sooner you get it, the juicier, fresher and tastier it will be afterwards.

Advice. Do not freeze salted fish with white meat (mackerel, herring). After defrosting, it loses its taste and density.

Thaw salted fish gradually. To begin, remove the product from the freezer for approximately 4 hours. Then it defrosts at room temperature. If you follow these rules, the fish will retain its structure, rich taste and color.

Herring storage

Herring is best stored in the brine in which it was cooked. If you make a regular salt solution and place fish in it, its taste will not be as rich.

If there is no brine left, wrap the finished herring in thick paper and put it in the refrigerator. Store it for no more than a week. After this period, the product will most likely spoil.

Shelf life

In the refrigerator at a temperature of about +4°C:

• Medium-salted herring can be stored for no longer than 2 weeks;
• fatty mackerel - up to 10 days;
• lightly salted salmon - no longer than 3 days;
• lightly salted salmon in vacuum packaging - no more than 30 days;
• lightly salted fish of other types - up to 5 days;
• medium-salted and marinated seafood - no longer than 2 weeks.

If you follow these storage rules, the delicacy will delight you with its rich taste and delicate texture.

Note. If you have any doubts about the correct temperature conditions when storing salted fish, do not take risks. Seafood poisoning is dangerous to health. It’s better to play it safe and cook the salted fish again, observing the temperature conditions during storage.

How to salt red fish at home

Here's how to salt your own fish:

1. Choose the right fish - trout, salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon or chum salmon are best.
2. Open the abdominal cavity and gut it well, remove the head and cut off the tail and fins.
3. Remove all scales and rinse the fish well in cold water.
4. Make a cut along the ridge. Carefully separate it from the meat and remove all excess bones.
5. Remove all films from the inside.
6. Prepare 1 tbsp. l. sugar and 2 tbsp. l. salt per 1 kg of product.
7. Mix salt and sugar together and season the fish well with this mixture.
8. Place the fish in a deep bowl, skin side up, and cover tightly with a lid or cling film.
9. Add your favorite seasonings or herbs if desired.

After some time, the pickling will begin to release juice. It will be ready in 2-3 days.

Advice. If you don’t want to bother with cutting up a whole fish, buy a ready-made fillet or piece right away. It will cost more, but will save a lot of time.

It will be ready in 10 hours, but it is better to leave it for 2-3 days - it will be salted better and will have a brighter taste. To finish the salting process, simply drain the water in which the fish was lying.

A few tips for housewives on how to present this delicacy prepared with their own hands:

1. Self-catering snack. Beautifully arrange thinly sliced ​​pieces of red fish on a platter and garnish with herbs to taste.
2. Filling for pancakes. Coat them with cream cheese on the inside, add pieces of fish, and add a little herbs to taste.
3. Bruschetta with salted salmon. Fry slices of white bread in butter, place thinly sliced ​​avocado and salmon slices on top.

Conclusion

Home-salted fish is an incredibly tasty delicacy. Its preparation does not require any special skills or experience. To preserve the freshness and taste of salted fish, it is enough to follow the rules for storing it, and then it will bring great benefits to the body.