Weight Loss Query

[Oddley]

Hi Batman

I wish you well with your smoked salmon. Please report back on how it has all worked out and the recipes and method you use, these are the things that help others in the future.

I agree about the accuracy thing on electronic hygrometers. It is very easy to check the accuracy of them by using a whirling hygrometer.

[saucisson]

The FDA report notes that nitrite is not allowed in (commercial?) smoking in the EU but ok in the US.

Yes, I've come across it a couple of times in US docs. It may be banned in UK commercial production but for the home smoker...

That's why I ask whether anyone has experience/knowledge of it - maybe one of our US forum members?

Phil

When I first cured fish I used some left over bacon cure, which had saltpetre in it, so Oddley's comment that curing fish is no different to curing meat is spot on. I was perfectly happy with the results I got using bacon cure and it was quite a while before I decided to start leaving the saltpetre out.

Dave

[Oddley]

Here are the regulations concerning nitrates. As you can see, pickled herring and sprat are allowed ingoing 300 mg/Kg sodium/potassium nitrate.

[Oddley]

I have just come across this .pdf, which seem's to be a pretty comprehensive document on smoking fish, that some might find useful.

[jasonmolinari]

Oddley, that doc is about hot smoking.

[Oddley]

Hi Jason, I'm sorry if the .pdf is not what you want. I really don't know much about smoking at all. I live in a small flat in London, so unable to do any smoking.

If you are interested in cured fish, I urge you to try the following recipe.

Soused Herring

(by Marco Pierre White)

Ingredients:
4 - 6 Herring fillets (Brine for 3 hours in a 80% salt brine)

Pickle Veg:
1½ Onion
3 Carrots

Pickle:
750 g White Wine Vinegar
250 g Caster Sugar

Pickle Spices:
2 Star anise
½ tsp Green Peppercorns
½ tsp White Peppercorns
½ tsp Black Peppercorns
4 large Bay Leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

Method:
In a pan bring to the boil the vinegar and sugar. Leave to get cold. Then add all the pickle spices. In a casserole dish add ¾ finely sliced onion and 1½ finely sliced carrot that has been blanched in water. Then add herring fillets, over the top of that put the other ¾ of a blanched onion and 1½ carrots. Pour over herring fillets, onion and finely sliced carrot the pickle. Put in the fridge for 2-3 days depending on the size of the fillets. serve with a nice beetroot salad.

On another subject, I really fancy giving your Mortadella recipe a go in the very near future. Thanks for posting it.

[jasonmolinari]

Sorry Oddley, i might of come off as rude, i didn't mean to be. I appreciate all the research you put into finding these documents, they're really helpful.

I just wanted to make sure people understood this was for hot smoking, as it's very differnet from cold smoking

If i could find some delicious herring fillets here in Atlanta i'd love to try your recipe!

[grisell]

Oddley: just a suggestion: In Sweden where we pickle a lot of herring, we often use what we call a 1-2-3 solution. It's a solution of 1 part distilled vinegar (12% acetic acid), 2 parts white sugar and 3 parts water. Boiled and cooled. The herring should be salted in advance, just like in your recipe.

You might want to try that.

[Oddley]

Hi grisell, I concede to your tradition. Thanks for the advise. Unfortunately I don't know of a UK vinegar that is 12% acetic acid as far as I know most of UK vinegars are around 5% acetic acid. Of course this allows you to add more water to your pickle and still have a low PH, which of course is the major preservative.

For us who are experienced in curing this is ok, but for those who are novices, might not understand the importance of PH. So I think we should be careful of the advice we give.

If you can get hold of some 5% vinegar or dilute the vinegar you can get, to the requisite amount of acetic acid. Do have a go at this recipe, it is a cracker.

[grisell]

You are completely right. The main difference is that we use diluted acetic acid instead of vinegar. Strange that you can't get that in the UK(?). I don't claim it to be tastier, but that's what I'm used to. I think maybe distilled vinegar tastes similar. I modified the recipe for 1-2-3 solution (I think I calculated it right) and added the alternative for chemists who can get hold of the pure acid (I got two litres pure acid from a friend some ten years ago and have one litre left - very lasting):

For 5% acetic acid:

6 parts 5% distilled vinegar
5 parts sugar
4 parts water


For 6% acetic acid

Equal parts 6% distilled vinegar, sugar and water.


For 100% acetic acid (chemists only)

1 part 100% acetic acid
17 parts sugar
24 parts water

I sure will try your recipe sometime when I have guests. I'm not very fond of herring myself.

[beardedwonder5]

Has anyone tried this cure on mackerel? (Summer, Kent, mackerel, sometimes in super abundance.)

I have always wondered why mackerel couldn't be preserved in salt/barrels like herring. Any ideas?

[Oddley]

I don't see why mackerel can't be cured. If you try it, lat us know how it turns out.

[welsh wizard]

OOI

There is some new leglistation coming in about storage of salmon pre and post smoking. Basicially from what I have gleaned there is advice to be issued suggusting that all salmon which is about to be smoked should be frozen for a minimum of one month prior to the curing / smoking process. This will apply only to cold smoked fish.

Cheers WW

[grisell]

Yes, you should be very careful about those worms. Although I think that 24 hours in the freezer will be enough.

[Oddley]

welsh wizard, won't that be a bit of a nuisance for you, freezing fish can be an expensive project. If you don't do it right, the fish loses taste and texture.

I saw on the tele the other day, a sushi bar owner in New York that freezes his fish in a freezer that takes the fishes temperature down to -77°C, He reckons, at that temperature the fish keeps it's freshness and texture.

I don't know how expensive it would be to buy a freezer such as that, but I do know, you can't just bung fish in a domestic freezer, without losing some quality.

EDIT: I've just had a quick look around, and laboratory freezers that go down too -85°C, are around £3500. But you can pick up commercial freezers, that go down too -45°C for £500 - £600. Have a look here.