FNH-00325

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

Smoking Fish at Home

Introduction much more easily than lean fish. Low-fat fish, such
Producing high quality home-smoked fish is a as grayling and halibut, absorb salt quickly, and it is
popular recreational activity and a point of pride easy to get the flesh too salty.
for many Alaskans. In earlier times, smoking was
Only high-quality fresh or frozen fish should be
a form of food preservation; large amounts of salt
used for smoking. Using poor-quality, freezer-
and long smoking times were used to help pre-
burned fish will produce a poor smoked product.
serve the fish. Now fish is smoked more for flavor
Smoking will not hide poor quality; it will call at-
and appearance. Today’s lightly salted and smoked
tention to the problem.
fish is not a preserved product; the amounts of
salt and smoke used are NOT sufficient to prevent When preparing fish for smoking, it is important to
bacterial spoilage. Most food poisoning bacteria keep the preparation area clean and sanitary. Keep-
can and will grow under the conditions normally ing the work area, cutting boards, knives and hands
found in preparation and storage of smoked fish. clean will help prevent bacterial contamination. Do
Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that may cause not, under any circumstances, place your finished
botulism, is the most harmful of these bacteria. smoked fish on unclean, unsanitized surfaces that
have previously held raw fish. This could result in
A safe, home-smoked product requires a good
cross-contamination; spoilage bacteria could trans-
understanding of the procedures and precautions
fer from the raw to the finished product.
needed to prevent food poisoning. This publica-
tion explains why certain procedures must be Rinse and clean all fish carefully to remove slime,
followed and precautions taken to prepare safe, dirt and blood and to help remove harmful bacte-
high-quality smoked fish. ria. Then fillet or split the fish, leaving the skin on
the fillet. Cut the fillet into uniformly sized pieces so
The Smoking Process
that no parts will get oversalted. Pieces should not
Smoking fish usually includes five steps. These are:
be more than one inch thick. Pieces smaller than 1
• Product preparation inch thick may spoil during the smoking process.
• Salting or brining
• Equilibration and drying During preparation, fish should be kept as cool as
• Smoking and cooking (hot or cold smoke) possible. This will help reduce bacterial growth and
• Product packaging and storage spoilage. The ideal temperature for holding fish is
below 38°F. Home refrigerators are often 40°F or
Careful handling, as described in this publica- higher. Check the refrigerator temperature with
tion, will help minimize the potential for bacterial an appliance thermometer and adjust controls as
spoilage and food poisoning and yield a high qual- needed.
ity finished product.
Fresh fish frequently contain parasites. Tapeworms
Product Preparation and nematodes can survive low-salt brining and
Almost any fish can be smoked. Fatty fish, such as low-temperature smoking methods and may cause
salmon and black cod, can be brined and smoked serious health problems. These parasites can be
destroyed by freezing the raw product at a temper- is made it should be chilled to 38°F or lower before
ature of 0°F for two weeks or longer, before salting use. Using a well-chilled brine will help reduce
and smoking. When freezing the product in a bacterial growth and increase salt uptake into the
home freezer, it may take several days to reach 0°F fish. Place the fish in the brine for 20 minutes to
throughout the entire fish; the more food you put 3 hours depending on the desired taste. Weaker
in the freezer at one time, and the thicker the pieces brines (using less than 1½ pounds of salt per gal-
of food are, the longer it will take to freeze the food. lon) can be used with correspondingly longer soak
(If you have several fish to freeze at one time, it times.
would be a good idea to borrow or rent additional If fish is brined for an hour or longer, it should be
freezer space to be sure the fish can freeze within a “freshened” by soaking it in fresh water to remove
reasonable time.) the excess brine. This usually takes 30 to 60 min-
For hot-smoked products (see section on smok- utes for most products. For a lightly salted product
ing) the internal temperature of the fish is raised (brining times less that 1 hour), a fresh-water rinse
to at least 160°F for bacterial reduction. Since this is sufficient to remove excess brine.
exceeds the 150°F required to kill parasites, only The brine-to-fish ratio should be 3 parts brine to
fish intended for a cold-smoke process must be 1 part fish. For example, 10 pounds of fish will re-
frozen prior to processing. quire 30 pounds of brine (approximately 4 gallons;
1 gallon of brine weighs about 8 pounds).
Salting
The second step in the smoking process is salting Do not reuse brine. Fresh brine should be made of
the fish. Salting was once the preservation step each batch of fish.
in smoking. High levels of salt inhibited bacterial
growth and made the product safe. With modern, Drying
lower salt methods, salt reduces bacteria incom- Once the fish has been brined and rinsed, it is usu-
pletely; however, it contributes desirable texture ally dried before smoking. Drying accomplishes
and flavor characteristics. two things: (1) it allows the salt to penetrate and to
become evenly distributed throughout the flesh of
Salting can be accomplished using either a strong the fish (equilibration), and (2) the surface of the
salt solution (brine) or dry salt. For most recipes, fish dries to form a “pellicle” or tough shiny coat.
brining gives a more uniform salting and is easier The pellicle seals in moisture and makes the ap-
to prepare and use. Dry salting requires consid- pearance of the finished product much better.
erable experience before consistent results are
obtained. Refrigerate the fish during equilibration and initial
drying. Keep temperatures below 38°F. Equilibra-
Brines can be prepared by dissolving salt in fresh tion may require anywhere from 2 to 24 hours
water. Use only kosher salt, vacuum-dried salt, depending on fish thickness (6 to 8 hours for a
dairy salt, pickling and canning salt, or flake salt 1-inch-thick fillet).
for brines. These are pure salts. Avoid rock salt, sea
salt and iodized salt because these contain impu- Additional drying and forming a pellicle requires
rities and additives that can cause bitterness and warmer temperatures and is usually done in the
"off " flavors. Curing salts should also be avoided smoker just prior to smoking. Fish is ready for
since they contain nitrites. It is difficult to get an the smoker when its surface becomes tacky and
even distribution of nitrite throughout the fish slightly shiny and when the texture is noticeably
under home conditions. firmer. Place the fish, skin side down, on lightly
oiled smoker racks and place in a warmed (but not
Any strength brine may be prepared. A recom- hot) smoker. Allow the fish to continue to dry and
mended brine can be made by dissolving 1½ the pellicle to form in the warm smoker without
pounds of salt per gallon of water. Once the brine the addition of any wood chips for between 30

2
minutes and 3 hours. The time required
for the additional drying will depend upon
the temperature and air circulation in the
smoker and the general humidity level (often
high in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska).
If possible, avoid the longer times because
the potential for bacterial spoilage becomes
greater.
Smoking
The fourth step of the process is smoking.
There are many recipes for smoking using dif-
ferent times and temperatures, but only two
basic methods: Figure 1. Typical internal fish temperature during
smoking cycle.
1. “Hot” smoke: the internal product tempera-
ture reaches 160°F and higher. A cooked, Source: Kenneth S. Hilderbrand, Jr., Smoking Fish at Home Safely,
Pacific Northwest Extension publication PNW 238. Reprinted Sep-
smoked product such as kippers is produced. tember 1996

2. “Cold” smoke: the internal product tem-

perature is below 90°F. The resulting product is
a raw, smoked fish such as lox or Nova Scotia- will prevent curd formation and “exploded”
style salmon. pieces that occur when the temperatures are
For most people, hot smoking is the most popular elevated too quickly.
product and easiest to produce in home smokers. • If the smoker does not heat hot enough to
produce an internal temperature of 160°F in
Also, the temperatures recommended for hot
the fish, the smoked fish can be transferred to
smoking are high enough to kill most bacteria.
a home oven set at 300°F for a final heat treat-
Cold smoke temperatures are not hot enough to
ment. Bring internal fish temperature to 160°F
kill bacteria and actually may promote growth of
and bake for at least 30 minutes. Adjust the oven
bacteria.
temperature as needed throughout this bak-
Recommendations for each smoking method: ing period to maintain the 160°F internal tem-
perature. Be sure that hands, utensils and work
Hot Smoking surfaces are clean when transferring fish from
• Heat the fish to 160°F internal temperature (use a smoker to oven to avoid cross-contamination.
thermometer) for at least 30 minutes at some time
• Depending on the desired finished product,
during the smoking cycle, preferably toward the
smoking should take anywhere from 6 to 15
end. This temperature will kill most food spoilage
hours. Shorter heating and smoking times will
bacteria, and combined with proper refrigeration
result in moister finished products.
will ensure a safe product. A typical fish smoking
cycle (figure 1) should bring the internal tempera- Cold Smoking
ture of the fish to 160°F within 6 to 8 hours after
If cold-smoked fish will not be cooked prior to eat-
placing it in the smoker.
ing, the freezing step (page 2) is necessary to destroy
• Use a standard meat thermometer to monitor harmful parasites that may be present in uncooked
internal temperature. Insert the thermometer fish.
into the thickest part of the fish.
• Temperature control is very critical. Never al-
• It is best to wait 3 to 5 hours before raising the low the internal product temperature to exceed
internal temperature of the fish to 160°F. This 90°F. At 95°F, the fish will start to cook.

3
• It is difficult to cold smoke in areas of high erly protected smoked salmon will last for 2 to 3
humidity. When relative humidity cannot be months.
reduced below 75 percent at air temperatures
You MUST refrigerate or freeze the finished prod-
below 85°F, then cold smoking is not possible.
uct in order to keep the smoked fish SAFE. Even
• Depending on the desired finished product, vacuum-packaged smoked fish MUST be kept
smoking will take anywhere from 16 hours to 7 refrigerated or frozen. NEVER leave smoked fish
days. at room temperatures. Please refer to FNH-00221,
Caution: The entire cold smoking process takes Storing and Mailing Vacuum Packaged Fish.
place in the temperature “danger zone” (40°F Brine Recipes
to 140°F). Therefore, this product could spoil or Heavy salt brine: 2½ pounds (4½ cups) of salt per
become unsafe to eat before it is fully smoked. gallon of water.
Product Storage Medium salt brine: 1½ pounds (2½ cups) of salt
The final and most important step in produc- per gallon of water.
ing smoked fish is product storage. Most smoked
products have had no preservation step. There Slowly pour salt into water stirring constantly.
is not enough salt, smoke or heat to preserve the Chill before using. Sugars and pickling spices can
product. The potential for bacterial spoilage and also be added to give extra flavors to the finished
botulism exists. product. Vary the ingredients and proportions to
suit your taste:
After the fish has been smoked, allow it to cool to
room temperature (this will prevent condensation) — Heavy salt brine, add 1½ cups white or brown
and then do one of the following: sugar per gallon of water.
— Medium salt brine, add 1 cup white or brown
1. Wrap and refrigerate below 38°F until con- sugar per gallon of water.
sumed. Use a good plastic wrap and/or alumi-
Spices: amounts per gallon of water
num foil. Lightly salted and smoked products
Bay leaf---------------- 50 leaves, crushed
can last for 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator.
Pepper ---------------- 8 teaspoons
(Again, make sure that your refrigerator can
Mace------------------- 2 tablespoons
maintain proper temperatures.)
Allspice---------------- 7 teaspoons
2. Wrap and freeze. Use a good freezer wrap and Cloves----------------- 2 tablespoons
aluminum foil or home vacuum sealer packag- Juniper berries-------- 2 tablespoons, crushed
ing to protect the product in the freezer. Prop-

Smoked fish also may be canned. Please refer to FNH-00223, "Home Canning Smoked Fish and
Home Smoking Fish For Canning," for directions.

Thanks to Cooperative Extension Service Home Economists Kristy Long and Pat Aune, Marine Advisory Program
(MAP) Chair and Seafood Technology Specialist Dr. Donald Kramer, Professor of Fisheries (Retired) John Doyle and
MAP Agent Brian Paust. Their review and comments assure the reliability of the contents of this publication.

www.uaf.edu/ces or 1-877-520-5211

Leslie Shallcross, Extension Faculty, Health, Home and Family Development. Originally prepared Chuck Crapo, Seafood Quality
Specialist, University of Alaska Fairbanks Marine Advisory Program.
Published by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the United States Department of
Agriculture. The University of Alaska is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against
any individual: www.alaska.edu/titleIXcompliance/nondiscrimination.
©2017 University of Alaska Fairbanks.
7-89/CC/9-17 Revised September 2017