How to store red fish after salting at home: can it be frozen?

Red salted fish is a valuable source of essential omega acids. This product gives beauty, youth, is useful for men, women, children, and the elderly. Previously, it was considered a delicacy. Nowadays it appears more and more often on our tables and is present in the daily diet. Therefore, every housewife should know the storage rules, expiration dates, and signs of spoilage.

Fish of the salmon family has a delicate taste and light aroma, so it is often used lightly salted. This option is most susceptible to damage. If there is insufficient salt in the product, bacteria actively develop and the risk of poisoning increases. Let's look at how to store salted red fish at home, how much and where it is better to do it, what kind of dishes and packaging to choose.

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:

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

Steps before freezing fish

Why is it so important to follow all the steps for proper freezing? The taste and quality of the product depends on this.

Remaining scales and bones are removed. The fillet is washed under cool running water. Dry with paper towels.
Cut into thin slices or portioned pieces.
Each portion is sealed with cling film. This is done in several layers.
Prepared portions are placed in a food storage container. The container is tightly closed with a lid.
Goes into the freezer for storage (you can freeze it in quick mode).

Tip: There is no need to make punctures in the cling film.

Another freezing option is a crust of ice. To do this you will need a tray and cold water. Portioned pieces are dipped in cold water and placed on a tray in the freezer. After the first ice layer appears, the process is repeated. The permissible crust thickness is 2 cm.

An even quicker method is to place the fish in freezer bags and add a small amount of clean water.

Tip: lightly salted, salted and even smoked fish can be frozen.

How to choose

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

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.
After pressing on the fish, there should be no traces left on it. A quality product will be dense and elastic.
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. A spoiled product will have a dark color, while a frozen product will have a light gray tint.
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.
Fresh fillet has an even side cut.
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.
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.
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 increase shelf life

You can extend the shelf life of lightly salted salmon or red fish in the refrigerator. Make sure the product is fresh beforehand; it is better if the salting is done at home. Next, follow this algorithm:

peel immediately after salting, place only fillets in the container;
use jars made of high-quality materials, namely porcelain or glass (food-grade plastic is not recommended);
Pour the resulting fillet with vegetable oil, add food flavorings;
send the container to the refrigerator, the temperature in the chamber should not exceed +6 degrees.

Using this method, you can store not only home-cooked salmon, but also any high-quality salted red fish: trout, salmon, tuna. There is another method that allows you to increase the shelf life by 2-3 days. It is enough to moisten a clean cloth in a solution of water and acetic acid in a ratio of 1 to 1 and wrap it around the fillet. Place the product in an airtight container, but do not cover it with a lid. Before use, rinse the product to remove the smell of vinegar essence.

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:

Sticky coating on the skin. Rinse it off with brine and eat the fish immediately. The next day it will be irrevocably damaged.
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.

Salted fish safety comes first

It's no secret that anything can be in fish. Roman Karachev, head of production at the fisheries complex, said on television that salmon may contain microorganisms, viruses, and antibiotics. Laboratories have repeatedly identified listeria in fish samples. Pathogenic bacilli can die when eating fish or cause a number of diseases. It is difficult to identify listeriosis, since the manifestations are very diverse from intestinal poisoning to meningitis. In the latter case, the outcome is most often fatal.

Conscientious producers vaccinate salmon fry, then the fish do not get sick. Just how to understand what's on the counter. Unfortunately, there is no way to check the quality of fish by eye, without laboratory examination. You can only determine the freshness of the fish and its color. The pale color of the fish is a good sign. Such a fish is unlikely to have been treated with a harmful dye. Sockeye salmon is the best option because it is wild and not farmed.

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;
in the freezer at temperatures down to -8°C - 1.5 months.

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

Storing salmon at room temperature

It is best to cook fish immediately after purchase. If you want to save it until some occasion or holiday, you can use the refrigerator. However, it also happens that the refrigerator is broken, or it is simply not at hand. In this case, there are folk recipes on how to preserve fish without refrigeration for several days.

First you need to clean and gut it, separating the head and gills first. Next, you need to stuff the inside of the fish with fresh stinging nettle leaves. Place them on top and bottom. If you keep a carcass prepared in this way in the cellar, it will last for 3-4 days and will not spoil. Some housewives douse the carcass with table vodka - this prevents the proliferation of microbes.

You can also rub the gutted carcass with a thick layer of a mixture of black pepper and salt, take 1:1. Next, it is wrapped in two layers of cloth or gauze and stored hanging in the basement for 3-4 days.

You can also cut the fish into two halves exactly along the ridge line, rub with coarse salt and wrap in gauze, well soaked in table vinegar. Such fish can easily be preserved for 2 days.

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:

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

You can leave fish in the freezer for six months, but the sooner you take it out, the juicier, fresher and tastier it will be after defrosting.

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, place the product from the freezer into the refrigerator 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.

How to reduce the salting time of red fish and the degree of risk

The pickling time will be significantly reduced if you use a vacuum bag instead of a container. True, I cannot guarantee the safety of this method. In a vacuum, anaerobic pathogenic forms, including clostridia and Escherichia coli, reproduce well. The most famous type of clostridia that causes botulism is Clostridium botulinum.

Anaerobes can provide a long-term place in pulmonology, surgery, and even intensive care. That's what it is, vacuum salting.

Another way to quickly pickle, in pieces. You can salt red fish in pieces without risk to your health. To be safe, freeze the salmon for a week. Then cut the fillet into slices for salting. Since this is a quick method, you can use lemon, salt, sugar, and Provençal herbs to pickle salmon. Place the fish in the refrigerator. Lightly salted salmon will be ready in about an hour.

Shelf life

If you want to preserve lightly salted salmon, salted trout, herring or mackerel for as long as possible, maintain the correct temperature.

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.

Storing salted and lightly salted salmon

Salting salmon is the most common way to process it. Even a very large amount of salt cannot spoil it. This fish (like lard) absorbs only the required amount.

You can store salted salmon on the refrigerator shelf in a container with brine, as well as on the loggia at +2°C (not higher).
Lightly salted fish is kept refrigerated (possibly without brine).

Before storing salted salmon without refrigeration, it is peeled, divided into small parts, placed in a glass (ceramic) container, tightly closed with a plastic lid and wrapped in film. In such conditions, lightly salted salmon can be stored without refrigeration for up to 10 days.

General storage table

Storage	Shelf life
At room temperature	no more than 5 hours
In a refrigerator	7-10 days
In the freezer	3-4 months

How to salt red fish at home

Here's how to salt your own fish:

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

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

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

Buying and salting frozen fish

If you decide to salt red frozen fish, pay attention to the color of the fish before purchasing. Frozen salmon is often artificially colored. If canthaxanthin was used as a dye, then you are at great risk for your eyesight, an allergic reaction is possible, and with frequent use, the risk of developing cancer increases significantly. To be safe, buy pale varieties, or red “snow white” (fish that was raised without feeding krill and dyes has white flesh).

You can salt frozen red fish using the simple method described above. You can also use herbs and spices:

thyme;
cinnamon;
rosemary;
paprika;
dill.

Cinnamon adds sweetness and a specific taste to the dish. So be careful when using spices. I made the following composition for salting salmon:

cinnamon - 0.3 tsp;
0.5 tbsp/spoon sugar;
4 tbsp salt;
50 grams of dill (do not cut the greens, but cover the salmon on all sides);
a pinch of coriander;
10 pcs allspice,
3 bay leaves.

The composition of spices for salting salmon is designed for 0.5 kg of fish.

Harm to salmon

It is generally accepted that healthy fish are those that have grown in their natural conditions. If salmon was grown artificially, it will not always be useful to people.

Since red fish is in great demand, this business is very attractive to many. It is often grown on a farm. Salmon raised in cages differs from wild salmon in taste and beneficial properties. Its fat is formed due to artificial food, and the fish may not move much in the cage. Due to artificial feed, salmon's composition changes greatly. In addition to vitamins, these fish are given antibiotics and artificial pigments to give color. A person who eats this type of fish can gain extra pounds. Canthaxanthin is added to fish food, which was previously added to cosmetics for a quick tan. Now these drugs are prohibited in the USA and Europe, as they cause vision problems. The substance could enter the retina from human skin. Therefore, perhaps it can harm a person if he consumes such salmon. Typically, canthaxanthin is used in fish farms because it costs less than natural pigment. This is important to know for your health, just like the shelf life of salmon.

There is no need to start worrying just yet, since this type of fish is rarely a regular dish in our diet. But it is better to eat salmon as needed. Significant research has been conducted by the Wild Salmon Center and the Pacific Environment and Natural Resources Defense Center and other important organizations. They caution consumers against purchasing farmed salmon for food. Their concerns are based on research that shows you can get cancer if you eat cage salmon more than once a month. This fish contains ten times more harmful substances than wild fish.

People who are allergic to seafood and fish should also be careful. Patients with urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, with thyroid disorders, active pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammatory and ulcerative processes in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as with acute chronic liver diseases should not eat this fish. A large amount of saturated fatty acids can have a bad effect on the described diseases.