Beet- and Horseradish-Cured Salmon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long is too long to cure salmon? ›

By the time you've reached 24 hours, you can certainly enjoy your cured fish — but you can also opt to cure for 36, 48, or 72 total hours. The longer you cure the fish, the more time the fish will have to absorb the salt-sugar mixture.

Equal parts salt + sugar (combined) 50% of the weight of the salmon. Coat, leave 24 hours for lightly cured, 36 hours for medium (this is what I do) and 48 hours for hard cure. The biggest problem with gravlax recipes is that they are usually far too salty!

The curing time is wholly dependent on the desired strength of the cure and the size of the fish used. If planning to cook the salmon after curing, it may only need an hour or so to impart flavour, whereas for gravadlax or ceviche, a longer cure is often used to give a stronger flavour and to partly cook the fish.

Once or twice in my cured fish career, I have left salmon sitting too long in the juices that flow out after it's salted. If you wait much longer than about 12 hours before draining, the juices start to reabsorb, and the result is pretty puckery, especially below the waterline.

If the salmon smells fishy, sour or ammonia-like, then it's gone bad. Appearance: Fresh salmon fillets should be bright pink or orange with no discoloration, darkening or drying around the edges. If you notice any dull or gray coloring, dark spots or filmy white residue, then it's a sign that the salmon has spoiled.

Salt, sugar, and a slab of fish. This, truly, is the full list of ingredients you need to make cured salmon at home. But, if you're so inclined, you can absolutely make things a touch more interesting.

Heating hot-smoked fish to an internal temperature of at least 140°F will kill all fish nematodes and tapeworms. Normal hot-smoking procedures generally exceed this temperature. Dry-salting fish, or curing them in a saturated salt brine, for 5-7 days before pickling will kill nematodes and tapeworms.

This is done to facilitate the removal of moisture from the fish, which is crucial to the curing aspect, and this can take up to 20 hours or more. For this reason, the salmon is not technically cooked, although it is cured in a way that makes it ready-to-eat.

What cheese goes with cured salmon? ›

For a delicate and subtle flavor, try cold-smoked salmon. It goes well with mild cheeses like goat cheese or brie. If you prefer a stronger, more robust flavor, opt for hot-smoked salmon that pairs wonderfully with sharper cheeses like cheddar or gouda.

Lox — or “belly lox,” which is the actual name for it — is salmon that has been cured in salt. (Like gravlax, which is cured in sugar and salt, there's no smoking involved.)

Curing salmon -- which involves rubbing it down in a generous mixture of salt, sugar, and black pepper -- helps to kill off any harmful bacteria or parasites within the fish. After salting it, the fish goes through a lengthy refrigeration process, making it ready to eat once removed.

Smoked salmon is a salty, cured fish renowned for its fatty texture and distinctive flavor. It's packed with high quality protein, essential omega-3 fats, and several vitamins and minerals. However, it contains a significant amount of sodium, and cold-smoked varieties may increase your risk of listeriosis.

If you accidentally leave salmon outside of the fridge, it will generally be ok to re-refrigerate if it has been out for less than 2 hours and the weather isn't exceptionally hot. However, take discretion. If the salmon has started to dry out or looks brown, it's safer to throw it away.

Salmon can be marinated for up to one hour, except in the case of a marinade that's extremely acidic. Overly acidic marinades will start to firm up fish, and dry them out before cooking, so keep an eye on any marinade that's heavy on lemon or vinegar.

On average, my samples started smelling a little fishy after about five days or so, not including the curing time itself. As a general rule of thumb, I'd plan to eat the gravlax within a few days after it's been cured, and stop eating it if you start to detect any off odors.

How Long Can Cooked Salmon Stay in the Fridge? Cooking the salmon helps to extend its lifespan a little longer than its raw counterpart. We generally advise to use leftover salmon within three to four days of cooking. After that, you run the risk of eating spoiled seafood.

Yes, it is safe to eat. Curing with salt, on its own kills significant amounts of bacteria.