Many gourmets like to treat themselves to smoked fish - a tasty and high-calorie product with a specific taste and aroma. It is known that it is a longer period, compared with fresh, remains suitable for food. At the same time, far from everyone knows how to store smoked fish at home correctly.
Storage of this product in the refrigerator has a certain shelf life. Everything will depend on which method of smoking was used, as well as on a number of other factors.
Existing smoking methods
In a hot way, fish is smoked in the process of the created temperature regime - not lower than 80 and not higher than 170 degrees Celsius.
The cold method is obtained when the smoke passes through a long chimney, while managing to cool. It turns out the temperature is not higher than 40 degrees. The complexity of the process with this method, of course, increases, but the quality of the products is significantly improved.
With combined, or semi-hot, smoking, the temperature is maintained from 50 to 80 degrees, which gives the finished product special properties for both taste and shelf life.
Among professionals, in addition, a classification is applied that takes into account how wood is decomposed. There are smoky, smokeless, wet and mixed smoking, but this aspect has practically no effect on the shelf life of finished smoked products, so it makes no sense to take it into account.
How to store smoked fish in the refrigerator?
In order for the smoked products in the refrigerator to remain in the normal state for as long as possible, it is necessary to ensure that the appropriate conditions are maintained in the inner chamber of the refrigeration unit, and specifically three parameters are taken into account.
Temperature condition. When storing a product cooked hot, the temperature should be plus or minus two degrees. Cold smoked fish should be stored at a temperature of zero - minus five degrees.
Humidity should be maintained at around 90 percent. A lower indicator will help the fish to dry and lose its quality, with high humidity the product may become moldy.
The presence of ventilation. The refrigerator compartment should sometimes be opened so that it is possible to change air in it. Fish should not be packed in containers that do not allow air to pass through. The exception is vacuum packaging, which allows you to create a completely airless environment.
How long can smoked fish be stored
The fish cooked by hot smoking most quickly deteriorates. Placed in the refrigerator, it loses its original taste on the fourth day, even if all of the above parameters are perfectly observed.
If it is not possible to maintain these conditions, then the shelf life of such products is further reduced.
Cold-smoked fish in the freezer at a temperature of minus 2-5 degrees gets multiply increased shelf life.
The cold smoking method allows storing such products for a longer time due to the low moisture content, high salt content and the presence of bactericidal components.
Smoked herring, mackerel or horse mackerel prepared in this way can be saved for 50-60 days. More stable fish species can be stored this way for up to 75 days.
Extension options
Many modern housewives know how to store smoked fish and a longer period.
The most simple and effective way to increase the shelf life of such products is the use of special vacuum containers.
Currently, any hardware store can offer such packaging at a fairly low price, while the effect of its use will be quite significant.
By placing smoked fish in an airtight casing, where an airless space is created inside , you can be sure of the safe storage of the product for a period of three months.
A significant increase in the shelf life of smoked fish can also be achieved by deep freezing. Fish frozen at minus thirty degrees can remain fresh for a month.
There is not always the possibility of deep freezing or packaging in vacuum containers, but many people know how to store smoked fish in a simpler way. In this case, it is simply wrapped in foil and placed in the refrigerator. Where at temperatures up to plus two or three degrees, she can maintain her taste for up to seven days.
Additional recommendations
Various recommendations on how to store smoked fish are available in the relevant literature.
To avoid absorption of extraneous odors by the finished fish, it should be wrapped in parchment or foil. Before placing smoked meat in the refrigerator, it is advisable to defrost it and rinse all the shelves.
Smoked fish should not be placed next to any spoiled products.
Ready-made smoked meats can be stored using saline. For its preparation, water and salt are taken in a ratio of 2: 1. Thin tissue is impregnated with the prepared solution and wrapped around each fish. From above, the fish is wrapped in thick paper and placed in the refrigerator, in the lowest section.
How much to store smoked fish in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator was noted above, but along with this it should be remembered that by wrapping it with parchment paper in advance, you can also preserve its exquisite aroma.
Storage of smoked fish without a refrigerator
It is convenient to keep smoked products in the attic by placing them in cloth bags.
Storage in small boxes is permissible, where it is sprinkled with sawdust or chopped. Previously, the fish should be ventilated and cleaned of soot.
How to store smoked fish during a camping trip or picnic in nature? In this case, a small box can also help, the main thing is to prevent flies and other insects from reaching it, as well as protect it from unpleasant odors.
In the process of smoking, it is recommended to put juniper branches on the bottom, which also has a positive effect on increasing the further shelf life.