Shipping cold smoked salmon


 
S

Steve M.

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I recently bought the ProQ cold smoke generator and test drove it on an assortment of cheeses. They were a smash hit. Now on to some smoked salmon.

I would like to make some for gifts (salmon and cheese) for family that is scattered across the US. I have a Food Saver to vacuum seal. Does it need to be refrigerated? I'm not up on the "curing" process and how that affects the need for keep it cool.

If so, is dry ice the answer?

Would appreciate your input.
 
As a rule, cold smoked salmon should be kept refrigerated, but I think that a couple of days in the mail vacuum sealed is no problem, as long as you don't transport it through a hot desert. The problem is that you have no control over the temperature..

I have sent panchetta in the mail several times, and I've had no complaints.

Cold smoked salmon can be kept in the fridge for several weeks and still be safe to eat. Commercially packed cold smoked salmon can be sold up to six weeks after it is packed in vacuum packs.
 
Geir - I'm honored to have someone from Norway respond. I'm guessing you have quite a bit of experience with smoking salmon.

Do you believe if I express ship it, next day delivery, packed well to insulate, it will be OK?

I think most of my locations, I can do next day delivery.

Thanks again.
 
What's your weather like down there this time of year? I'm sure it would be fine if I were shipping to someone up here since it could potentially spend the day at or below refrigerator temperatures. Feel free to send me a piece and I'll let you know!
 
I have small gel packs that are thin and about the size of an envelope,my doctor always gives me a few after a cortisone shot in my knee. If you can find them at the pharmacy they work great for shipping food. They can't be to expensive since he gives them to me for free. I usually get them back from people the next time I see them.
 
I've only shipped smoked salmon once and it was half way 'round the world.

I found a local seafood shop that ships their products, took my hot smoked salmon in and they packaged it up with dry ice or gel packs of some kind good for 72 hours. It made it to its destination no problem.
 
Well, both brining and smoking (and vacuuming)are processes that keeps meat fresh for a period of time, as you surely know. The problem with fish is that the temperature is important for how long it will stay fresh. As an example, fresh unsalted salmon kept at a temperature of 32 degreees is considered fresh for about a week, but increase the temperature to 42 degrees, and we're talking two to three days..

I would do this, but I would freeze the salmon. Then I would pack it together with a frozen cheap thermo element, one of those that you use in coolers, wrap this up in a couple of newspapers and send it off.

Also, I would tell the recievers to eat the salmon at once, and also put it in the freezer if they want to save it for a day or two.

Listeria- one concern, how it tastes is another one.

I would not hesitate to eat salmon packed like this, and then transported for 24 hours, but I would eat it the next day or something.
 
Doing a bit of Googling, the consensus seems to agree with Geir that vacuum-sealing and freezing before shipping is best.
 
SteveM- I'm not an expert by far, but do try to cold smoke your own salmon! You'll be amazed how fantastic the results are. I'm new to smoking, but have tried smoking different meats. All nice, and better than store- bought, apart from a couple of mishaps.
Cold smoked salmon- my oh my! I's fantastic! Much better than the store bought stuff. And I'm still learning
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All - thanks for the input. I will smoke, freeze and ship. Most is headed north (NJ). For the southbound, I'll include the gel packs.

Interestingly, I picked up two 3# slabs of salmon at Costco today. On my way out, I passed the display of Norwegian smoked salmon. I stopped and gave it a good read.

Ingredients: salmon, salt, brown sugar, natural smoke.

Expiration Date: December, 2016

Instructions: No refrigeration needed until package is opened.

Seriously? What's up with that?
 
"Most is headed north (NJ). For the southbound, I'll include the gel packs."

Just because it's headed north doesn't mean it doesn't need gel packs. It's still going to be inside warm bldgs and vehicles.


"No refrigeration needed until package is opened."

That's cuz they use a "cooked in the bag" method. It's somewhat similar to canning. Taste is also inferior to fresh smoked.
 
Well, it can't be much of a cooking process, because if the temps go above approx. 97 degrees, the salmon is not cold smoked anymore. My guess is some sort of protective gas of some kind.
 
If it's in a foil pouch then it's a "retort" and it's preperation is similar to sterilization canning and does not require refrigeration and has a shelf-life of years.

Alaska Smokehouse and Sea Bear smoke their salmon then use retort packages for their "no refrigeration required" product lines. Wild Pacific Salmon says their smoked salmon products do require refrigeration as "it is only cooked to 150º during the smoking process".

As Geir notes, if temps are above 97º, then it's no longer "cold" smoked.

If you're going to ship true "cold smoked" salmon, then it's going to need to be frozen and shipped properly with gel packs.
 
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