Salmon Brine Recipes?

[dale2242]

The last couple of weeks we have caught a few fall chinook. I normally use a commercial brine mix, but I would like to try making my own.
Lets have your favorite brine for smoking fish....dale

[Tom-ADC]

This isn't fancy but it works. Mix it strong enough to float a small piece of raw potato.

3 pounds of Kosher salt
1 pound of brown sugar
2 TBL spoons onion powder
2 TBL spoons oregano

Be sure to rinse and dry before smoking.

[Lloyd Smale]

I use enough canning salt to float a raw egg. About a cup of brown sugar 2tbs of onion powder 2 tbs of crushed garlic to each gallon of brine.

[Lloyd Smale]

buddy just dropped off 10 nice lake trout so my smoker will be going sunday!!

[flounderman]

I smoked a lot of fish in wi. guy I gill netted with in the winter smoked commercially. we never used anything but salt brine over night , a quick rinse, and hot smoke them. Had some flathead catfish smoked I got in west virginia. When I picked them up the guy had smoked some coho salmon, carp, and the flatheads. Brought some out to try. The salmon was good, the carp were better, and the catfish were the best. Carp in cold water is a lot different fish than he is in warm water. Main thing with brine is to get enough salt in the meat that the thicker parts don't sour. float an egg is pretty universal

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use enough canning salt to float an egg ! that's it

I love the taste of salmon, I wouldn't try to "add" any flavor via spices.
Jon

[PS Paul]

I have a very simple recipe I've used for about 35 years. Simple, BUT you gotta do every step and not cut corners: It's a wet brine....

4 cups lukewarm water (to dissolve salt completely)
1/2 cup Kosher salt (NO iodized salt)
1/2 to 1 full cup DARK BROWN sugar (gives better color)
put in glass or ceramic-lined container. NO metal or plastic (affects flavor adversely)
I like salmon steaked. filets are OK too, but I prefer the bones, skin and all. Just personal preference.....
leave in for 12 hours. Small salmon/trout/filets leave in 10 hours
drain and RINSE
place on wooden board for 12 hours and put in fridge to form pellicle (very important step)
then smoke.

Now here is where I differ. I use the little chief and smoke four pans of alder for four hours. THEN, I place fish in oven at 375 deg. for 12 minutes until done. Creates a very moist, but finished and safe to eat product with a nice color, flavor, texture and consistency. Good times!!! hope this helps!
Paul

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got 8 lake trout and 6 big salmon filets in the brine right now to smoke today. did a little twist on my normal and added salt to float an egg, 3 tbs of crushed garlic, 3tbs of lemon pepper, about 3 oz of terriaki merinade and cup and a half of brown sugar in each 5 gallon bucket.

[legend]

lloyd, sounds like a great plan, let us know how it turns out. i might try it next time.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I use enough canning salt to float a raw egg. About a cup of brown sugar 2tbs of onion powder 2 tbs of crushed garlic to each gallon of brine.

this is what i use too toss in a bay life good too go

[MT Gianni]

Black-strap molasses will give it a nice color if you cannot find dark brown sugar. Just add a tablespoon or two to any of the above mixes.

[Mooseman]

I use 2 pounds of Brown sugar , 1 pound of Plain / canning salt, and 1 46 oz.can of pineapple juice for a 5 gallon bucket of Sockeye strips with just enough water to cover the fish. I let it sit in that for 2-3 hours , mixing them by hand occasionally,then rinse them in clear water and hang in the smoker until they glaze.
Then smoke them...
They come out almost fire engine red when ready to be canned and processed.
Rich

[Lloyd Smale]

to be honest i was a bit disapointed this time. I dont know if it was because the fish was to big but it didntt have enough flavor. Maybe i should have left them in the bucket for two days. Could be too that I smoked with appple wood. I usually use hickory for fish but it was all i had and was to lazy to run to town.

[dale2242]

We have a lot of red alder around here.
I use it exclusively for my smoking.
Some think it a bit strong for fish.
Thanks for the help.....dale

[hithard]

Pack in brown sugar, set 12 hours in the fridge, drain and lightly shake off pieces, then pack in brown sugar again for another 12 hours in the fridge. then pat dry and smoke with alder for one to two hours.

squaw candy, is what they call it. It never lasts very long.

Trout don't do all that well with this, as they lack the oil to keep them moist. It's still dang good though.

[quilbilly]

Replace some of the brining water with canned apricot nectar

[aa1911]

per gallon of water:

2 cups Kosher salt
2 cups Brown sugar
1-1/2 cups Ponzu soy sauce (has citrus in it)
1/2 cup worchester sauce
crushed red pepper or red pepper powder
1/4 cup black pepper
1/2 cup of honey
one lemon
good size piece of ginger
onion and garlic powder


I brine for about 6 hours then pull them out and lay them on racks to drip dry overnight or about 12 hours. I have an electric smoker, so I turn it on high with chips (Alder) until it gets smoking good, then open the door and turn the heat way down and put the fish in.

close her up and raise the temp very slowly for a few hours, last one or two hours depending on size, I turn it up to reach 170' F roughly to finish.

Haven't had much time to go after the kings this fall, probably gonna be mostly chum this year. Last year I filled up 3 cards between pinks, kings, silvers and chum!

[Lloyd Smale]

made some smoked salmon dip for a party my wife had at work the other day. Simple recipe. Just take some smoked fish and put it in a processor with a cut up onion and mash it. then add a block of cream cheese and a bit of seasoning salt and serve it on ritz crackers. She said everyone loved it. I sent a bowl of that and a stick of homemade summer sausage and she said it was the hit of the party.

[RugerFan]

I smoked some Silver salmon over the weekend. This brine works really well;

1 quart warm water

1 cup non iodize salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup Capt. Morgan rum

Double as needed to cover meat, works well on salmon, chicken and pork.

Stir until well mixed, soak meat 8 hr, rinse, air dry 1hr and smoke.

[wlc]

This is one I've been using and like

1 cup salt (non iodized of course)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 gallon water

Heat water enough to dissolve all the sugar and salt. let cool back to room temp. Add soy sauce and stir it up. marinate fish 4-6 hours, remove and pat dry. Let a pellicle form before smoking on low heat with your wood of choice for 3-5 hours. At the end I either crank the smoker up or bake it in the oven to finish bringing it up to temp (internal at 160-165*F).

[dale2242]

Man, I`m loving your responses.
Thanks.
Keep them coming....dale