Making Lox from Wild caught Great lakes trout and salmon

[Nic Gibson]

Will anyone share if and how they make lox from their Great lakes salmon. There is only one discussion on this and there is very little there. Some sights seem concerned that fresh salmon that is wild caught is likely to have parasites, and that this makes any non-cooked method of prep unsafe. Do you make lox of any kind? Do you freeze the fish or do anything to eliminate parasites? Or is this a minimal concern? I have not been able to find any information on this on the web anywhere. My wife is from a NY Jewish family and Lox are the preferred way to eat salmon in my house. I'd love to turn my catch into this kind of fare...safely.

[Nic Gibson]

Ok, here is the most direct answer I've found so far: No. IF you cure it, you don't need to freeze it. 

See Below

From: https://happyspicyhour.com/do-you-need-to-freeze-salmon-before-making-sushi/

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Hey foodies! If you’re a sushi lover like me, you may have wondered – do I really need to freeze salmon before making sushi? I totally get it. Who wants to wait around for fish to freeze when fresh sushi-grade salmon is waiting for you at the store? But before you whip up a homemade sushi roll, there are some important safety steps to take.

Let me walk you through the scoop. Freezing salmon for at least 7 days kills any nasty parasites that could make you sick. I know, not fun to think about. But curing salmon in a salty mixture works too! Once frozen or cured, the salmon is safe to eat raw in sushi and tastes delicious.

Now, you can sometimes get away with using a fresh fillet from a reputable fishmonger or local sushi joint. But to be on the safe side, I recommend freezing or curing that salmon first. Trust me, it’s worth the wait to avoid biting into something extra squiggly.

Alright, now that we’ve got the safety stuff out of the way, let’s talk about how freezing and curing makes for mouthwatering sushi! Stick with me as we dive into the secrets behind tantalizingly tender sushi salmon. There’s a whole world of flavor waiting for us!

Freezing Salmon Kills Parasites and Bacteria

Raw salmon can sometimes contain nasty little critters like worms and parasites. Freezing fish for an extended time kills them off, along with dangerous bacteria.

According to the FDA, salmon should be frozen at -4°F (-20°C) or below for at least 7 days to eliminate parasites. Extending the freezing time to a full month provides an extra safety buffer.

So if you plan to eat that beautiful salmon fillet raw in sushi, first freeze it for optimal safety. It gives you peace of mind knowing there’s nothing wiggly inside!

Curing Also Works to Prepare Safe Sushi Salmon

Now, you don’t necessarily have to freeze salmon to enjoy it raw if you cure it instead.

Popular curing methods involve covering salmon fillets with salt, sugar, spices, and herbs for several hours. This process draws moisture out of the fish while infusing tons of flavor.

The salt also kills any lurking parasites and bacteria. So curing makes for safe and tasty sushi salmon too.

[Going Deep II]

Yes, I have made Lox using fresh caught salmon. I've always used the small salmon caught in the spring.

[mefixbones]

I have been eating and making Lox  for years.  Works great with salmon, but is also excellent with a nice orange Laker.  My uncle, Bert Korhonen, actually got My Grandpas recipe published in the Grand Rapids Press many years ago.  I will write up the old Finn recipe, and then will let you know how I have modified it for modern times. 

Place one fillet, skin down, in a glass container. Using a mix of 50/50 sugar to salt, cover the fillet like a thin layer of snow (White, but not thick.  (Perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 cup  salt/sugar mix for a big fillet) Do the same for the second half. For flavor feel free to place fresh or dried dill on the lower fillet.  Take the second fillet and place it skin side up on the one in the pan.  Cover with saran wrap. Using a smaller dish/pan, place a weight (brick, bag of sugar in a bag), in the dish and place it on top of the two fillets. Play this in the refrigerator.  The salt and weight will draw out water and firm up the flesh. For two to three days keep in the fridge and daily remove the liquid the accumulates around the fillets.  At this point the fish is cured. Cut thin slices from the tail towards the head.  Removing pin bones before curing is easier than after it has cured. 

 

I personally cannot stand using sugar to try and combat too much salt.  Therefore I make Lox with no sugar. 

Modern way:  Food safety is critical.  Food safety requires at least 3% salinity minimum to kill and inhibit bacterial growth.  By my reading, parasites are not killed by curing.  Fish must be frozen for a week to kill parasites and eggs. I make my Lox and freeze it in convenient size portions. I pull it out of the freezer, and after being out 30-60 minutes, slice it perfectly while still partially frozen.

Normal fish flesh is .9% salinity (Just like us).  I personally like my fish at about 3.4% salinity by weight. I fillet the fish and remove the skin.  Remove pin bones.  Cut into 3-4 inch wide portions. Take all the final prepared portions and weigh it in grams.  Total gms fish X 2.5% (3.4-.9)= 25 grams salt for each 1000 gms of fish. Place the fish in a glass dish. Take the salt, sprinkle it over all sides of the fish equally.   You can stack pieces on top of each other.  Cover and place in the refrigerator.  Each day for 2-3 days, turn and move pieces.  Salt will equalize throughout the pieces. The thicker the pieces, the longer it will take to equalize.  Once done, wrap each piece in saran wrap and place in freezer. After a week, pieces can be removed and sliced thin. Next time you make it, if not salty enough or too salty, modify the percentage.  Enjoy. 

 

[Dman]

mefixbones, that's what I call 'gravlox'.  I've made it before and even added jack daniels to it at some point.

Plans now are to can it in jars as I'm the only one that eats it.  My dogs love it though.