Can you freeze smoked salmon? You surely can and it is pretty easy to do. Smoked salmon holds up really well in the freezer
Below, I will show you the easy step-by-step process you can take to freeze your smoked salmon properly.
Why Freeze Smoked Salmon?
Most people who freeze smoked salmon are storing the excess that they have, or they don’t want it to bad since they won’t be eating all they have right now.
Whatever the reason is, smoked salmon holds up really well in the freezer and you can keep it in the freezer for months, without fear of it losing its texture or taste.
So if you can get ready to place this tasty fish in the freezer, but remember that you should not repeatedly thaw and freeze it. Once you are ready to use it, take it out and that is it. Repeated defrosting and refreezing can result in bacteria growing, which can make you sick.
How to Freeze Smoked Salmon
Freezing smoked salmon is a pretty easy process and when done properly, you should be able to keep it stored in the freezer for about six months, before you start to see a change in texture and taste.
Steps
- Take the smoked salmon (ideal to cut into individual pieces) and wrap with plastic wrap.
- Make sure it is wrapped tightly and that the fish is fully covered. I would advise that you do a couple of layers.
- This is not a necessary step, but you could add an extra layer of protection, with aluminum foil.
- Once the salmon is wrapped, place it in a freezer bag or container. When putting it in the freezer bag, make sure you squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.
- It is a good idea to write the date on the bag/container, just so that you have an idea as to how long it has been sitting in the freezer.
Vacuum Sealed
I know many of you don’t have at home vacuum sealers, however, for those that do, if you were vacuum seal the salmon, you could keep it a lot longer than the method I highlighted above.
Vacuum sealing allows you to keep food 3-5 times longer than regular storage methods. So you should be able to keep your smoked salmon for years, if done properly.
Thawing it Out
When you are ready to enjoy your smoked salmon, you can put it in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight till it is fully defrosted.
You should eat the salmon right after this and never refreeze it.
For those of you who want to reheat smoked salmon, I have a guide that explains the different options available for warming up this fish.
