How to Smoke Fish for Long-Term Storage

The combination of smoking, airtight sealing and freezing ensures longtime preservation of flavorful fish. Any thick fish fillet--including salmon, white fish and yellow tail--is ideal for this method of preparing and preserving fish. Smoking alone keeps fish from going bad for about 14 days in the refrigerator. By coupling the process with vacuum sealed storage bags and deep freeze, the fish will keep for years with freshness and flavor in tact.

Things You'll Need

• Charcoal smoker or charcoal grill with offset firebox
• 2 pounds alder wood chips
• Large bag natural lump charcoal
• Electric charcoal starter
• Five or six one-pound fish fillets
• 2 gallons water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large plastic mixing bowls
• Vacuum sealer with plastic bags

Instructions

Pre-Smoking Prep for Fish and Wood Chips

1. Mix 1 gallon of water, 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup sugar in a large plastic bowl, then place the fish in the solution, known as brine. Cover with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and allow the mixture to soak overnight.

2. Ensure the smoker or grilling chamber and firebox are properly seasoned according to the manufacturer's directions. This will remove any factory impurities and provide a protective cooking coating on grates and the grill body.

3. Add the second gallon of water to the large mixing bowl or bucket and soak the wood chips for at least an hour before beginning the smoking process. Wet wood burns longer and produces more smoke to enhance flavor.

4. Thirty minutes before smoking, build a small charcoal fire in the side firebox or smoker charcoal grate using about four handfuls of lump charcoal. This fire size should be maintained throughout the smoking process.

5. Adjust vents and/or chimneys to maintain a grilling chamber temperature between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoking the Fillets

1. Place the brined fish on the cooking grate of the grill or smoking chamber--ensuring none of the individual fillets are touching--and close the lid. A tightly sealed lid ensures more even, stable temperatures inside the smoking chamber.

2. Add a handful of wet wood chips to the hot coals every 30 minutes to slow-season the fish with alder smoke.

3. Add a handful of lump charcoal every hour to maintain the heat source.

Storing the Smoked Fish

1. Allow all smoked fish fillets to cool while covered with plastic wrap on a clean plate. Fillets should be cool to the touch.

2. Follow instructions of the vacuum sealer manual to enclose the fillets in airtight bags.

3. Label bags with date and fish type and place in the freezer for storage.

Tips & Warnings

• Fish smoking time should last about two hours at 140 to 160 degrees, depending on size. Smoking for too long produces dried-out, tough fish. Don't skip the brining steps, as the method helps fish and poultry lock in moisture and not dry out during the long, slow smoking process.

• Always use fire-resistant cooking mitts when feeding coals or chips into the fire, and handle fish with long-handled grilling-style spatulas or tongs to avoid burns.

References

• Barbecue Bible: The Art of Smoking
• 3 Men With Nothing Better To Do: All About Smoked Fish
• Great Salmon Recipes: Fish Brining Method