John Myers
You can find frozen salmon in any supermarket. But is smoked salmon also suitable for freezing? We’ll enlighten you.
Shelf life of smoked salmon
Just like natural salmon fillets, smoked salmon can be stored in the freezer without any problems. While the food can be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 weeks at continuously cool temperatures of 4°C to 6°C, the duration is extended to around 3 months if it is frozen. Fish is a very delicate food that requires constant refrigeration. This property is due, among other things, to the high germ load (salmon is an untreated food) and the natural water content. During the smoking process, the heat extracts a significant portion of the liquid from the fish. For this reason, it also keeps slightly longer in the refrigerator than normal fish.
Note: If you serve smoked salmon on the buffet, you should store it on ice.
Freeze smoked salmon
Stiftung Warentest recommends only freezing unopened packaging. If you have already opened your smoked salmon and broken the cold chain, it is no longer possible to freeze the leftovers. Contact with knives or hands, in particular, increases the risk of salmonella. Put the salmon in the freezer immediately after you buy it. It is best to put the packaging back into a freezer bag. How to prevent freezer burn.
Note: The sell-by date is about to expire and do you want to keep your smoked salmon for a while longer? In this case, freezing it is not a good idea. According to Stiftung Warentest, you should always freeze fish immediately. Instead, you should use it quickly, for example in our delicious pancake rolls with salmon or a creamy fennel soup with smoked salmon.
Freeze unwrapped smoked salmon
If you smoked salmon yourself or bought the smoked salmon unpackaged from the counter or from the market, you should pack it as airtight as possible. Use freezer bags with a zip seal or use a vacuum sealer.
Defrost smoked salmon
You can freeze smoked salmon without fear of losing its flavor. However, it tastes best fresh, which is why you should defrost it several hours before eating it. This is best done slowly in the fridge without heating in the microwave.
Very important: Once you have thawed the salmon, you have to eat the whole portion. Unfortunately, cutting off a part and refreezing the rest is not possible. If you want to portion your fish in advance, you should buy it fresh and have it cut into pieces directly by the retailer. Then you can easily store it in the freezer.
