Smoked Salmon Shelf Life out of fridge

the butcher

Well-Known Member
early next year I am heading over to Europe to visit a good friend. He isn't from a major city so there are a few layovers at different airports and a bit of a final drive to get to his place. He loves smoked salmon and I was planning on making a batch for him. I would then vacuum seal the finished product and will wrap it in a few ice packs. The ice packs won't last the entire length of the journey since the ice packs and salmon won't be in an insulated cooler. Due to the smoking process and the fact that it's vacuum sealed, would it be safe to consume after a 18-20 hour journey before it can hit the fridge?
 
Put it in an insulated bag or lunch tote. And you could buy a couple instant cold packs for first aid kits as well.
 
Don’t forget the undercarriage of plane is very cold while at 37,000’
My old man brings his buddies in Holland smoked and fresh fish when he goes there. No issues. Albeit a direct flight to Amsterdam.
 
early next year I am heading over to Europe to visit a good friend. He isn't from a major city so there are a few layovers at different airports and a bit of a final drive to get to his place. He loves smoked salmon and I was planning on making a batch for him. I would then vacuum seal the finished product and will wrap it in a few ice packs. The ice packs won't last the entire length of the journey since the ice packs and salmon won't be in an insulated cooler. Due to the smoking process and the fact that it's vacuum sealed, would it be safe to consume after a 18-20 hour journey before it can hit the fridge?

If you are vacuum packing it I would also suggest freezing it before you package it to go on your trip. Wrap the fish in layers of newspaper with a couple of hard plastic freezer packs with it. Place your fish package in a small hard cooler or an insulated cooler bag and put in checked baggage (will be in cool storage on the plane). The fish will likely arrive still frozen, if not it will be cool and very fit for consumption. I have sent fish this way and it has been fine on a 2 day trip.
...Rob
 
Remember that the brining and smoking process is a time honored method to preserve meat, long before the days of refrigeration. If kept below 10 degrees C it can last for a week or two after the package is opened as it has in my fridge on many occasions. If it is in a sealed/airtight package even longer. If out of the fridge and not kept cool should last 2 days if not over 25 degrees C. Remember it is already gone through a preserving process
 
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There is no one answer as to how long smoked salmon will last. If it is very lightly salted/sugar cured and hot smoked so that it is lightly smoked and just cooked through but contains a lot of moisture, it's shelf life can be measured in a few hours without constant cold refrigeration. On the other hand, if it is heavily salted and sugar cured and then heavily hot smoked to the point that it is completely dried out into chewy/crunchy salmon jerky, it can last for months, as long as it is kept dry, sealed and reasonably cool. Add some of those moisture absorbing packets to keep it dry and absorb any residual moisture and I suspect you could get a year out of it. Fatty belles may not last as long even when dried right out, as the fat/oil in it can go rancid fairly quickly and mold can develop, especially if not kept cool.
 
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you may want to take in more of your friends culture while there. rather than bringing wild pacific salmon.Should our fish be coveted and enjoyed at our tables of comfort.pull the fish out and air cool and seal in a bag whaped in newspapper and throw into frezzer aswell as your luggage in the frezzer with damp cloths from the tumbler that you may dry later.
 
Thanks all. Yes it will be frozen and vacuum packed and I'll insulate it as best I can for the journey with ice packs. Earlier this year one of my neighbors, to my surprise, has never eaten smoked salmon. What rock has he been hiding under right? I gave him some of my freshly smoked salmon... He, his wife and young son loved it and gobbled it up... This was after I just recently bought a smoker and was very green with the art of smoking salmon...
 
Not sure I am following what you are getting at

you may want to take in more of your friends culture while there. rather than bringing wild pacific salmon.Should our fish be coveted and enjoyed at our tables of comfort.pull the fish out and air cool and seal in a bag whaped in newspapper and throw into frezzer aswell as your luggage in the frezzer with damp cloths from the tumbler that you may dry later.
 
Smoke it vacuum pack it freeze it then pack all together wrap in news paper then put it in the middle of your suit case your cloths will be a good insulator
 
Mine often lasts until breakfast the next day-but not always

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There is no one answer as to how long smoked salmon will last. If it is very lightly salted/sugar cured and hot smoked so that it is lightly smoked and just cooked through but contains a lot of moisture, it's shelf life can be measured in a few hours without constant cold refrigeration. On the other hand, if it is heavily salted and sugar cured and then heavily hot smoked to the point that it is completely dried out into chewy/crunchy salmon jerky, it can last for months, as long as it is kept dry, sealed and reasonably cool. Add some of those moisture absorbing packets to keep it dry and absorbed any residual moisture and I suspect you could get a year out of it. Fatty belles may not last as long even when dried right out, as the fat/oil in it can go rancid fairly quickly and mold can develop, especially if not kept cool.
Also if you go number two and don't wash your hands after then proceed to packaging a batch of fish then no amount of cure will save your friend from the mud butt.
 
Springtime, I appreciate you reiterating what "fish camp" said.. I understood the freezing, vacuuming and wrapping in newspaper part of what "fish camp" said.. I just didn't understand what he was referring to in his first sentence about telling me that I should take in more of my friend's culture rather than bringing him wild pacific salmon. This is a guy I've known for 30+ years who lived in the lower mainland for over 20 years before he returned home to be closer to his family. If he misses some fresh smoked salmon and I have a filet or two sitting in the freezer, not sure why anyone would care whether I prepare it to allow him to enjoy what he used to have when he lived here.. It's not like I am sending him a shipping container full of salmon or something ridiculous. And yes, he will be showing me around and we'll be hitting up the main tourist attractions while there but even if we didn't and just sat around enjoying each other's company... who cares what I do with my time or with the fish that I've caught.


Smoke it vacuum pack it freeze it then pack all together wrap in news paper then put it in the middle of your suit case your cloths will be a good insulator
 
Something no one has mentioned is that I suspect you will have to meet air travel transport requirements (even within Canada) and the required declarations, laws and custom checks of the receiving country. Perhaps you could get away with a failure to comply but you could also face confiscation and possible fines etc. if you do it incorrectly.

I do know of people who have commercial air transported fresh salmon in proper sealed water proof coolers/insolated boxes with sealed cooler packs within Canada without problem but also have a vague memory of issues if the fish is frozen. I imagine it is rather hard to inspect what is essentially a frozen block in luggage until it thaws and stinks or leaks if say your luggage is misdirected and arrives a week after you do. You may want to do a little due diligence before deciding on the requirements related to air transporting a fish product and customs requirements.
 
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The EU has some rules about importing meat as well. You will probably be under the limit. But might want to do a little investigating first.
 
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