Smoked Lake Trout and Freezing

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jzadski

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Hi all, so it's been a whirlwind of the last week or so. Took a weekend trip to the casino with my wife for our anniversary. The boys needed to get away as well so we did a charter out of Holland. Not too bad of a day but, the youngest got a little green for a while. My question to you all is I am going to try (first time) smoking the lake trout we caught. Can the smoked fish be vacuum sealed and frozen with success? Also any tips on vacuum the rest of the salmon which is filleted and steaked. The big one is 34# Thanks!
 

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Yes! Smoked trout that is vacuum sealed is probably 90% as good as eating fresh smoked trout. The texture is a little tighter, but as long as you slow thaw it in the fridge, then let it warm at room temp for 20 minutes it's pretty dang good. If it's mixed into cream cheese or flaked into pasta it's hard to tell them apart. I prefer leaving the skin on the fillets, it keeps them moister and gives protection in the smoker. I will cure one day, rest overnight, smoke, rest overnight again, then set on oiled wax paper and set in the freezer until just frozen. Then vacuum seal. Letting them freeze prevents them from getting crushed from the vacuum. Once you see traces of albumen, you know you are close to done. Don't wait for it to flake.

I have a stack of cooking planks that I vacuum seal sides on. The plank keeps the vacuum from crushing the fish, and once sealed it's a great way to transport or to freeze. Then you have a cutting board when you open it! I bet you could use cardboard wrapped in a piece of butcher paper or foil.

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For freezing fresh fish I do the same partial freeze technique and then vac seal.
 
I should have mentioned that if you have some small pieces of smoked trout you will eat in a month of two, I still do the firm-up light freeze on them, but I wrap in clear or cling wrap and hit it with a heat gun (a hair dryer will work too) to tighten the wrap. Then over-wrap with butcher paper.
 
Stunning photo. What do you cure it with? I’m going to fish for some large mouth bass and want to do the same.
 
Like Thirdeye said. Smoked then frozen keeps well and is almost as good. It doesn't work so well to freeze, then thaw and smoke.
 
I generally don't keep trout that isn't going to be eaten within the next 24-48 hours.

I don't think it freezes well.

But then most of the trout I see are spotted sea trout rather than lake / stream trout.
 
For Bass & Cats, Perch and Brim I never keep them vac packed like I would pork or beef. You can keep them longer by turning them into a fishsicle. Drop them in cold water. In the old days with my Dad and GrandDad they would use an old milk carton filled with cool water. Freeze them solid maybe 2 weeks max. Run cold water over them to thaw right before cooking. Vac Pac is the latest but not the greatest for fish.


Nice harvest!
 
Happy Hapgood said:
For Bass & Cats, Perch and Brim I never keep them vac packed like I would pork or beef. You can keep them longer by turning them into a fishsicle. Drop them in cold water. In the old days with my Dad and GrandDad they would use an old milk carton filled with cool water. Freeze them solid maybe 2 weeks max. Run cold water over them to thaw right before cooking. Vac Pac is the latest but not the greatest for fish.


Nice harvest![/QUOTE

I have done that too with Walleye and perch since I was 5 and yes works excellent. Not sure how the salmon would hold up to that method but, already vac packed. Next time :-D. I will be freezing the smoked trout as Wayne suggested though.
Click to expand...
 
thirdeye said:
I should have mentioned that if you have some small pieces of smoked trout you will eat in a month of two, I still do the firm-up light freeze on them, but I wrap in clear or cling wrap and hit it with a heat gun (a hair dryer will work too) to tighten the wrap. Then over-wrap with butcher paper.
Click to expand...

Do you wet down the board or freeze it prior to vac?
 
When we haul in bucket full of krappie an gills we just filet and fill up a quart ziplock add water and freeze. They last well into the winter were a blizzardy fish fry is the bees knees.
Ed
 
jzadski said:
Do you wet down the board or freeze it prior to vac?
Click to expand...

Nope. I spray oil on wax paper and the fillet is skin side down so it lifts off easily. Then I transfer to the board and vacuum seal.
 
crboggs said:
I generally don't keep trout that isn't going to be eaten within the next 24-48 hours.

I don't think it freezes well.

But then most of the trout I see are spotted sea trout rather than lake / stream trout.
Click to expand...

Feed makes a huge difference, Steelhead could be my overall favorite species, but it's hard to not keep a few fish from local waters. Trout needs a special prep for smoking or freezing. I immediately field dress any trout I'm keeping. They are okay in a live well but trout are not a stringer fish, they get stringer shock easily and this is horrible for the meat. Plus getting them on ice quickly can eliminate rigor. My box smoker has a decent capacity so I'll often smoke fish for my friends, but it's gotten to the point that if they stringered them I sort of politely decline because the quality difference is so obvious. This size trout (18" to 20") is more typical for me.

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