I am aware of the bias against "farmed" salmon, but I don't agree with it. I believe this salmon is one of the highest quality seafood products available. It is not like catfish, tilapia and shrimp, which are raised in warm water ponds with minimal circulation. Salmon is raised in cages in cold sea water constantly washed by tidal currents. When the salmon is harvested it is immediately shipped, unlike some fish which are caught from boats which are at sea for several days. The salmon fillets I buy have a sparkling fresh appearance and a good, fresh smell. I use them not only for cooking but for making my own lox.

Smoking salmon is a cooking process, so I would expect parasites to be killed, if there are any. I have never seen parasites in salmon, although I have seen them a very few times in various white fish. I smoke fish I catch. Fish I smoke myself is of highest quality, much better than store bought, probably because of less time in transit at every stage.

I wouldn't have the patience to treat fish with dry ice prior to smoking. If I thought it necessary I wouldn't make smoked fish. I wonder if the 0° F of a home freezer wouldn't be sufficient to kill parasites. I would think so.

BTW, this is not a rant or criticism of your intentions, just another point of view. Not to mention the fact that I consume sushi and raw shellfish whenever I have the opportunity. Around here that is often. We certainly are in agreement on the yumminess of smoked fish though. Much success to you, whatever you choose to do.

Jim

Here's another thought on using the freezer with dry ice.

Clams are killed by freezing in a home freezer for a couple of hours. Despite their saltiness, they freeze solid. I know this from direct experience. I think it is very likely that most organisms from the sea would be affected similarly.

Also, you might learn to visually inspect fillets for parasites, as is done in the sushi business. That would give you a high degreee of safety I believe.

Jim

Bill, I can't really answer your dry ice question - but a couple of thoughts that may or may not be helpful :)

Fish only needs to be at 0F to kill parasites, not -10F. 2 weeks, and don't count the time it takes to freeze to the 0 point.

Were you going to cold smoke and have a raw product like lox, or hot smoke the salmon? Hot smoke is what most people I know use, temp of 160F - no freezing necessary because anything alive in there is killed at 150F.

OT, but I don't eat farmed fish either. Wild salmon don't live near the ocean surface in crowded pens, and they eat a variety of foods, not processed meal with additives like is fed to pen raised fish. The taste is quite different between the two to me - (me who can tell if a beef has been grass or grain fed by taking a bite :))

Are you cold-smoking or hot-smoking? With hot-smoking, definitely, I can't imagine it'd be an issue.

If you want to go the dry ice route, it's certainly plenty cold enough. You only need -35C for 15 hours to kill parasites in salmon, and I would think with a good cooler, you could keep dry ice that long. Anyway, this link has some info on dry ice in coolers.

Dry Ice Info.

Also, regarding the whole parasite issue in salmon, this is kind of an interesting blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Parasites in Fish

Thank you all for your thoughtful advice. It wasnÂt my intent to start a farmed vs. fresh debate! I guess we all have our preferences and beliefs so, peace.

Carol, to answer the cold vs. hot smoking question, I was planning on cold smoking. I think based on feedback that hot smoking is the way to go if I want to be ultra safe. I know any temp above 140 for 30 Â 60 minutes will kill parasites. So, hot smoked salmon it is. IÂll forget the dry ice and cooler mess.

Regarding the freezing to -0F to kill parasites, most information I have found indicates -10F for 7 Â 10 days. This link is one of the sources IÂve found,itÂs from the U of C: http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/smoking.htm .

Also, for those interested, hereÂs a link to a Canadian seafood advisory organizationÂs alert card for various fish products: http://seachoice.org/files/asset/file/37/SeaChoice_Alertcard.pdf .Again, not trying to start a debate but I thought some folks might want to check it out.

Thanks again for the feedback. You folks are great! Now where did I store my hickory chunks???

Bill

"Now where did I store my hickory chunks???"

Oh, oh... Those hammer handles are in mortal danger if you don't find the hickory chunks soon.

BTW, you probably know this, but FWIW smoked fish freezes nicely without harming its texture or flavor. So it's worthwhile making some extra while you're at it.

Carol, those links to dry ice and fish parasites are good finds. I got valuable information from both of them. Thanks.

Jim

Glad you got some good out of those links, Jim.

We tend to fill the smoker; everyone I know has a favorite recipe for smoked salmon and the guys will sit out in DH's shop for hours swapping tips for the optimal brine formula.

I've canned smoked salmon and like that as an alternative when freezer space is at a premium.

Carol