Mirin is a low-alcohol sweet rice wine, about 40% sugar. I always thought Miso was akin to radioactive isotopes - a half-life in the thousands of years. With the fermentation and the salt it's almost indestructible. Misoyaki Salmon from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, chewy 4-6 fresh wild salmon filets (about 1-1 1/2 pounds) 1 cup sake 1 cup mirin 1/2 cup orange juice 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups white "Shiro" miso paste 2 tablespoons red "Aka" miso paste 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon cooking oil To make the marinade, combine mirin, sake, orange juice and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the alcohol burns off. Remove from heat and whisk in soy sauce, white and red miso paste until until mixture is creamy. Set aside to cool. When marinade is cooled, pour it into a bog zip-loc bag with the salmon and seal. Gently massage the marinade into the salmon, coating the fish well. Marinate in the fridge for 1-2 days. When ready to cook the fish, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Take filets out of the plastic bag and wipe off the marinade. Pat fish dry. Heat oil in a large fry pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear salmon filets 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the pan to the oven and bake until fish is cooked through. Serve plain or with the sauce of your choice. I put in a link below to the source blog for this recipe. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Goodness, I've been using miso for twenty years, and never had it go bad. I don't even know what it would look/smell/taste like if it did go bad. Miso has such a high salt content that I bet you could store it in a fairly cool, dark place like a cellar for years, let alone a refrigerator. In fact, that was what the Japanese did before they had refrigeration. Unless you see mold on it or it's slimy or putrid smelling, I wouldn't worry about it.

Hi Dave, I'm interested in your comments about the book not being a Ball publication and not meeting USDA guidelines. How can they do that??? Nowhere does it say anything about it being a Canadian book; in fact, it was printed in the US and is a Time, Inc. book. Also, the welcome says, in part, the following: "Since 1884, the Ball name has been recognized as the most reliable authority in home food preservation and is associated with the science, tools, knowledge, and tried, true, and safe recipes that help home cooks preserve and savor the fresh goodness of their kitchen gardens year after year. At the Fresh Preserving Test Kitchen, we take our trusted role very seriously and have developed precise and documentable testing standards for all of our recipes to ensure the safety of each and every one. We've worked closely with the engineers on The Jarden Home Brands Quality Assurance Team in Muncie, Indiana, to ensure every recipe is not only wholesome and delicious but also as safe as possible." All this, along with the title, had me thinking it used Ball test kitchens in the US and tested under USDA guidelines. Geez!!!! How can I tell if a recipe is or, more importantly, ISN'T safe?? Okay, that's a rhetorical question (unless someone has an answer). It's just frustrating that they are selling the book as one thing and it's another. Okay, I'll stop spouting now. :) Kathy

Here is a published explanation of miso simmering. This is more complicated and probably better than my stripped down dish. But in my opinion the author recommends too long a cooking time. There was no mirin, ginger (or garlic!) in my friends' house :-( https://japan.recipetineats.com/simmered-mackerel-in-miso/ Saba (mackerel) is a versatile fish. It is grilled, simmered, cured, canned, deep fried, and eaten raw. Many cuisines use saba, especially Japanese and some European, but it's not too common in standard US cooking. Saba are usually found frozen and whole. https://shizuokagourmet.com/japanese-seasonal-fish-sabamackerel/ Like other oily cold-water fish, saba is very nutritious. As a small, short-lived fish low on the food chain, it should not (I think) present as much of a mercury or toxin issue as some larger, longer-lived, higher level predator fish. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutritional-saba-mackerel-1371.html As far as I know, most varieties of saba are not endangered, although at times certain fisheries may be overfished (e.g. Atlantic). Saba grow quickly and overfished fisheries have been able to recover with better management. I have largely stopped eating certain types of overfished seafood - notably bluefin tuna - and am trying harder to select sustainable fishes.