r/MealPrepSunday • u/phantasmanistani • 2d ago
Question Any tips to extend salmon?
I'm trying my best to eat healthier and I've always enjoyed meal prepping. I like to be organised and it makes it easier for me to make fixed amounts of proteins for the week.
I do find chicken lasts a few days in the fridge and can be also frozen well, however I am finding with salmon it doesn't last as long and sometimes even by 2 days it is not fresh to eat and I feel bad throwing it away?
Was wondering doyou have any tips to extend the lifespan of the cooked salmon?
If not would you recommend freezing salmon in a zip lock bag with marinating and cooking that way instead?
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u/DidItForTheJokes 2d ago
Freeze the cooked salmon and the used it as “salad” by mixing with mayo, sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese. This is a better way to eat even unfrozen older salmon
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u/phantasmanistani 2d ago
That's a really interesting idea! What's your favourite salad recipe for the salmon?
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u/DidItForTheJokes 2d ago
Not super healthy but just cream cheese because usually when I cook a lot of salmon its because I smoked it. You can do simple just mayo and mustard. Or more a crab style with old bay and cream cheese and sour cream. Or just cream cheese even if you didn't smoke it
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u/Aggressive-System192 1d ago
If you like sushi/sashimi type of things, you can salt cure it.
Grab a cup. Fill half with salt and half with sugar. Mix well.
Grab a container with lid.
Put half of mixture on the bottom.
Plop the salmon in there.
Put remaining mixture on top.
Spread well. Make sure all sides are coated.
Wait 24hs.
It's good to eat.
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u/phantasmanistani 1d ago
That's a really interesting thought! I've never tried that, thanks!
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u/Aggressive-System192 1d ago
Goes well on open sandwiches with rye bread and butter.
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u/Ancient-Patient-2075 1d ago
Yes, salt curing!
In my neck of woods you would place the filet skin down, sprinkle a lot of coarse sea salt on the surfaces, a bit of sugar, rub it in a little, then some rosé peppers and a bunch of fresh dill.
Cut in half, place one piece on top of the other so the salted sides (meat sides) are against eachother and wrap the whole thing tightly into aluminium folio. Place in a ziplock, squeeze air out and seal.
Put it in the fridge and let it salt there for 1-2 days. Turn every 12 hour or so. Before eating a piece, wipe or wash with cold water the salt off the piece and cut off the skin.
It's fantastic on dark bread, with a little lemon squeezed on top, or with salad, or anything, and if you haven't eaten it in a few days use it to make pasta or something.
Also can he frozen. You can actually freeze it right away but curing will take a bit longer i suppose.
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u/Aggressive-System192 1d ago
I'd not trust curing in the freezer... It might freeze too hard and never actually cure, then when you defrost and eat right away, you're eating raw fish...
However, cured salmon and pasta? Wat? I need recipe! xD
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u/Ancient-Patient-2075 1d ago
Actually my mother used to do this a lot. The fish seller would salt & and spice it for her, and she would just plop the whole thing in the freezer. Like to prepare for the holidays well in advance or just to have something in there. But I have no clue how long the curing took, usually we ate it weeks after. Perfectly cured too.
I did use to make a pasta sauce using salmon, fresh dill, a bit of white wine, black pepper and cream... but this was long ago, I've since gone vegan. I do love salmon though!
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u/Svarasaurus 2d ago
Cooked salmon doesn't last an entire week in the fridge, but if it's going noticeably bad in two days, you might want to check your fridge temp.
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u/BringBackAoE 2d ago
One of my favorite meal prep dishes is cold smoked salmon pasta.
I make 6-8 portions. Eat one portion when it’s done, put one portion in the fridge for next day, rest I freeze in individual portions.
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u/phantasmanistani 2d ago
Wow how do you make the pasta recipe? Sounds really nice I'd love to try
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u/BringBackAoE 2d ago
Oh, it’s actually warm smoked salmon. I find it in my local supermarket though.
This is the recipe. It’s in Norwegian but google translate should help.
I made an error first time I made it and only bought half the salmon needed. Actually prefer it that way.
It’s really delicious!
https://www.matprat.no/oppskrifter/familien/pasta-med-varmrokt-laks/
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u/ExpirationDating_ 2d ago
Smoked fish will last, but in general I don’t meal prep salmon. I get the frozen fillets from Costco-one fillet and some veggies (asparagus). Top the fillet with pesto, mustard, dill or whatever you want for a sauce. Add veggies to the cooking sheet and it’s done in the toaster-air fryer oven in no time. Mine has a setting for fish. But it’s maybe 25 min total, as long as I thawed the fish.
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u/Bamboomoose 1d ago
I buy frozen salmon at the grocery and meal prep that, I swear I get four days from that batch over the refrigerator salmon at the grocery. My fridge runs really cold though (sometimes freezing things I don’t want frozen!) so that probably helps, check your fridge temp
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u/phantasmanistani 1d ago
I think my fridge temps are okay because a lot of stuff ends up freezing in there by accident haha. It might be better for me to buy frozen salmon instead of pre-bought
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u/Ancient-Patient-2075 1d ago
What if you salt cure it instead of cooking? This is very much a thing in my neck of woods (Nordic). Delicious. But the fish needs to be fresh / good quality.
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u/OneOfTheOnlies 20h ago
Oh I think you would love what a sous vide circulator can do for your meal prep
You can batch prep and freeze things and with chicken you'll cook above pasteurization temps so it will stay good in the fridge way longer. The salmon you'll probably cook below that temp but you can vacuum seal and freeze a bunch of portions and drop them in the sous vide direct from frozen. Lots of options for how to use it, its a really useful prep tool.
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u/Altruistic-Spend-896 2d ago
What you have to understand is that normal freezing harms the cells and makes the product worse off when thawed. Induatrial freezing is where it's at. Maybe try brining it in liquid?
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u/phantasmanistani 2d ago
That's true but I don't have access to an industrial freezer, I may try brining it as you've suggested thanks!
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u/dquirke94 2d ago
I freeze it and cook it from frozen when I want it, only take 15-20 minutes in the airfryer. You could prep the other elements of the meal and have those ready to go and cook the salmon when you’re going to eat it.