salmon smoking brine

Directions

this is a simple brine for soaking  salmon for smoking. the amount you need will vary on how much fish you are doing and the size of your brining container. this recipe is for 1 gallon of brine but when I usually do it it take a few gallons to cover the fish.

In a stock pot bring 1 gallon of water and 3 cups of apple juice or cider  to a boil remove from heat. add 1 cup of pickling salt to the hot water. use picklinng salt because it will dissolve completly without leaving a grit on the bottom. plus you dont need the extra iodine from table salt. let brine cool completely.

I usually use a cooler for the soaking of the fish because it is larger than any container I have plus it has a lid. put fish in cooler filled with the cooled brine. make sure the fish is comletely submerged so make enough brine to do so. toss in a few handfulls of the wood chips you are using to smoke. it'll add a little more flavor. cover

brineing time will vary depending on fish. if using filets brine time might only be 4 hours, but if brine whole fish I like to satrt in the evening and let it brine over night and place into smoker the next morning.

when you take you fish from the brine it should be fully cured. it should in fact be ready to eat, BUT it might not taste very good. smoking enhances the flavor.

place in smoker at 175 degrees until fully cooked, varying from 2-3 hours upwards to 8-10 hours depending on fish. I like to use fruit woods when smoking salmon. the wood chips that have been in the smoking brine you can add to your smoker during the smoking process...pre soaked chips so to speak.

enjoy!!