Gravlax still red on skin side after 24h of curing
I am trying to make gravlax (lox).
Method
- Clean off salmon fillet (~200g tail portion)
- Mix 50/50 table salt and sugar
- Coat skin side in salt/sugar mixture, rub in
- Coat non-skin side in dill
- Coat non-skin side in salt/sugar mixture, rub in
- Place in covered container
- Place in fridge for 18-24 hours
Problem
After 24 hours, the thin parts are cured, but the skin side of the thick part is still red.
What I have tried
Cutting off the skin - completely effective, but makes it very tough, also all the videos I watched had it cured with the skin on, and those came out fine
Curing for longer - did not seem to have any effect
Rubbing salt/sugar mixture directly on end - this seemed to help a bit right on the end, but it was still red further in
Place weight on top - some videos I watched had the fillet wrapped in cling wrap and smooshed with a weight, but this did not seem to have any effect
Best Answer
So, first, I don't think that gravlax looks that bad. Gravlax is never going to be the uniform peach/orange color that cold smoked salmon is (lox). It just looks a little bit under-cured.
There are two things I do that are different from you, when I make Gravlax:
I cure it for a minimum of 72 hours, turning every 12 hours or so (and pressing the whole time, but that's a texture thing).
My cure includes a couple shots of aquavit. I find that the alcohol helps the cure penetrate into the center of the salmon.
Pictures about "Gravlax still red on skin side after 24h of curing"
Can you cure gravlax too long?
How long does gravlax keep? It depends on how much you cure the salmon. I would not keep lightly cured salmon (24 hours) beyond 36 hours at most (just to be safe). Medium cured salmon (36 \u2013 48 hour cure) for 2 days to be safe, but 3 should be fine.How do you know when gravlax is ready?
Salmon takes 2 to 3 days to turn into proper gravlax, depending on the variety and thickness of the salmon. The only way to know if gravlax is done is to taste it. After 2 days, I take one salmon side out of the cure, and cut off three thin slices to see if the flavor and texture are to my liking.How do you know when cured salmon is done?
Knowing when it's done is simple: your fillet of salmon is sufficiently cured when it feels firm to the touch, indicating that your salt mixture has done its work; the water and juices stored in the flesh have been extracted and replaced with the flavors you've packed around the fillet.How long should you cure salmon for?
For a medium cure, leave it for 36-48 hours. For a hard cure, leave it for 72 hours. Be sure to fully rinse the salt off the fish, otherwise it will become too salty. Cured salmon will last about 5 days in the fridge.How To Make Cured Salmon Gravlax Like A Real Pro
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ferdinand Studio, Dellon Thomas, Rodolfo Clix, Designecologist