Is liquid seeping from the fish normal when making gravlax?
I'm currently trying to make gravlax for the first time! I bought about 2 lbs of fish, specifying that I wanted to eat it raw so they gave me something appropriate for that. I put lots of salt, a bit less sugar and some dill between 2 large pieces of fish, wrapped it up tightly in saran wrap, put it in the fridge with some weight on top.
This morning when I went to flip it, there was a lot of liquid in the bottom of the dish I put all of that in. It didn't smell fishy at all, I cleaned it up and flipped it and put it back in the fridge.
The lack of fishy smell makes me think everything is all right, but I wanted to ask if that's something to be expected, or if it's usual, or if it means the fish isn't safe to eat.
Thanks a lot!
Best Answer
Yes it is normal.
The salt (and sugar) will "extract" the water from the fish meat.
[...]On a technical level, what both the salt and sugar do is draw moisture out of the fish through osmosis. This decreases the moisture level of the fish, which in turn makes it less hospitable to microbial life. The salt, meanwhile, also helps ward off bacteria that would otherwise hasten spoilage. This extends the edible life of the salmon, but only for a short amount of time—gravlax is not cured in any long-term sense of the word. [...]
Taken from : http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/04/how-to-make-gravlax-cured-salmon.html
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Quick Answer about "Is liquid seeping from the fish normal when making gravlax?"
Yes it is normal. The salt (and sugar) will "extract" the water from the fish meat.Should you drain gravlax?
Because you're brining the fish as part of curing. You're attempting to balance the concentration of salt/sugar/other outside the fish with that in the fish. This is via osmosis, which requires water to facilitate the process. Tl;dr: don't drain the liquid.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.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.Is Homemade gravlax safe to eat?
Gravlax is fresh salmon that is cured in salt and herbs for 48 hours. The salt draws out the moisture making it almost like salmon jerky and is safe to eat.First time making Gravlax | Here're a few TIPS
More answers regarding is liquid seeping from the fish normal when making gravlax?
Answer 2
Drawing water is actually required and quantity will vary depending on fish thickness, and the amount of weight used to press down during the curing stage.
It is important to use your salt/sugar mix on all 4 sides, not just the inside in order to achieve curing/kill bacteria.
I flip mine every 12 hours, pouring off the water. When hardly any water seeps out the cure is ready (between 24 and 48 hours).
Answer 3
This is normal as the salt and sugar are Hydroscopic i.e. the absorb moisture the preserving of gravlax is by removing moisture if you find the texture is tough or dry try adding more sugar I found the best combination for Buried Salmon I.E. Grave ( no explanation Needed ) Lax (Swedish for Salmon ) 2 parts salt 1 part sugar
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