Will texture of fish cooked sous vide change, when cooking times increase?

I am experimenting with sous vide these days. I have successfully cooked salmon sous vide (60C to pasteurization according to Baldwin).

One thing with sous vide that people brag about is the possibility of letting food sit in the bath for longer than necessary ("I drop the steak in the bath and go to work, eat when I am back from work."-type situations).

Now I wonder, how well does fish respond to long time cooking? If I drop a piece of salmon in the bath and it stays there for, let's say, 10 hours. Will taste and texture change?

What about other types of fish, e.g. cod?

fish sous-vide

Best Answer

Yes! Cooking low temp absolutely degrades texture of fish. I can't imagine that you would want a piece of salmon cooked for 10 hrs. It would be mush....cooked, safe...but mush. Most fish...probably 20 minutes or so. Any fish should just be cooked until done. No more. Otherwise texture is compromised and off putting.

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Quick Answer about "Will texture of fish cooked sous vide change, when cooking times increase?"

In conclusion, the increase in heating temperature has a significant effect on the texture, color, pH, cooking loss, etc. of sous vide cooking (p < 0.05) Combining good changes in texture and cooking loss commend- ed 60 0C as a superior sous vide cooking environment.

Can you overcook fish in sous vide?

While you can't overcook your food with sous vide, leaving it in the water bath for too long can result in changes in the texture. What is this? After a while, it can turn out soft and mushy. Also, with fish and eggs, it can make the fish too dry and the eggs too firm.

How does time affect sous vide?

The main difference is that adding time to sous vide cooking doesn't overcook the outside layers of the food. Also, because the sous vide temperatures are so low, the tenderization happens much more slowly, resulting in much longer cooking times.

Does cooking time matter with sous vide?

Assuming that time doesn't matter with sous vide cooking But the thing is, time also kind of does matter. Yes, it won't be "overcooked", but the longer food is exposed to heat, the more the texture will change.

Can you sous vide fish too long?

I find that fish can turn watery and mushy if left in the water bath for too long at low temperatures, and dry and chalky when left too long at above 125\xb0F (52\xb0C) or so. For thinner fillets, half an hour to 45 minutes is plenty; for extra-thick fillets, 45 minutes to an hour is all you need.

A Beginner’s Guide to Sous Vide Cooking- Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph

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Images: David Abbram, Алекке Блажин, Anastasia Shuraeva, Kindel Media