is it safe to make gravlax at home

Gravlax is fresh salmon that’s been cured with a combination of salt and sugar. It’s arguably the ultimate easy-to-make luxury food in the world! This homemade Cured Salmon Gravlax recipe can be made with a small fillet or whole side of salmon, and costs a fraction of store bought.

The beauty of homemade cured salmon is that you can control the salt so it’s not too salty and it’s got a fresh herb flavour that you’ll never get in a packet! Also, don’t miss the stunning Beetroot Cured Salmon!

I’ve made cured salmon gravlax a bunch of times over the years and my results were varied. Never any epic disasters, they were always edible. But sometimes they were over cured, under cured, and the biggest problem I’ve had is over salted salmon.

If you’ve invested in a beautiful sashimi-grade piece of salmon, it’s almost criminal if it’s so salty that it overpowers the salmon!

If you search around on the internet, you’ll find that the ratios of salmon to salt and sugar and curing times are absolutely all over the place. Some recipes use as much as 750g/1.5lb salt + sugar to 1 kg / 2 lb of salmon. Some recipes use as little as 175g/6oz of salt + sugar. Then curing times range from 12 hours to 3 days.

Now finally, I have Cured Salmon Gravlax Recipe that’s a keeper with the right ratio of salt and sugar:

Equal parts salt + sugar (combined) 50% of the weight of the salmon. Coat, leave 24 hours for lightly cured, 36 hours for medium (this is what I do) and 48 hours for hard cure.

According to the FDA, gravlax is acceptable and safe for eating. When you’re curing the salmon in the salt solution, it’s done so in the refrigerator below 40°. Anything above that is when bacteria grow.
is it safe to make gravlax at home

What does gravlax taste like?

Gravlax tastes like a cross between salmon sashimi (imagine it with the addition of seasoning from salt plus fresh herb flavour), and the smoked salmon slices you buy at stores – but minus the smokey flavour (because smoked salmon is made by smoking salmon).

This Cured Salmon Gravlax recipe is perfect. It’s not too salty, the flesh is not overly cured i.e. still nice and moist. But it’s cured enough to be easily sliceable into thin pieces (which is virtually impossible with raw fish). It’s salty enough that you’ll want to eat the slices plain, but not too salty that you’ll need to guzzle a glass of water with every bite. <- Problem I’ve had in the past!

Can you freeze cured salmon gravlax?

Yes you can, just like you can freeze store bought smoked salmon slices. I keep frozen seafood for up 2 2 months, but 3 months should be fine. Do not freeze gravlax if it was made with previously frozen salmon.

How to Cure Salmon at Home and Make Gravlax

FAQ

Is it safe to cure your own salmon?

Yes. You’ll need to start at least 48 hours in advance to give the salmon a chance to cure. Once you’ve removed the cure, the salmon will keep, wrapped tightly, in the fridge for up to five days. Remove from the fridge and slice shortly before serving.

Can you make gravlax with grocery store salmon?

It is best to use a very fresh preferably sushi grade salmon. In other words, the salmon was frozen at 0ºF for 7 days to kill any parasites. I can’t say I took the effort to make sure my salmon was the freshest or sushi grade, but I am fine. At the same time, if you get poor quality salmon and get sick, don’t blame o!

Does gravlax have to be sushi grade?

Because of certain parasites found in fresh salmon, it is important to buy sushi-grade salmon or purchase commercially frozen salmon and thaw before use, as freezing for several days will kill any microorganisms present in the fish.

How do you know when gravlax is ready?

The gravlax is done when the flesh is opaque, about 3-4 days. When ready to serve, remove the dill from the salmon and wipe clean and dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife held at a very flat angle, start slicing a few inches in from the end of the fillet with a back-and-forth sawing motion to remove a thin slice.

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