smoked trout Q?

[Far-I]

I smoked trout for the first time on March 6th. It turned out really well and most of it went quickly. I vacuum sealed it all and have kept it in the fridge this whole time and only have one package left. i am going to bring it to the in-laws foe easer and think it should still be good.

i just thought i'd get a second opnion before i poison my inlaws. that may not go over so well.

[goblueM]

i think it'll be fine, particularly if you vacuum packed it and kept it refrigerated. I've kept it in a ziploc for up to a month in the fridge, and that was hot-smoked and not vacuum sealed. if it passes the sniff test i say go for it. Or let your least favorite inlaw taste it first

[Far-I]

it was great! i was just worried at the remote chance of poisoning my new wife's family at easter. that would not have been ideal.

by the way: smoked trout is a great way to gain respect with your new inlaws

[KEN W]

That's why trout,salmon,whitefish,and tullibees are the best fish to smoke.Lots of oil in them.I'm smoking a batch of tullibees tomorrow that I caught through the ice last month.

[Whitefishnetter]

You may have been lucky, Lightly smoked products, as in on a BBQ that are not hard brined in salt can be containated with Botulism bacteria. The vacume packing should be followed by freezing, because if there is Botulism spoilage in a closed container, the extremely toxic poison produced can be fatal, it could happen if the temperature in the fridge wasn't low enough to prevent spoilage. The food wouldn't always smell bad. Botulism toxin can be destroyed by heat, so if in doubt, reheat the food.

[Far-I]

I pre-soaked it in a brine mix containing a lot of salt (among other things) for about 48 hours before smoking at around 150 for 4 hours or so.

Does this constitute a "hard brine" or what could i do different next time? Thanks