Source
r/AskCulinary•
DeadFIL

Why is my lox hard?

I made lox for the first time and sort of followed this recipe and this recipe. I used a little over a pound of Atlantic salmon with a half cup each of salt and sugar (as in the second recipe) along with about half a cup of minced dill and some black pepper (as in the first recipe). I coated the fillet all over and cured in the refrigerator for 72 hours. When I went to cut it, the salmon fillet was very firm, almost like a thick and moist jerky. I sliced it very thinly and the slices seem fairly soft, but not nearly as soft as any lox I've eaten.

Is it possible that I've over-cured the lox? I realized that I cured for three days (like in the first recipe) but used a lot of salt (as in the second recipe). What are the odds that it isn't safe to eat? Hard fish doesn't exactly sound safe, but I figured I would ask here before throwing out a big fillet of salmon. Even if the consistency is off I would rather eat it as long as it isn't dangerous.

I appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thanks.

Posted Sep 24, 2020, 2:31 AM UTC

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NoraTCProficient Home Cook | Gilded commenter•

There is absolutely no reason to think that a blend of the 2 recipes would make an unsafe dish, even if the texture was unexpected. The part of the salmon that you used for the cure and the time applied can make variable textures. I only make lox every 3 or 4 years, so I am not going to try a tutorial on how to get a softer texture if that is you goal. However, every 3 or 4 years over time tells me that merging those 2 recipes is going to make a safe product, so do not toss it, I hope more experienced hands will comment on how to create a softer texture, if that is your preference.

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DeadFILOP•

Thank you for your response! Is it worrisome that it has a fishy smell? It isn't terrible but not nearly as mild as I expected.

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NoraTCProficient Home Cook | Gilded commenter•

No. If it smells like rotten fish, trust your nose, but little variations from your commercial brand experience is why you play with making your own scratch version.

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tsdguy•

72 hours is way too long. You should start checking after 24 hours.

You used way too much salt so it was a double whammy.

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DeadFILOP•

Thanks for the advice!

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lisbethsalamander•

It really sounds like you were making gravlax, and if that's the case, 72 hrs was absolutely not too long.

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jonnyroquette•

Was your piece cut from the thick end of the side or closer to the tail. The thickness of the piece effects curing time, as mentioned in the first recipe. To a lesser extent, the humidity of your fridge can have an impact on your end product as well, I usually cover my curing dish to eliminate that variable.

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RebelWithoutAClue•

Salmon lost too much moisture.

Fridges are very dry environments and cling film is not that solid a vapor barrier.

If you want softer lox next time, cure for less time. Try doubling or tripling up the cling film to reduce moisture loss or if you're not doing that much fish see if you can put your curing setup in a vegetable bin to reduce moisture loss.

I think it's a lost cause to attempt to increase humidity in your entire fridge. Fridges are very capable at removing moisture and you'll end up making them work harder if you try to fight it with big open pans of water.

I've modified a fridge to maintain higher humidity and it's a real fight that is quite difficult to win because of the way refrigerant works.

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lisbethsalamander•

You keep saying lox and you mention that yours isn't soft like what you've eaten in the past...you're not confusing softer textured smoked salmon for the salt and sugar cured salmon you made, are you?

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need2know2•

How does it taste like?

The weight ratios of the salmon to the salt in the two recipes are very different. I expect the second recipe would be much saltier.

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