# curing time for salmon bellies



## williamzanzinger (Dec 29, 2015)

If Im following a rcipe written for whole sides of salmon but Im just using the bellies ive trimmed from the filets. Recipe calls for 48 hours. How long do you reckin for just the bellies? Same time?


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## cmayna (Dec 29, 2015)

Not knowing the details of your recipe, 48 hours for salmon is waaayyyy too long for me.   I do a simple dry brine of 4/1 ratio of dk brown sugar / salt.  I brine salmon filets for 7-8 hours, nuggets / sticks for 4-5 hours.  When I do salmon bellies due to their sizes, I will typically brine them for 4-5 hours.

Maybe you are following a wet brine recipe?


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## williamzanzinger (Jan 4, 2016)

this is the recipe I was looking at

1 cup finely minced fresh dill

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup vodka

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 limes, zested

3 pounds salmon skin on, pin bones removed

Spread the mixture over the salmon flesh. Cut the side of salmon in half crosswise. Fold each piece in half so the flesh is touching and the marinade is on the interior. Wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days.

not much salt huh?


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## cmayna (Jan 4, 2016)

I think I'd first down the 1/4 cup of Vodka and then continue with the recipe 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






But seriously, that is a very interesting recipe.  It sounds they are talking about salmon filet pieces and not the bellies which for me are narrow pieces since I typically remove the bellies from the whole filet when processing our fish.  I would guess our belly pieces are maybe 1" wide by 4-5" long.

Your recipe almost reminds me of a lox recipe.  I'm reading it as having you rub the flesh side and then sandwich the mixture between two pieces of filet with the flesh against flesh.    Hmmmm.

The ratio of salt over sugar  1/3 isn't too bad at all.


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## williamzanzinger (Jan 6, 2016)

Lol (vodka), yeas- that is exactly where I am coming from too. I will be hot smoking the salmon as filets and want to trim them nice and square therefore I will use the belly trim for the gravlox for the same event.
Thank you for the input. So one last final opinion - with the recipe as is and the thin strips what time window do you judge?


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