The real challenge comes when one keeps the remaining fresh salmon in the freezer, so it gets frozen. Then, one wonders if it’s okay to defrost it over the kitchen counter.
No, it’s not okay to thaw salmon on the counter, unlike other foods that one can defrost over a counter. Thawing it over a counter isn’t safe for consumption, instead one’s at the risk of having botulism and ruining its flavor. But we have other healthy ways to thaw salmon. Read on.
What Are The Healthy Ways To Thaw Salmon?
People have three options for thawing salmon. But only two are safer.
The last one is okay but it can cause a loss of flavor. That’s why many won’t recommend it. Let’s get started on thaw the salmon counter already.
Refrigerate It
To prevent getting anxious over the salmon, it’s best to carry out this method over the night. Here’s what it entails;
- Take out the salmon from the freezer 12-24 hours before cooking. The 12-24 hours time range depends on the weight of the salmon.
So one needs to weigh the fish first. The person should defrost the salmon with over (454g) i.e., 1 lb weight 24 hours before cooking it.
Unwrap the salmon, and put in another nylon.
Put the wrapped salmon in a shallow bowl.
It’s time to refrigerate. The person should place the salmon bowl on the flat surface of the fridge.
To prevent the growth of bad guys (microorganisms). Keep the fridge at a temperature of 35 to 40°C Ir 1.7 to 4.4 °F.
- Then, after a time range of 12 to 24 hours, behold your salmon is ready for consumption!
Immerse It
It’s not only human beings that love ice baths, even fishes do, especially Salmon. Below are what it means to immerse salmon in water;
Take out the fish from the freezer.
Remove its former covering and put it in a plastic bag.
Get a shallow bowl and place the salmon inside it.
Fill up the bowl with water, not cold nor hot/tepid. Just ordinary clean tap water. Fill the bowl until the fish is well immersed in the water.
The little work with this method is that the person will need to check the salmon every 30 minutes. And change the water as well until it’s well thawed.
For a salmon that’s all covered with ice, the person should pour water over it till the ice chunks are out before proceeding with this method.
Take out your salmon and cook it right away!
Microwave it
This is a more sensitive and risky way to thaw salmon. This is because it involves heat that does nothing but increase the presence of bacteria in it.
Nevertheless, there’s no other option when one doesn’t have much time before cooking it. However, following the instructions below will help a lot, here they are;
Take the salmon out of the freezer and remove its coverings.
This time around, the container one will use for the salmon doesn’t need to be very shallow. Just get a bowl that’d conveniently hold it.
Instead of a bag or nylon, the person should opt for paper towels. They should use paper towels to cover it before placing it in the bowl.
Set up the microwave, doing this requires knowing the weight of the salmon. Every 454 g (1 lb) needs 4 to 5 minutes of defrosting.
Yes, for thawing salmon, they should use the defrosting setting. This is because microwaving the salmon is the fastest way to poison it.
When it’s half the time before the defrost time elapses, turn off the microwave and take the fish out of the microwave.
Turn the salmon over. Finish the defrosting on the ground by placing it on the counter for 5 minutes before cooking.
Finally
Salmon is the best among several kinds of flesh. Not to mention that one can prepare several yummy meals with it in a few minutes. And now, thankfully with this post, people know the right and healthy ways to thaw salmon without much stress.
- Is it okay to thaw salmon at room temperature?
No, it’s not okay. Thawing salmon at room temperature or in warm/hot water only increases its bacteria which makes it unhealthy for consumption.
- How will I know my salmon is well thawed?
One can press a finger into the fish, a well-thawed salmon won’t feel frozen in the middle.
- Is it okay to thaw salmon while it’s in the packaging bag?
Yes, but one will need to cut a hole in the vacuum package for easy air penetration while thawing.
