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p 8 economist sunthe tribune tuesday july 15 1997 the summer season of salmon is about to begin these days the word salmon may make you think about the west coast salmon wars but poli tics aside salmon is a perfect food for barbecuing baking or even microwaving and you can stock up on a sup ply of your favorite salmon and keepit in the freezer while everyone has their own preferred ways of homefreezing here are some proven methods from the bc salmon marketing council you might try when freez ing salmon by following these easy meth ods you and your family can enjoy salmon the taste of sum mer throughput the year just remember the two cardinal rules start with the freshest high- quality salmon possible and use methods which keep the moisture in and the air out the fresher the better for suc cessful freezing means salmon should be frozen immediately after purchase if you have any doubts about quality or freshness dont bother freezing it if you are starting with a whole salmon make sure that it is rinsed clean of blood and viscera before freezing if freezing portions package steaks and fillets individually or layer them with waxed paper in between for easier separation wrapping well is the secret to keeping moisture in and air out the trick is to double- or even triplewrap salmon choosing a strong inner wrap such as plastic wrap or wet paper towels then wrap again with aluminum foil or freezer paper or use a heavy self- sealing bag before labelling and freezing keep your salmon in the coldest part of the freezer directly against the freezer floor and wall and fur ther away from the freezer door or lid so that it receives the least amount of exposure to warmer air when the freezer is opened keep fish frozen at a constant temperature of 0 degrees f 18 degrees c or colder smaller packages freeze faster and better than large ones so con sider dividing a large fish into por tions never freeze salmon that has been previously frozen and thawed salmon frozen at home will keep well in the freezer for about two months after that its flavor and nutritional value will start to dete riorate if you plan to keep it longer than two months follow the glazing method outlined below when ready to use your frozen salmon thawit in the refrigerator in original wrapping or thaw faster under cold running water or defrost in microwave four to five mihuteslb 500 g followed by equal standing time tips on buying fish fresh if youre looking for some thing different to make for din ner which is low in fat but high in protein salmon is the way to go there are five different spe cies chinook chum coho sockeye and pink each variety offers a unique flavor and a variety of usages chinook also known as king or spring salmon is one of the most flavorful of the british columbia species and comes fresh frozen or smoked chum is mild in flavor and is called keta when canned coho salmon is fullflavored and finetextured and is sold fresh frozen canned and smoked sockeye is as flavorful as chinook and is sold by the can as well as fresh smoked and frozen pink salmon is delicate in fla vor and texture and comes fresh frozen and canned salmon is best if you pur chase it fresh before buying if read the following tips provid ed by the bc salmon market- food for thought lisa cartwright ing council try to purchase your salmon the day you are going to serve it the flesh should be firm and moist without being watery press the flesh of the fish next to the backbone and watch how the quickly the dimple dis appears the fresher the fish the faster the flesh springs back look for moist and translu cent flesh dont purchase a fish which appears bruised or spotted when purchasing whole fish make sure the eyes are clean and shiny and not sunken fresh salmon should smell clean and never fishy fish sit ting in a puddle of liquid means ithas been around too long purchase fish displayed on ice from a reliable grocery store with a knowledgeable staff freezing methods layer wrapping wet salmon wrap tightly in plastic wrap wrap again with foil and then freeze or completely wrap fish in paper towels then thoroughly wet the towels with cold water wrap the fish in two layers of newspaper and completely wet the newspaper with cold water finally wrap the entire pack age in heavyduty aluminum foil and then freeze storing in heavy plastic self- sealing bag wet each fresh salmon portion place in a heavy plastic selfseal ing bag and seal with all air re moved you will prevent freezer burn by making sure the bag is airtight so push or suck all the air out before sealing the bag or try this method immerse the bag in a container of water up to the sealing strip and until all air is forced out then seal the bag and place in freezer milk carton method place fresh salmon portions in milk carton fill with water seal so container is airtight and freeze glazing freeze fish as quickly as possi ble by placing fish portions ie steaks fillets on cookie sheet cover with wax paper or foil and place in freezer when fish is solidly frozen succulent salmon try this appetiz ing and healthy recipe baked salmon steaks with ginger rat- atouille it only takes about 20 minutes to pre pare and is a favorite recipe of joe bauer a fish erman from bc the bc salmonfishing season is just starting guar anteeing a fresh supply of succu lent salmon in five varieties all summer salmon is best served fresh but can also be stored in the freezer for up to two months quickly dip each portion into a container of icecold water so it is completely frozen an ice coating will automatically form place the portions back in the freezer uncovered for another 10 or 20 minutes repeat dipping and freezing procedure about five or six times until a thick glaze about 14 inch 12 cm has formed wrap salmon portions airtight in heavy plastic freezer wrap or seal in a heavy plastic selfsealing bag and place in the freezer when youre ready to prepare the salmon try one of these mouthwatering recipes below from the bc salmon marketing council i baked salmon ste v j 1 tbsp olive oil eeeifeis the only bbq salmon 12 lbs salmon fillets r 8 large garlic cloves u and red pepper j alt 4 tbsp finelychopped parsley taste 2 tbsp finelyminced sun dried tomatoes kwrn 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley preheat oven to 350 degrees f 1 80