MAINE-LY SMOKED SALMON™ gets its fish from the near-by salmon farms of
Passamaquoddy Bay. These farm-raised salmon are of the highest quality and
absolutely fresh when they reach the smoking operation.
The salmon begin their growth process in a hatchery as 'green eggs'. Then the
hatched fry are fed a highly nourishing diet to accelerate their gowth. It takes
about 18 months of growth to get the fish to a point where they can be
transfered to the ocean pens. At the Smolt stage they are transitioned to the
pristine waters of northern Maine in the Cobscook and Passamaquoddy Bays. The
twenty plus feet of tidal shift occuring each day provides an aqua-farming
environment that is unmatched anywhere. This flushing action keeps the area
around the fish pens clean, healthy and well oxygenated. The fish will spend the
additional 18 months needed to grow to their market weight of 6 - 11 pounds
under careful monitoring and constant feeding.
To meet government handling and processing regulations (HAACP), the fish must
be kept in closely monitored temperature ranges through-out the processing and
shipping. While being transported, the fish must be refrigerated or chilled
between 33° and 40° F. To do this the salmon arrive at the smoke house in
special ice-filled shipping containers.
The salmon are kept in the ice until ready for processing. The fish are cut
into fillets, trimmed and then carefully pin-boned. Cleaned, brined for 12 hours
and ready for the smoker, the fish are racked and then placed into the hot or
cold smoking cabinet. A sweet apple wood is used for smoking giving the salmon a
sweet and subtle flavor.
The oven is kept at a constant temperature throuh out the processing. Hot
Smoking demands that the fish be cooked to an internal temperature of 150 -
155°F. The result is a hearty smoked flavor and a flaky texture. Cold Smoking
requires a temperture of not more than 70°F . The cold smoked meat will be
sweeter and the texture more silky and easy to slice. |