Raw salmon fillet pieces soaking in brown sugar vinegar brine with salt and ground allspice beside a glass container

Brown Sugar Vinegar Salmon Brine

Brown Sugar Vinegar Salmon Brine seasons five pounds of salmon with allspice in a short, sweet-tangy cure before a separately chosen safe smoking method.

Course Brine

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Curing and Drying Time 8 30

Total Time 8 45

Servings four-ounce servings

Calories 133

Equipment

1 Refrigerator Thermometer for confirming a curing temperature of 38°F or colder
1 Cutting Board for preparing the salmon
1 Chef's Knife for cutting the salmon only when needed for the smoking setup
1 Kitchen Scale for confirming the five-pound batch
1 set Measuring Cups and Spoons for the cure ingredients
1 Large Food-Safe Non-Reactive Container with Lid for mixing and refrigerating the cure
1 Whisk for combining the cure
1 pair Kitchen Tongs for turning and lifting the salmon
1 Kitchen Timer for the 30-minute cure
1 Refrigerator for curing and drying the salmon safely
1 Large Clean Bowl for the gentle cold-water rinse
as needed Paper Towels for drying the rinsed salmon
1 large Wire Rack for exposing the salmon surface to cold air
1 large Rimmed Baking Sheet for catching moisture beneath the rack

Ingredients

Salmon and Brine

5 pounds salmon whole sides, fillets, or pieces suited to the smoking setup
2 cups brown sugar packed
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water cold
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons ground allspice

Instructions

Prepare and Cure

Clean and sanitize the work area, tools, and food-contact surfaces. Confirm that the refrigerator is holding at 38°F or colder.
On a clean cutting board, use a kitchen scale to confirm about five pounds of salmon. Leave whole sides or fillets intact when they fit the smoking setup, or use a chef’s knife to cut only as needed for even brining and later smoking.
5 pounds salmon
In a large food-safe non-reactive container, whisk the packed brown sugar, white vinegar, cold water, salt, and ground allspice until evenly combined.
2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons ground allspice
Arrange the salmon in a snug food-safe container, pour the cure over it, and use kitchen tongs to turn each piece so every surface is wet. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning the pieces once halfway through so the limited liquid keeps contacting them evenly.

Rinse and Dry

Lift the salmon out with clean tongs. Discard all used cure without splashing, then clean and sanitize any surface it touched.
Place the salmon pieces in a large clean bowl of cold water and move them gently to rinse away excess cure. Avoid a forceful spray, then drain the fish.
Pat every piece dry with paper towels. Arrange the salmon in one uncrowded layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
Refrigerate the racked salmon uncovered until the surface feels lightly tacky rather than wet. Keep it refrigerated until proceeding with a separately selected safe smoking method.

Notes

Brining seasons the salmon but does not cook it. Keep the fish cold throughout the process, discard the used cure, and finish it with a separately selected safe smoking method before serving.

Nutrition