The Foolproof Ratio For Curing Fish At Home

Way back in early human civilization, we were curing our freshly caught fish with salt to help preserve it for longer. As an added bonus, the salt made the meat taste better by covering up bitter flavors and intensifying savory ones. Today, curing or brining your salmon to make them more appetizing is still common, and it's fairly easy. You only need a few ingredients; salt, sugar, and, of course, fish. Nearly any type of fish can be cured, whether it's a mild-flavored fish like tilapia or an extremely fishy-tasting fish such as salmon. But there's a more pressing question to answer than what type of fish you should cure: What's the correct ratio of salt to sugar to fish?

You'll see different answers on the best salt-to-sugar ratio out there, which can depend on preference, but the ideal ratio is typically equal parts salt and sugar, although sometimes you see chefs use a larger two-to-one ratio of salt to sugar. You might start with an equal amount of both for your first fish cure, and then move into larger ratios of salt if you want a brinier taste. However, you should be adding extra salt rather than extra sugar. A good rule of thumb is to start with ¼ cup of salt and sugar for every two pounds of fish, but more is fine. Basically, you need enough salt and sugar to cover the whole fish.

The reason for those ratios involves the roles which salt and sugar play in the curing process. Whether you're working with cold smoked salmon or cured tuna for some fish jerky, what you're doing during a cure is using the salt and sugar to draw moisture out of the fish, which makes it harder for harmful bacteria to grow on it. As a result, the fish filet becomes firmer and begins to absorb the flavors of the cure in which it's sitting. Both the salt and sugar do heavy lifting here, so even if you use more salt, don't discount the sugar. It won't make the fish overly sweet, but it will balance out the brininess of the salt and make sure your fish doesn't taste excessively salty.

What else might you add to a cure besides salt and sugar? Gravlax is the Scandinavian name for a popular salmon dish cured with salt, sugar, and fresh dill. Citrus is also popular, which you can pull off by mixing the salt and sugar with some grated lemon or lime zest before it hits the fish. You don't need to add water, otherwise you'll go from curing your fish to brining your fish. Instead, curing is sometimes referred to as a "dry brine." Either way, it's a delicious way to incorporate flavor into a beautiful cut of fish.