Sugartown Smoked Specialties’ Food News

With the spotlight on healthy and organic foods, cooking with preservative free foods is what people are looking for.  Preservative free foods are foods that contain no preservative additives.  Preservatives are often the cause of food allergies and may cause allergic reactions in some people.  Using preservative free foods will eliminate the cause of these allergies.

Adding preservative free foods to your favorite recipes is easy.  I am going to use naturally smoked or brined smoked foods in my recipes to make exciting changes to already favorites.  For example, my favorite recipes for both entertaining and for quick week night include pasta.   Pasta with Alfredo sauce is an easy variation that can be changed from using simple frozen shrimp to adding preservative free smoked diver scallops instead.  Imagine the flavor difference!  As always I tend to add items to my Alfredo from my pantry like sundried tomatoes, pine nuts or basil from the garden.

Pasta recipes are easiest to change up.  I love the idea of adding preservative free smoked salmon to any pasta dish.  A simple butter sauce with peas, broccoli or asparagus tips will be delicious with a Hungarian style smoked salmon.  Less is more when substituting flavorful preservative free smoked foods.

If you are entertaining any time of the year or if you are looking to add some variety to your weekly menus than consider changing your favorite recipe to include artisan preservative free smoked meats and smoked seafood.   It’s easy and it will make an impression with your family and friends.

Bio:  Linda Dunkelberger is a freelance writer and editor.  “Adding Preservative Free Foods to Your Favorite Recipes” is an inspiration from the great preservative free smoked foods at Sugartown Smoked Specialties.  For product information and many more ideas see their website:  www.smokedfoods.com.

Smoked fish is moist and flavorful, and can be used in many recipes as the main ingredient or as burst of unexpected flavor. Fish is usually smoked to accentuate the flavors of the meat, and because fish is high in fat and oil content, it is especially tasty. Lean fish tends to turn dry and rough when smoked, which is why salmon and trout, with their higher oil content, are such good candidates for smoking.

Smoked salmon can be prepared in many different ways, including the main course for a meal, placed on a bagel, in eggs, in patès, in pasta dishes, and in quiches. Salmon can be smoked in two ways: hot smoked, or kippered, and cold smoked, or Nova style.

Cold smoked salmon (under 90ºF) adds amazing flavor, but does not cook the fish, and so, should be refrigerated. In this method, the salmon absorbs the smoke given off by the wood chips, creating a delicate flavor and texture. It is a much longer process than hot smoking, and can take days. Cold smoking doesn’t actually cook the meat, but the brine it is soaked in draws out moisture and adds the flavors of the woods and herbs during the smoking. Cold smoked salmon is best sliced as thinly as possible, and is a favorite with cream cheese and bagels, and on blinis with sour cream, capers or caviar. Nova style smoked salmon is a flavorful cold smoked salmon product.

Hot smoked salmon is fully cooked at 145 degrees for 30 minutes (FDA guidelines for vacuum packed), but should still be kept refrigerated. Hot smoked salmon is best cut into chunks or flakes. It can then be used in pasta, salads, eggs and pies. Click here to view some of our favorite smoked salmon recipes.

Smoked trout is usually prepared using a hot smoking method (around 225ºF) for a firmer texture, but this produces a slightly less moist fish. In order to increase the moisture of the finished product, the trout can be cured or put into a brine of salt, sugar, water, and spices. This also adds to the flavor of the smoked trout. Oak and fruit woods give the best flavors for hot smoking. One benefit of the hot smoking method is that the slow cooking helps to remove the fish meat from the bone. Smoked trout are very tasty, and you can eat them just the way they are, or you can use it as an appetizer or an ingredient in other dishes. Smoked trout and cream cheese make great dips. Click here to view some of our favorite smoked trout recipes.

Smoked salmon or trout can be frozen for months. If you plan to freeze smoked fish, first remove the bones and skin, freezing only the meat.

Sugartown Smoked Specialties has many different varieties of smoked salmon and smoked trout. They expertly combine spices and wood types to create unique smoked flavors that compliment the fish. Their award winning smoked foods are perfect for any party or dinner alone, or used in one of your own recipes. Tasmanian Trout was awarded outstanding fish or artisinal seafood product in the 2008 Gallo Family Vineyards Gold Medal Awards. Sugartown’s recipe for the ultimate hot smoked, Sea-Run Rainbow Trout from the pristine waters of Tasmania is moist and flaky with an exceptional flavor.