When I kept hearing coworkers talk about Costco’s Kirkland Smoked Salmon, I was intrigued. Could a bagel piled high with smoked salmon be an everyday breakfast instead of an occasional treat?.
A thin slice of smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese is the quintessential fancy breakfast But your wallet might be sobbing over the high price tag on quality smoked salmon, An 8-ounce package can cost $25 or more at high-end grocers like Whole Foods
So what exactly makes this succulent, ruby-red fish cost a small fortune compared to fresh salmon? Here are the main reasons behind the lofty price tag
It Starts with the Salmon Itself
Wild salmon like sockeye and king salmon are more expensive than farmed Atlantic salmon due to limited supply. Salmon fisheries are closely managed to prevent overfishing, so there’s only so much fresh wild salmon to go around.
Farm-raised salmon has helped meet consumer demand, but living in overcrowded conditions makes them more likely to get sick and requires antibiotics. To make their meat look pink, artificial color is added to their feed. The premium flavor and texture of wild-caught salmon makes it ideal for smoking.
Significant Fillet Loss During Processing
Once the salmon is caught, it undergoes an extensive process to transform it into beautifully sliced fillets. According to The Book of Yields, only about 60-70% of a whole salmon’s weight comes from fillets. The remaining 30-40% is discarded as heads, tails, fins, bones, blood, and viscera.
So right off the bat, 30-40% of the fish is lost to waste. Then the fillets are skinned and portioned into thinner slices, resulting in more weight loss. The thinner the slices for smoking, the more exaggerated this effect.
Additional Weight Loss During Smoking
The smoking process dries out the salmon, which makes the flavor stronger but also makes it lighter. Cold smoking by itself can lower the weight of the lungs by 7 to 9 percent, but hot smoking makes them even smaller by cooking them.
By the time the sliced fillets complete the multi-day smoking process, they’ve lost 14-19% of their original weight. Less final product means higher prices to make up costs.
Smoking Takes Time and Labor
Preparing smoked salmon is a time and labor-intensive undertaking. First the fish is dry-brined using a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices. It cures in the fridge anywhere from 6 hours to 2 days. Then it’s rinsed, patted dry, and placed in the smoker.
Cold smoking, the traditional method, keeps the salmon under 90°F. The fish cures slowly for up to 3 days absorbing subtle smoky flavor. The lengthy process requires constant monitoring and adjustment of the smoker.
Hot smoking cooks the fish at higher temperatures, but still takes several hours and attention. The finished salmon is then sliced by hand into thin, uniform pieces. Skilled workers are essential for quality results.
Storage and Transportation Adds Costs
Once smoked, the perishable salmon must be handled with care. Proper refrigeration prevents bacterial growth and preserves quality. Vacuum sealing and flash freezing right after smoking helps maintain freshness.
Shipping the frozen smoked salmon also increases costs. Overnight air freight with dry ice or refrigerated transport is expensive but necessary to deliver theproduct in peak condition.
Premium Ingredients Boost Quality
High-end smoked salmon producers use top-grade wild salmon along with premium wood types like apple, oak, and alder for flavoring the smoke. Some even age their smoked salmon like fine wines before selling.
Quality spices and ingredients like pepper, garlic, maple syrup, and bourbon are used in curing and smoking. Hand trimming and slicing by skilled workers produces consistently thin, elegant slices. This artistry and attention to detail carries a premium price.
Brand Reputation and Exclusivity
Established smoked salmon brands from artisan producers command higher prices based on their reputation. Well-known examples include Acme Smoked Fish Corporation, Russ & Daughters, and Ducktrap River in Maine.
Their smoked salmon is treated like a luxury ingredient offered by upscale grocers and served at Michelin star restaurants. Limited supply and high demand lets them charge more for this exclusive, top-shelf product.
Is it Worth the Splurge?
While the sticker shock might make you balk, smoked salmon lovers say the melt-in-your-mouth texture and complex flavor make it well worth the indulgence now and then. A little goes a long way sliced thin on bagels and toast points.
For a more economical option, try hot-smoked salmon sold pre-cooked and sliced thicker. Or cure your own fresh salmon at home with a stovetop smoker and basic brine ingredients. It requires time and effort, but you’ll save substantially.
Frequency of Entities:
Salmon – 27
Fillet – 7
Smoking/Smoked – 17
Weight – 5
Process – 4
Flavor – 3
Time – 3
Labor – 2
Cost – 4
Price – 3
Premium – 2
Quality – 3
Is Kirkland Smoked Salmon a Good Deal?
Good smoked salmon is expensive. The curing process removes moisture, which means that the fish weighs less at the end. Because of that loss of mass, the price per pound must go up.
A 4-ounce package of Spence & Co. Traditional Scottish-Style Smoked Salmon, the winner of our smoked salmon taste test, costs $12. 79 at my local Whole Foods Market. They sell great smoked salmon that I have bought before and will gladly buy again, but I only eat it on special occasions.
In comparison, the Kirkland Smoked Salmon really is a bargain. I got a two-pack of 12-ounce packages for just $20. 00. It works out to a savings of more than $2. 00 per ounce.
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The Truth About How Smoked Salmon Is Made
FAQ
Why is smoked salmon so expensive now?
What is a good price for smoked salmon?
Why can’t you eat smoked salmon everyday?
Is smoked salmon as healthy as salmon?
Why is salmon so expensive?
If we’re talking restaurants and places that cook the fish for you, the price will always be at least double what they paid for the raw fish. Besides, salmon is considered a food that is both healthy and refined, so it will always have a markup, even if the total salmon price ever goes down. 5. Salmon farms are expensive to maintain
How much does smoked salmon cost?
As of this writing, it would cost you $51.53 for approximately 1.75 pounds of smoked salmon, or just short of $30 per pound. One clear reason why smoked salmon should command such prices is that in terms of salmon weight, the fish only contains so much fillet.
Why is wild salmon more expensive than farmed salmon?
Wild caught salmon is more expensive due to a supply and demand issue. The price of fresh, wild salmon is typically higher compared to farmed salmon because the demand for it surpasses the available supply. What is rare for salmon?
What is smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon is salmon that goes through a curing process and is then smoked. Since salmon is quite an expensive fish, smoked salmon isn’t so cheap either. Despite being dear, smoked salmon happens to be a very popular cuisine in certain parts of Europe and the US.