The Process
Salmon
Seiner + Skiff
Hand Cutting,
into Cubes
Freeze-Dried
Cubes
The Process
We purchase fresh salmon directly from fishermen. This is the same salmon destined for supermarkets and restaurants. Some businesses would say this is “human-grade.” We say, “it’s the way it should be.” Some businesses use the frames (skeletons), collars, fins and skin and call it salmon. We use only salmon fillets, nothing else.
Upon arrival at our DEC/FDA permitted processing facility the salmon are immediately cleaned, deboned, skinned, diced and blast frozen. The frozen cubes are then freeze-dried.
Freeze-dried vs dehydrating – big difference
Freeze-drying (aka lyophilization) and dehydrating both remove water. This is what helps preserve food, in this case fish. The lack of available water prevents spoilage causing bacteria from growing. Dehydration is typically done using heat. Heat degrades protein, causing shrinkage and toughness, i.e., beef jerky. The freeze-dry process uses sublimation. Frozen product is placed into a vacuum chamber where the pressure is lowered. It is this low pressure that allows water to be removed without disrupting the cellular structure of the product or degrading nutritional content. Freeze-drying allows us to produce a product that retains all of its nutritional value without the use of chemicals or preservatives.
Freeze-drying is the “Gold Standard” when it comes to food preservation. It is the most effective and expensive method of food preservation. The resulting products can last years without any preservatives, additives or chemicals. It takes approximately one pound of fresh fish to make 4 oz of freeze-dried cubes.
All products are proudly caught, processed and packaged in Alaska.
