Jensen's Smokehouse, North Seattle

[The Quadfather]

I was just wondering if anybody has used this business or any other similar smoke houses out there?
*** Yes... yes.. I get it. Most of us smoke our own fish and meats. I have a very nice smoker of my own, of course.**

But that being said, this place is sort of a Seattle landmark. (Located about 105th and Greenwood Ave. Has the large metal fish on the roof, with its jaw moving up and down.

I found my experience there today was rather strange. The girl at the counter was weighing my Mackinaw. She asked how I wanted it smoked. I asked what kind of wood options they had.----- She said, " We use hardwood" I said, that's great. However there are about 100 kinds of hardwood around the world. Can you be more specific? She then said, " OH... sometimes we use sawdust"
After a whole lot of discussion back and forth of me teaching her about Apple, Cherry, Alder, etc. She finally asked another employee, what kind of wood they used. His answer was Alder.
So basically they offer you a choice of 3 different brines, and only Alder for everything. Fish, meat, cheese, whatever you are smoking.

I guess I'm just asking if anyone has ever used a commercial smoking operation, did you have any sort of options of which wood you used?

[natetreat]

That's strange. If they smoked more than fish, they should smoke it with hickory for bacon or something. Most commercially smoked fish that I've seen is smoked with alder, it's the most generic smoke that appeals to everyone. That's why we smoked everything at home ourselves, for variation. I'm sure they run everything through the same smokers.

[Bodofish]

Well besides using my own commercial smoking operation. Yes I used to use the Shrimp Shack in Bellingham when I was short on time, they always did an excellent job and no they didn't offer choice of wood. With a commercial operation that would be a bit tough as most have walk in sized smokers. Jensen's, when my mom lived on Crown Hill, she used to buy smoked salmon from them, mostly bits and pieces of trim from the nova lox, she used it in recipes. When available she'd pick up collars too. Not available too often anymore... the secret tasty bits tend to get popular with the cooking shows on tv.

[Gringo Pescador]

I've had thier smoked salmon, but it was 20 years ago. It was good then, but that was then....

[drysuperfly52]

before we had a smoker when i was younger, we brought some sturgeon in for smoking, they kept half and smoked the other half for free.

[The Quadfather]

I have no doubt it will taste great. The place has a fine reputation. I was just a little taken back by the retail person's lack of understanding about how there are actually different types of wood. And of course I hoped for a little bit of choice on things.
Oh well, that's why most of us have our own smokers.

[kzoo]

When I started fishing for Salmon, I brought in some Chum there. It was too salty. Wasn't impressed back then.

[Gringo Pescador]

For a place like that I guess I would rather have the newbie behind the counter and have the more experienced folks smoking the fish!

[racfish]

Well besides using my own commercial smoking operation. Yes I used to use the Shrimp Shack in Bellingham when I was short on time, they always did an excellent job and no they didn't offer choice of wood. With a commercial operation that would be a bit tough as most have walk in sized smokers. Jensen's, when my mom lived on Crown Hill, she used to buy smoked salmon from them, mostly bits and pieces of trim from the nova lox, she used it in recipes. When available she'd pick up collars too. Not available too often anymore... the secret tasty bits tend to get popular with the cooking shows on tv.

The Shrimp Shack made the best fish n chips around in the 70's. I loved that place with its crooked floor. While at WWSC we used to eat there twice a week.They made milkshakes the old fashioned way. For me it was the malts.

[c_saeteurn]

My coworkers friend went up to the bc for some fishing and brought back about 80 pounds of coho and kings. Called them to do a pickup of the fish. The fish was to be cut into 6 - 10 oz portions smoked traditionally, individually cryovaced.
Simple. A couple weeks later, the finished product was brought back. 2 boxes. they weighed about 15 - 20 lbs total.
On the invoice. the description on the invoice said below. Salvageable fish 50%. Keep in mind these where whole fish that were gutted. All in all. He was pissed, and he'll never use the service again. I assume that 80 pounds of whole fish once filleted is still around 50 pounds of meat. 50 pounds of meat smoked should produce roughly 40 pounds of smoked salmon

[racfish]

In the Rainier Beach area is a company called Dressel Colins. They do a very nice job on Kippred salmon. They might do a hard smoke. Ive eaten their fish many times. Its quite good.

[rseas]

My coworkers friend went up to the bc for some fishing and brought back about 80 pounds of coho and kings. Called them to do a pickup of the fish. The fish was to be cut into 6 - 10 oz portions smoked traditionally, individually cryovaced.
Simple. A couple weeks later, the finished product was brought back. 2 boxes. they weighed about 15 - 20 lbs total.
On the invoice. the description on the invoice said below. Salvageable fish 50%. Keep in mind these where whole fish that were gutted. All in all. He was pissed, and he'll never use the service again. I assume that 80 pounds of whole fish once filleted is still around 50 pounds of meat. 50 pounds of meat smoked should produce roughly 40 pounds of smoked salmon

I've been home smoking fish using a variety of smokers; everything from a full on walk-in shed smoker to my Big Green Egg for 25 years. The ratio I always make asumptions on is 10 pounds of unprocessed fish to 3 pounds of smoked product. Of course the ratio will vary a bit depending on type of fish and the type of smoked product but 10 to 3 is a pretty solid ratio. That said, 15-20 pounds of smoked product from 80 pounds of unprocessed fish is about what I would expect.

[Bodofish]

Yep. Splitting the fish, cleaning up the rib bones, fins, collars and the big one is the head. Not to mention the drying and smoking. Every time you touch a raw product in processing there's going to be loss.

[racfish]

Years ago when fishing Westport back when Westport was the Salmon Capital,wed catch 15-30 lb kings. Wed take them to the Westport cannery. Youd give them 50 # of salmon and get less then half the weight back in canned salmon. I used to make sqwah candy from belly strips and collars.

[BARCHASER10]

I used to smoke all my own fish. The last 4-5 years I've gotten lazy I guess, and I've taken a lot of fish into Jensens. We don't smoke Chinooks, too good on the table, our smokers are mostly Silvers and Pinks. I have no complaints about Jensens.Their service is good, fair, on time and the smoked fish is OK. My fishing buddy built a smoking shed this summer. He has family recipes going back years. He lives near Mt Vernon and he has cherry and apple trees, so he always has good hardwood to use. His stuff is better than Jensens so that's my source now.

[The Quadfather]

Update: Well, the fish is done smoking, and has been picked up.
There are 3 available brines. "Regular" Garlic and Pepper, and a sweet squaw candy bring. I went with the Garlic Pepper.
I have to admit I was a little nervous at first, because the customer in front of me left without his fish, it had been lost somehow. They did tell him that they would give him the same weight of smoked fish from their own supply. They also vaccum seal it very nicely.
My Mackinaw turned out pretty good I thought. I do though think that my preference on smoked fish is the sweeter style brines, but it was all good anyway.

[racfish]

Seeing this thread made me think of Genes Smokehouse. It was off 180th just south of the airport. He had a nursery business selling Rhodies and a smoking facility to boot. Back then I did all my steelhead with him. He'd be around 120 yo if he is still around.