Who would not love to get delicious food delivered automatically every month? We all know how easy it is to forget to order products that we want or need on a regular basis.

We can help with regular deliveries of Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon to your door!

You can use our subscription service also to send this healthy food option to your offspring in college, or as a gift that keeps giving to family and friends.

Great news: There is already a discount of 10 percent applied on all salmon pack prices!

Have a look at our offer!

We have for example a “Variety is King” option which gives you two different cold and hot smoked salmon marinades each. These four small packs are ideal for 1 to 2 people.

Also on offer is the “For the Love of Cold Smoked Salmon” which consists of three packs of our cold smoked salmon marinades. This option comes in different package sizes to suit either one to two people or a family.

This is how it works:

• You select an option that works for you in terms of packs sizes and duration
• Select a delivery date for the first instalment
• We will send the next deliveries on the same day of the week

Here you will find the available subscription options

Salmon live in two of the biggest oceans on Earth and the rivers flowing into them.  There is only one species of salmon in the Atlantic, aptly named Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar). They are a distant relative of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and closely related to Brown trout (Salmo trutta).

Salmon are one of the few fish species which are able to transform from living in freshwater to living in salt water.  As juveniles they live in rivers, then migrate to the sea and return later to the freshwater river they were born in.

Spawning

For the adult salmon, the migration from their feeding grounds in the Atlantic back to the river of their origin may start up to a year before they spawn in autumn or winter. Once in freshwater, the salmon ceases to feed to direct all their energy to swim upriver and to reproduce.

The adult female salmon dig a shallow nest in the gravel called a redd. Eggs are laid in the redd and fertilized by male fish (spawning). The female salmon buries the fertilized eggs under 12-15 cm of gravel. From now on, the salmon eggs are on their own.

 

Most salmon die after spawning, but those who survive will start the whole cycle again.

Alevins

In early spring, the eggs will hatch after about 180 days in the gravel. The freshly hatched fish are called alevins, and still have a yolk sac attached to their bodies containing the remains of food supplied from the egg.

After a month, once most of their yolk sac is depleted, the alevins begin their journey up through the gravel.

Fry

Three to six weeks after hatching they are called fry. The small fish must rise to the surface of the water to take a gulp of air with which they fill their swim bladder. This critical period exposes the young to dangerous predators for the first time

Parr

Toward the end of their first year, young salmon develop characteristic dark bars along their side with red spots for camouflage. They are now being referred to as parr.

They feed on aquatic insects and grow for one to three years in their natal stream.

Smolt

Once the parr have grown to 10–24 cm in body length, they undergo a physiological pre-adaptation to life in seawater while still in freshwater, by smolting. Smolting is the process of internal changes in the salt-regulating mechanisms of the body, and in the appearance and behaviour of the fish.

The smolts change from swimming against the current to moving with it. This adaptation prepares the smolt for its journey to the oceans.

In spring, large numbers of smolts leave Irish rivers to migrate north along the slope current into the Norwegian Sea and the greater expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean. As they grow fewer predators are able to feed on them. Their rate of growth is therefore critical to survival.

Some Irish salmon will reach maturity after one year at sea and return to their river in summertime weighing from 1 to 4 kg. If it takes two or more years to mature, the salmon will return considerably earlier in the year and larger at 3 to 15 kg – becoming a highly prized but rare fish.

Salmon exhibit a remarkable “homing instinct”, by which a very high proportion are able to locate their river of origin using the earth’s magnetic field, the “smell” of their river and pheromones released by other salmon in the river.

Having spawned, the salmon are referred to as “kelts”. Weakened by not having eaten any food since their arrival in freshwater and losing energy in a bid to reproduce successfully they are susceptible to disease and predators. Mortality after spawning can be significant, especially for males but some do survive and commence their epic journey again. In exceptional cases, some Irish salmon are known to have spawned up to three times!

Some remarkable facts about salmon

• The name salar comes from the Latin salio which means “to leap”. Atlantic salmon can leap up waterfalls 4.5 meters high (15 feet).
• The largest Atlantic salmon ever caught in North America weighed 32.6 kg (72 pounds).
• Atlantic salmon can travel up to 100 km per day in the ocean.
• Atlantic salmon lay 1500-1800 eggs per kilogramme of body weight.
• Atlantic salmon scales can be ‘read’ much like the rings on a tree. The scales are used to determine the fish’s age, growth and how many times it has spawned.
• Fin tissue can be used to determine where Atlantic salmon were born.

The terms Cold and Hot Smoking refers to the temperature at which salmon (or other kinds of fish) are smoked.

The traditional Irish and central European way of smoking salmon is cold smoked. The texture and taste of the salmon is the one that you would automatically associate with smoked salmon: dark pink, soft, juicy.

The salmon is smoked in the kiln for about 13 hours at roughly 30° Celsius. The exact times and temperatures depend on the size of the fillets.

It comes in different varieties: the classic plain one, and as a unique blend of Honey, Whiskey & Fennel, and with sprinkles of seaweed on top. This unique variety won several Gold Medals at the Great Taste Awards already.

The Scandinavian way of smoking salmon is hot smoked. The salmon fillets are smoked for half the time at double the temperature. Some people also call it barbecued salmon because of the texture. It is flakier and has a lighter colour than the cold smoked salmon. Especially people who don’t like cold smoked salmon that much love our hot smoked salmon.

It comes in different varieties:

Plain: Just the pure salmon taste, nothing added.

Spiced: A colourful and tasty spice mix created by us featuring paprika, mustard seeds, onion, black pepper and herbs gives the hot smoked salmon the extra edge.

Honey, Lemon and Dill: In 2007, we invented the Burren Hot Smoked Irish Organic Salmon with Honey, Lemon & Dill. Over the years, it won numerous gold medals at the Great Taste Awards.

Honey, Lemon and Pepper: Invented at the same time, it also won a Great Taste Award! The lemon makes the salmon very juicy.

Over the last decade, there have been a few occasions where we were invited to supply our Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon for royal events. The first one was in May 2011, when Queen Elizabeth II was the first member of the British Crown to come to Ireland on a State Visit.

The Burren Smoked Salmon was served as a starter during the State Dinner and again the next day when the Queen… Read more

A few years later, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla came to Ireland for an official visit. Prince Charles was keen on visiting the Burren due to his interest in conservation. The Burren Smokehouse contributed a side of Wild Smoked Irish Salmon to the food hamper… Read more

After the first two Royal Events, we thought it could not get any more prestigious than that. We were wrong.

In May 2019, the honour of a visit of the King and Queen of Sweden was bestowed upon us. The royal couple came to the Burren Smokehouse and met with Birgitta Hedin-Curtin and other local food producers. The couple very much enjoyed our Smoked Salmon canapées and micro-brewery beer from the Roadside Tavern… Read more

Eating outdoors is all the rage this summer, and picnics are the new favourite way of having lunch or dinner “al fresco”.

We recently rediscovered the old-world charm of enjoying some lovely food and drink outside while being in a beautiful and natural setting.

The Burren in North Clare is such a beautiful space, with lots of spots to enjoy a delicious lunch or afternoon tea on a picnic blanket. In addition to that, the limestone area also borders on the Atlantic and features some scenic drives and stunning views over to Connemara and the Aran Islands.

We want you to enjoy the Burren in all its breath-taking facettes. We have created a handful of different picnic options for you and your family or friends so that you can experience the Burren also on a culinary level – in a beautiful setting.

We have non-alcoholic options, and then the more decadent ones with either prosecco frizzante, red wine or a small bottle of champagne. All of them come with our Burren Cold Smoked Irish Organic Salmon with Honey & Dill, Gortnamona goats cheese, slices of homemade bread, butter and utensils.

You want it to be a special picnic to celebrate a birthday, or maybe pop THE question?

No problem, we have got you covered. Enter: Burren Luxury Picnic for Two with Champagne!

This luxury picnic contains a delicious, easy meal for two people:

• a 180g pack of Burren Cold Smoked Irish Organic Salmon
• a 180g pack of Burren Hot Smoked Irish Organic Salmon, plain
• 6 slices of brown bread with butter pads
• a 120g tub of fresh St. Tola Goats Cheese “Divine”
• an 80g Cooleeney Gortnamona Goats Cheese
• a big 750ml bottle of Moët & Chandon Champagne
• a pair of Champagne flutes from Galway Crystal
• as well as compostable cutlery and napkins

The picnic options are on our website, if you want to have it shipped to an address.

You can also collect them at the Burren Smokehouse visitor centre. You can book your collection slot here to make sure that we have it ready for you.

Oh, one more thing – we will provide little (compostable) bags for your rubbish so that you can take it back with you. Please do not leave anything behind. Others want to enjoy the same spot without unsightly pieces of plastic and wrappers. We love you for being considerate!

Since we started welcoming visitors to our smokehouse, we have always been amazed at the level of curiosity and the inquisitive questions we were asked. We believe that smoking salmon is an art and a craft, and we want to share it with others. We have made this knowledge even more accessible now, and also added a craft beer masterclass!

Birgitta Hedin Curtin, the owner-manager of the Burren Smokehouse, will begin the experience with a short video about the smoking process in our visitor centre. You will get a hands-on demonstration of the kiln: feel the oak shavings, open the kiln, look inside and smell the smoke.

Then you will go down to the production facility where normally access is limited to members of staff only. Before going into the smoking room, the heart of the operation, you will change into protective clothing for your tour of the production area. You’ll look inside the working smokebox and ovens. You will see the production facility and learn how we craft our award-winning salmon that is being shipped around the world.

The next stop is the Roadside Tavern, the adjacent pub that had been in our family for over a hundred years. Here you will enjoy a tasting platter of our own smoked salmon as well as beer from our own micro-brewery. Peter Curtin is the master brewer of the Burren Brewery, and as an added bonus, he will be talking to you about the brewing process and anything else that you might want to know!

For more information, please go to our Burren Experience page.

Chef Neven Maguire from MacNean’s Restaurant in Blacklion, Co. Cavan, is an Irish food hero and great supporter of Irish produced foods. For the series of “Neven’s Irish Seafood Trails”, he travelled to North Clare in the summer of 2020 to highlight Irish food and drink, and visited chefs like Peter Jackson who at the time was the head chef at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point, and Viv Kelly at Russell’s Food Shop in Doolin.

He also spent quite a bit of time at the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna where, to his surprise, he discovered our new visitor experience called “Taste the Atlantic – Salmon Experience”. Owner Birgitta Hedin Curtin guided him through it and discussed wild and organic salmon. He was given the VIP treatment and was able to see the kilns and smoke box in the smoking area which normally is off limits for the public. In the family-owned pub next door, the Roadside Tavern, he tasted different kinds of our Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon. He got a chance to pair them with the Burren Brewery beers brewed by Birgitta’s husband Peter Curtin. Among them was the “Euphoria”, a hop-less fruity beer brewed with wild yeasts collected in the Burren and locally collected herbs.

Watch the video:

One of the most asked questions we get from our customers is “Can I freeze smoked salmon?”. The short answer to that is yes, you can for up to 6 months.

But apart from that easy question, there are a lot of other foods, prepared or raw, that can be frozen while some should never go into a freezer. It is not easy to know the difference, and that’s why we put a little guide together for you along with some handy tips.

Using the freezer is a great way of preparing food ahead of time. So when you don’t have the time, you can grab some portion-sized meal, let it defrost for a few hours and then enjoy it. Another tip is to cook more than you need and freeze the remainder for another time.

Here are some guidelines for freezing foods.

1. Raw foods that were frozen once cannot be frozen again – think chicken or shrimp. It is safe to assume that raw shrimp from the seafood shop have already been frozen and thawed to be sold before you bought it. The good news: Once it’s cooked, you can freeze it again, but only once.
2. Freezer burn is caused by air trapped in the packaging, so wrap the food as tightly as you can, and press all the air out of bags. Best would be to vacuum seal it, but ziploc bags work very well, too.
3. Always write the date and content on the food package. It is good to know if the homemade chicken stock has been in the freezer for two months or two years. Go through the freezer contents maybe twice a year and if in doubt, throw it out. Nothing keeps forever!
4. Always defrost slowly overnight in the fridge rather than speeding up the process in hot water or worse, the microwave. This is especially true for smoked salmon or any fish.
5. Vegetable soups, chicken soups, creamed soups all freeze and defrost beautifully, and it’s easy to reheat and enjoy them. Soups with cheese or milk in them are a bit trickier as the milk can curdle when heated – stirring vigorously helps.
6. Dishes with sauces, for example stews and baked pasta, freeze better than dishes without sauces like filet of beef or roast chicken which are more likely to suffer in the process.
7. When cooking a pasta dish ahead, the best is to make a big batch of sauce, freeze it in portions and then cook the pasta fresh. Just mix the defrosted sauce into it, and you’ll be enjoying dinner within 15 minutes!
8. Fully cooked vegetable gratins freeze quite well, but steamed vegetables need to be flash frozen which is difficult to do with the standard household equipment.
9. Baked cakes and cookies usually freeze well, but they should be without glazes or icings. You can add the icing once the cake is defrosted.

Another idea for some cookies is to prepare the dough and freeze it. Then defrost it, and bake off on the day.

Fun bonus tip:

Instead of boring water ice cubes, freeze strong coffee, lemon or lime juice depending on what drinks you are planning on serving.

Going out for dinner and enjoying delicious meals somebody else cooked for you is fun, but after a while, the novelty might wear off. So here are a few tips from the professionals to make cooking at home fun and easy!
Let’s start with some thoughts on kitchen equipment.

1. Equipment: Say No to one-trick ponies

There is no need to buy fancy gadgets that will only take up space in your kitchen (or ultimately in your attic). There are a few must-haves, and you will find out quickly which ones depending on the kind of dishes you make. A food-processor definitely falls into the must-have category while an egg boiler doesn’t so much.

2. Choose good quality

Use high-quality saucepans with thick bottoms. For health reasons, stay away from non-stick teflon-coated pots and frying pans; stainless steel will do just nicely!

3. Temperature tips

Never trust the built-in thermometer of your oven unless it is calibrated. The best would be to get a separate oven thermometer. If you can, buy one with temperatures shown in Fahrenheit and Celsuis to avoid having to convert them. This way, you can cook European and American recipes with ease.

4. Select good knives, keep them sharp and practice!

Use knives that are long enough for the tasks, and that have the right blade for it. You can try cutting a piece of raw meat with a salmon knife, but you will probably end up with blisters on your hands! Also, use them like a saw instead of pressing them down.

5. Read before cooking

Before even starting, read the recipe in full – preferably the day before in case something needs to be brought down to room temperature, soaked overnight or defrosted. Make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils needed.

6. Laying it all out

The “Mise en place” is a fancy French term for putting every ingredient of the recipe out on the counter. This makes sure that you have everything you need. You can already weigh the ingredients in separate bowls (cookery demo style) or do that as you go along. Mise en place also means that you heat the oven ahead of time if required and get the tools and utensils out that you’ll need. Keep your counter area clutter-free and clean for the food preparation, and put used ingredient packages away as you go along to make more space.

7. Make ahead – the lazy method

Once you are in the process of cooking, why not make more than you need and freeze it in portions that suit your household? Many cooked dishes freeze just beautifully, and imagine the joy when one day you don’t feel like cooking or don’ t have the time for it, you look into your freezer and pull out a delicious home-cooked meal! The same goes for most cakes, waffle batter and much more. Always remember to label and date what you freeze, and dig deep to use up those frozen goodies that have been in there for a while.

8. Seasoning: getting it right

Professional chefs know a little secret to seasoning: people love to season their food. It is a well-known fact that some people reach for the salt and pepper before even tasting the meal. If the chef had already salted the meal as normal, it might just be too much. There is also a technical reason for underspicing: It can be challenging to season food properly, because raw meat and other uncooked ingredients can’t be sampled ahead of time. Always remember that it is better to add more seasoning on the plate as diners will be likely to reach for the salt and pepper anyway, and to avoid that people with sensitive palates are spitting fire.

Cooking and frying can concentrate some flavours and dull others. The predominant flavours induced by salt and hot spices can get more pronounced due to evaporation. Herb flavours, on the other hand, can disappear altogether so it is a good idea to add them last.

Always taste the food at the end of the cooking process and adjust. If it got too hot (as in spicy hot), add either milk, cream or honey; if it got too salty, add a raw potato for a few minutes.

9. Use fresh herbs and take your meal to the next level!

If a recipe calls for fresh herbs or juices or zest, take fresh herbs or juices or zest. Don’t be tempted to reach for bottled lemon juice or dried, bought zest, they will destroy your lovingly cooked meal.
Fresh herbs can make all the difference. For example, mint leaves in a watermelon feta cheese salad will transform that simple salad into an amazing experience. Leaving them out because you don’t have them is almost a culinary sin. The good news is that herbs can be grown indoors and outdoors, in small pots on the windowsill or in your garden. It will save you money, trips down to the shop, and you’ll always have them handy.

Herbs are also a great decoration on the plate, or you can put them already washed and ready to use in little bowls on the table. Leafy stalks of parsley, coriander/cilantro and mint look pretty on the table when featured in small jars or glasses with a bit of water.

10. Presentation of the meal

It is not only our mouths and stomachs that process the food, but also our eyes. Even a one-pot-meal can be turned into a great dining experience by setting the table in a festive or playful manner. You can serve a salad with decoratively arranged leaves on each plate, with some vinaigrette drizzled over them in lines and herbs sprinkled on top – very fancy!

Another experience is to have different finishing ingredients in little bowls or on carving boards on the table. Everybody can add whatever they like to the basic meal. Great if you have people who don’t really know each other yet, because they will most likely have to talk to each other to get the condiments they want from the other side of the table!

 

In these modern times, people are worried about their health and hence are looking for ways to support their immune system. Did you know that seafood, both fish and shellfish, provides essential nutrients to the body? Those nutrients keep the immune health functioning as it should.

Something that everybody can do and doesn’t require much effort is to focus on a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, seafood and fatty fish, lean meats, nuts and seeds.

Looking at the list below of the “good stuff” contained in fish and seafood, it is easy to understand why eating two or more servings per week is highly recommended.

Seafood is not only packed with nutrients but also reduces inflammation due to the occurrence of vitamins A, B, and D, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. It further contains minerals such as zinc, iodine, magnesium, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, iron and potassium.

Healthy nutrition is also vital when it comes to offering protection from many health problems including chronic disease. It is recommended to regularly eat fish and seafood for optimal wellness of all physical and mental functions of the body.

Data from studies of more than 420,000 people shows that eating seafood reduced respiratory deaths by 20%. But not only that, a higher consumption of fish (and omega-3 fatty acid) was significantly associated with a lower overall mortality.

Other lifestyle habits important for the health and support of the immune system are exercise, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, and not smoking.

No one food or supplement can prevent illness, but the immune system can be supported by including the key nutrients found in seafood on a regular basis. Here are some of those key nutrients that work together in keeping your immune system functioning properly.

Omega-3 fatty acids

… support the immune system

… reduce inflammation and supports the healing process

… are vital for brain development and brain health

Different species of seafood offer varying amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish with the highest omega-3 levels include organic salmon, mackerel, trout, oysters, sardines, herring and anchovies.

Protein

… plays a role in the body’s immune system

… especially beneficial for healing and recovery

Seafood contains a high-quality protein that includes all of the essential amino acids necessary for the health of humans.

Vitamin A

… helps regulate the immune system

… protects against infections by keeping skin and tissues in the respiratory system healthy

… known as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing immune function.

Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, cod and tuna are good sources of vitamin A.

B vitamins such as B2, B6 and B12

… help keep the immune system functioning properly by regulating inflammation

… promote red and white blood cell development to keep the oxygen flowing while fighting against disease

Both fish and shellfish have a variety of B-vitamins.

Vitamin D

… plays a very important part in the innate antimicrobial (an agent that kills microorganisms) response which helps the immune system to function at full capacity

Good sources of vitamin D include salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring.

Iodine

… is the fuel that powers all metabolic activity in the body

… iodine is useful in making sure your immune response is active

Iodine is found in a variety of seafood like cod, scallops, lobster, sea bass and shrimp, but also in seaweed.

Zinc

… helps the immune system work properly

… may help wounds heal

… helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses

… creates the genetic material in all cells – the proteins and DNA

Shellfish like crab, oysters and lobster are a good source of zinc. Zinc is also found in fish like flounder, sardines, salmon and sole.

Magnesium

… aids in regulating immune cell development

Salmon, mackerel and halibut all contain magnesium.

Selenium

… is an antioxidant that helps to lower oxidative stress levels in the body, which enhances immunity and reduces inflammation

All seafood has selenium. Shrimp, tuna, halibut, sardines and clams are all good options to consider.

One highlight since the foundation of the Burren Smokehouse over 3 decades ago has definitely been the opportunity to provide Burren Smoked Wild Salmon for the State Dinner hosting Queen Elizabeth II in May 2011. We thought it could not get much better than that but we were proven wrong.

On 24th May 2019, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden paid a much anticipated visit to the Burren Smokehouse. Birgitta Hedin Curtin, owner-manager of the Smokehouse, and Swedish by birth, greeted the royalties outside the visitor centre when they arrived.

The royal couple went straight to three students and two teachers of the local Mary Immaculate Secondary School who explained to them their framed 3D model of the north Clare coast and the impact of climate change on the sea levels. As good timing would have it, they had just won the Junior Climate Change Award at the Young Environmentalist Awards in Dublin! The King and Queen were very interested in (and impressed by) the project and the award, and congratulated them and their teachers warmly.

Once inside, Tara McCarthy, CEO of Bord Bía, gave a presentation on the importance of farming and producing food with sustainability in mind, and the implementation of the Origin Green initiative. She stressed the similarities between Sweden and Ireland on many levels, and said that in many cases, Sweden was a bright example to Ireland.

After the presentation, the King and Queen had a chance to meet some producers covering very different areas of the Burren Food Trail and Burren Ecotourism Network: seaweed (Wild Irish Seaweed), coffee roasted in the Burren by Anam Coffee and goats cheese by St. Tola.

Young Irish Dancer Niamh gave a wonderful solo performance to the tune of our talented local musicians (one of them being our own former master smoker Peadar Reilly!). She was rewarded with big smiles and applause, and with a private conversation with the royal couple who then moved on to shake hands with the musicians.

With the formal part of the reception over, the King and Queen had the opportunity to taste the wonderful, delicious canapes prepared by a member of staff, Sarah, and to talk to Birgitta and people from Bord Bía. An international press conference rounded off the visit.

Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Silvia have been on a three day state visit to Ireland, where they had attended engagements in Dublin, Westmeath, Galway and in Clare. The visit to the Burren Smokehouse was the last stop on their State visit before they flew home from Shannon Airport.

Here you can listen to an interview on ClareFM with the King and Queen themselves, Tara McCarthy from Bord Bía, as well as Birgitta, Sarah and John Curtin.

 

On 19th May 2015, a historical visit took place in the Burren!

His Royal Highness Prince Charles and his wife Camilla flew into Shannon airport to start their visit of the west coast of Ireland. As Prince Charles is very interested in conservation and organically grown foods, Burrenbeo Trust and Burren Life Programme wrote a letter to invite HRH to the Burren, and two months later, he actually arrived!

A beautiful food hamper was presented to HRH Prince Charles that many of the artisan food producers in the Burren filled with their delicious products. You can see the side of Wild Smoked Irish Salmon from the Burren Smokehouse which Birgitta collected herself from the fishermen in Cork. It was one of the first ones caught this wild salmon season.

It was presented to him on Tuesday 19th May 2015 during his walk in the Burren. Brigid Barry, our eye witness from Burrenbeo Trust, wrote the following to us:

“Thank you so much for supplying your products for the Products of the Landscape hamper yesterday. It looked delicious and Prince Charles was so chuffed.

The two landowners, Pat and Oliver Nagle, presented it to him with another farmer Michael Davoren. We had it laid out on the ground so he could have a good look and he was thrilled with the products. He had a really good look at each one. He said he looked forward to sampling all of the products.”

Have a look at some of the photographs courtesy of Burrenbeo Trust which show Prince Charles walking the limestone pavement and climbing up the mountain!