[mojoe]

this is mo{maureen}the other half of joe.. read an article in a magazine and wanted to share this info with you. for those who don"t own a cryo-vac machine, there is a simple method that will definitely prolong the life of the fillets of fish for several months. fill a couple of jugs with sea-water and when you get home,cut a few empty 1 gallon milk jugs in half ,place filets inside then fill with sea-water. cover with heavy cling wrap and toss them in the freezer. use fat elastic band to cover heavy cling wrap. salt is a natural perservative..... what do you think about this method? is there any other method of freezing the catch ><)))):> i'm a fisherWOMAN and i like your feedback thanks.....MO

(This post edited by DoctorFish on 02/24/2003)

 

[MakoMatt]

Hi mo, IMHO, I disagree 100% with putting the fillets in water. I was in the fish business years ago, question, did you ever buy fish like that?? Makes me wonder.

Vacuum packing is the best, short of having one, just try to do the same thing as the machine, KEEP THE AIR OUT. Tightly wrap your fillets, I use tin foil, works fine. Pat dry the fillets and very carefully wrap them up, almost the same way you would wrap a present. Don't be chincy with the foil, and wrap it nice and tight.

The key after that is cold, yes, 32 degrees is freezing, but that don't cut it, you want to be down around ZERO.

Hpe this helps.

Makomatt

(This post edited by MakoMatt on 02/24/2003)

 

[Hipshot]

Mo,
I'd like to add to Matts method! The thing I would like to add is don't stack the packaged fish until they are frozen! Lay them out so they can get a lot air around them so they freeze faster! Once they are frozen then you can stack them. Yes, It does make a difference!
Hipshot

 

[thefishingfreak]

i read it also ,and disagree

if you freeze fish in water {which expands when freezing}the filets will expand also then, contract when you thaw them . this makes mushy meat.the meat is tearing when it expands and contracts.also i didn't agree with the not washing them w/ fresh water thing.all my filets i rinse good w/ fresh water then dry them on a paper towell. then put them in a zip lock bag.roll them up {like something drug related} with the bag,to get most of the air out of the bag then zip it up. w/ as little air as posible.air is what causes freezer burn.stack the filets flat in your freezer, under other stuff{frost free freezers kind of thaw out once in a while ,to keep the frost down}you want them frozen!not in and out of frozen, like in a frost free freezer. like matt said not to cold either

 

[MakoMatt]

fishingfreak, that is correct, you end up with mush. Good for the cat then.

Makomatt

 

[Capthookem]

We need a pro

Where is Clarence Birdseye when you need him ??

Capt. H

 

[WingsIV]

Freezing the catch of the day

This is what I do. I leave all the guts attached to the fish, it seems to preserve the nasty smell and taste better. If you don't have one of the vacuum sealing machines, you can use your vacuum cleaner. Just wrap your hand around the hose and hold on, let it suck the air right out. If you don't have a vacuum that does that, you can always use your mouth to suck out the air. I have tried it and it DOES WORK. You have to let them stand for awhile before stacking them in the feezer. If done correctly you won't need to be fishing for at least 2 seasons, now that they came out with this preservative with no life shelf expiration date. And for those special occasions like St.Pattys Day, you can always add some green non toxic food die to the fish to give them color, same for any other holiday. I have been doing this for years, and I am still here to share this knowledge with you. As far as the sea water is concerned, I agree with everyone else, DO NOT DO IT..nothing worse than eating MUSHY fish.

 

[618563]

you have to freeze fish? since when? i leave mine in the refrigerator for approx one month, then cut off the black parts...seems ok to me

 

[616787]

I don't know what happens when you freeze fish in a container full of water, but I DO know this.

Anyone who says freezing fish in enough water to displace the air in a freezer ziplock bag...... maybe about a 1/4 cup of water total......and they come out like mush, does not know what they are talking about!

I just made striped bass fillets from November 8th frozen this way, and baby, they were almost as good as fresh!

And, BY EXPERIENCE, I know that I will be able to enjoy fish from the same date 3 months from now!

It is true what is said here......keep the freezer at 0 degrees, don't stack unfrozen fish, and *as I learned from the last time this was argued*, the flesh does absorb water and bursts the cells to an extent when freezing.

LOL, my wife is here as I write, and we both have to smile.....she loved the bass last night, and she is as finicky about fish as anyone I know.

Anyway, I'm going to try what was recommended from a link by someone from that last thread on this subject.....adding a small quantity of salt per quart of water, exactly enough to make it neutral.....so it will not soak into or draw water out of the flesh.

But I just gotta repeat.....if your fish comes out like mush with a small quantity of water, you are surely doing something wrong!

 

[LkyLindy]

The Answers

Mo-
we've had many discussions on the Deep Freeze-try this link for some interesting reading
Ps-Get a foodsaver vacuum Machine
Freezing fish

 

[seaslug44]

quote:
I leave all the guts attached to the fish, it seems to preserve the nasty smell and taste better. If you don't have one of the vacuum sealing machines, you can use your vacuum cleaner. Just wrap your hand around the hose and hold on, let it suck the air right out. If you don't have a vacuum that does that, you can always use your mouth to suck out the air.

WingsIV, I can't tell if you are serious are trying to be funny. Either way folks, don't try any of this at home. For starters, the guts of all living creatures, even fish, contain bacteria and parasites. Many of them can withstand even zero degree temps. Organs should be discarded asap. Same holds true for your vacuum cleaner and your own lips... Neither has any business being anywhere near uncooked meat.

 

[MakoMike]

Mo,
I used to do it the way you described before I got a vacuum sealer and it works just fine. You don't even need sea water, just use water from the tap and add a couple of pinches of koser salt. Just use enough water to cover the fish, sot he air can't get at it.
I've never had the fish turn mushy.

 

[WingsIV]

Freezing Fish

DoctorFish..just adding some humor to the thread, can't always take things so seriously in life, a good laugh is what is needed right now being stuck in all winter long.

 

[Brown Trout]

No Vaccuum Sealer?

Take the ziplocks, put the fish inside and fill the kitchen sink, 5 gal. bucket, or some other large container and submerge the bag to the top. The water displaces the air giving you a nearly vacuumed seal.

I've frozen fish both w/ water and w/o. I find smaller whole fish stand up well to the water method compared to larger fish and fillets.

As stated above they last for a long time in the freezer. Definitely keep it as cold as possible and don't stack.

BTW for any hunters out there the water method mentioned works EXTREMELY well for game and birds like quail, rabbit ducks,pheasants, etc. I ate some wood****s the other night I shot in Oct. and they were as fresh as the day I got them.

 

[seaslug44]

quote:
just adding some humor to the thread, can't always take things so seriously in life, a good laugh is what is needed right now being stuck in all winter long.
Wings, I was hoping that you were just adding humor. In this crazy world, you never know what bizarre statements are true and what are fun and games.

 

[flonderbound]

preserving bait

Last fall I caught enough spearing, someup to 5",to last this entire upcoming fluke season. I put them in ziplock bags with either freshwater or seawater and put them in the freezer. This method worked for me the previous year. No freezer burn, not that it matters to fluke. It was fun catching the bait, not to mention the smaller ones taste great.

 

[LkyLindy]

Salty Dog

Flonder-
Just heavily salt the bait with kosher salt and freeze-no water necessary