How does everyone freeze there perch

[silvercliff_46]

Great point !!! 

I usually do this myself, but forgot to mention it.  It is also good when you want to get a limited amount of product out, and reseal.  Freezing first keeps the product seprerate. 

Keeping the paper towel in the vacuum groove is a good idea to protect your sealer just in case.

[GAMBELL]

I use the Foodsaver and it works awesome.  I double seal the bag to make sure it is sealed good.  Drying the filets does help a lot. 

[JerryofWNY]

I also use the sealer. I pat my fillets dry with a paper towel. One of the reasons I like the sealer is that you can freeze a couple perch/gill fillets in an oversized bag, even though it's not enough for a meal. If you go out and catch a few more, simply cut the bag just below the seal, add your fillets and reseal. You can do this several times till you have a meal sized package.

Last week I had a walleye fillet that was vacuum sealed in the spring of '08.  Tasted like it was caught that morning.

[Doubles Shooter]

I use the vac-pack method too. I pat them dry with a paper towel and fold a piece of paper towel and insert it into the bag just below where I'm going to seal it. It has been working great since the towel catches what little water remains giving a good dry seal. Like JerryofWNY says, fish keeps great for two or more years.

[jj7leaf]

I had trouble with the food saver vac-sealer leaking if the fillet's are not completely dry.  Is it true that the new model is better and is usable with wet items?

jj

[ICE-ADDICT]

Well this is TO FUNNY, seeing as though I'm eating perch RIGHT NOW!!! 

Oneida Jumbos from 01-2010, Food Saver #1 !!!

I WILL add that perch seem to have the shortest shelf life of any fish I shrink wrap...Maybe up to two years, IF you have a GREAT vacuum, with no air bubbles, real tight!

[silvercliff_46]

Anyone tried one of those hand pump sealers yet?  If so how good of a job do they do??

[nysteamfoiles]

Ziplock bag full with water, and squeeze the air out of the rest of the bag.

[rgfixit]

I've been freezing fish for 40 years or so. I used to double wrap with plastic and then freezer paper. That worked pretty darn well.Then, I bought a Food Saver. The darn thing is a marvel.

To solve the excess liquid problem I do the same thing I've always done. I place the fillets on paper towels and dry them a bit before packaging. The nice thing is you can thaw the fillets right in the package and they come out the way they went in.

RG

[silvercliff_46]

I have had some issues with the vacume sealer if you dont do it right. If you try to seal the fish while the filets are still wet moisture will get into the seal and durning the frezzing process the seal will crack causing air so slowly esacpe in. What I have found works the best is dry you filets completly and lay them on a cookie tray. then put them in the frezzer for about 20-30 min uncoverd. Once the filets are begining to firm take them out and vacume seal them. Works the best for me.

Worth repeating.

[zdake1]

I like to filet them, lay the filet over ice until I'm done, then throw em in freezer bags and into the freezer. They don't usually last in there long enough to get freezer burn. but sucking the air out should help them stay longer.

[flukeman]

I fillet, soak in bowl of ice water for a couple hours, and vac seal. I used to use the foodsaver, now I just use the ziplock vaccuum bags with the hand pump. Last year I did all my fish and venison in those zip lock bags and they came out great.

 

[silvercliff_46]

I fillet, soak in bowl of ice water for a couple hours, and vac seal. I used to use the foodsaver, now I just use the ziplock vaccuum bags with the hand pump. Last year I did all my fish and venison in those zip lock bags and they came out great.

 

Why do you soak them in ice water for a couple of hours?

[flukeman]

The first time I did it I was interrupted and had to go somewhere. By the time I got back to them the blood was soaked out of the fillets, I packaged and froze. When I thawed them to eat, it was just like eating them fresh. So I have done it that way ever since, fillets have always been sweet/firm and cook up great.

[gaudetskie]

Hmm interesting technique flukeman. I usually just let the air out of a freezer bag. I don't usually keep fish for more than a month or so. It takes a bit longer than that for things to get freezer burn.
Nick.

[Jigger Don]

 i always freeze em in water

[green69]

I have to agree, vac sealer is the best. Not only do I seal my fish but I do my deer and when I buy beef, pork, or chicken I get big packages cheap and seal individual meals. Bags can be expensive but with a little practice you can figure out how to get the most out of them. It really does pay for itself in the long run. I started with a cheap one and it lasted about 3 years, so when it crapped out I got a better model and haven't had a problem in almost 4 years now.

  x   2 buy -fish &  hunt  in  bulk

[NiagaraJiggin]

vacuum seal everything unless you plan on eating it all within 2 weeks. You can buy bags in bulk pretty cheap these days. It may sound like quite an expense for the bags - but consider how much you paid in gear, gas, bait, food, beer, and time to get those fish and game animals. The cost of having to throw freezer burned stuff away, or even because the packed items absorbed some smells from the freezer, really does cost a lot. Not only do you lose out on all the above that I mentioned, but now you have to spend even more money to make the meal that is replacing what you had to throw away. Lots of people think nothing about buying new gear, tackle, or ammo to go after their quarry. Not enough is spent on making sure the quality of that quarry remains until you are ready to prepare it for the table.

consider this: (I'm just being middle range in general here)

$400 / gun or bow
$50-$100 / bullets or arrows
$250 / clothes and boots
$50 / gas spent hunting for the weekend
$50 / food and/or beer
$250 / time spent in woods 1 weekend (let's just say your time may be worth $15/hr)

let's say you tag a 150 lb doe and reallistically get about 50 lbs of meat - not including what you have to spend at the processor or for the fat additives

just this stuff puts the price tag of about $22.00 per pound of meat - pretty pricey stuff

for about the cost of one pound of this meat - you can buy enough vacuum seal bags to seal 4-5 deer plus all of the fish you catch this ice season. Trust me - I do it every year - although, because I already have all the gear, the cost per pound is much less - but you get my drift...right ?


NiagaraJiggin

[gregod]

Niagara, where is the cheapest place that you have found the bags? I'm running low?

[1st line in]

fillet, rinse and put in a zip-lock bag or similar container full of water. Cheap and easy.

[gaudetskie]

Wow Niagara, I've never done the break down like that! If I buy a new bow or get a pay raise I won't be able to afford to eat my own venison!
Nick

[mtbusch]

fillet, rinse and put in a zip-lock bag or similar container full of water. Cheap and easy.

agree, freezer ziplock bag full enough to cover the fillets solid in ice. No freezer burn eveb after six months in the freezer , you thaw and they taste almost like fresh catch of the day

[DamYankee]

Ziplock bag full with water, and squeeze the air out of the rest of the bag.

1 xtra step that helps when freezing....Lay the bag flat on its side until frozen.  This way when you have several of them you can stack them up vertically and save room in freezer