Freezing fish

[Fish huckster]

I guess I am also close to stupid!! Did you ever buy frozen fish? Yuck!! Tastes like crap! I think I'll stick with my close to stupid method. You can't buy fish this good in the store!!! Even after being froze for a year or two! ( IN WATER!!!!!!)

[Fish huckster]

If I'm not mistaken, don't they wet the fillets with water to glaze them while flash freezing?

[dabluz]

Frozen turkey or chicken can be put in the oven while frozen.  No need to thaw.  The best investment for good eating is still a vacuum sealer.  Not all vacuum sealers are good so careful shopping is needed.  I lay out my fillets flat so they freeze quickly and thaw quickly.  The faster the meat freezes the less bacteria build up and the same goes for thawing.  Bacterial action does occur when the meat is frozen but is slowed down quite a bit.  However, when thawing, bacterial action increases as the meat begins to thaw.  Yes....I sometimes add salt to the fillets before freezing because this also slows down bacterial action but salt also draws water out of the meat.....difficult for me to say if this affects the meat because I rarely have frozen fish after 2 months.

I have never frozen smelt....I eat them fresh within 24 hours and give the rest away.  Same thing for brook trout.  I can go just about anywhere in my region and catch a meal of trout in a few hours....no need to freeze.  Same thing for walleye or pike.  During the winter, I go ice fishing for salt water species of fish (cod, halibut, lingcod, redfish etc.) and the fish that I do freeze gets eaten within the month.  My freezer is not an ice free model.

[Fish huckster]

Do you eat your fish raw? Is that why your so worried about bacteria? Bacteria doesn't stand a chance in 350 degree oil or a frying pan!

[TheThinIce]

Such great info. Mine never tend to last long enough to worry about freezing!

[CPace]

"As for what you buy at the store (I used to work as a butcher, and we handled frozen fish all the time), that fish isn't stored in water due to the fact that the packaging company uses a flash freeze process to keep any bacteria from growing."

Another reason commercial processors do not pack in water, is that water is heavy and cost a lot to ship.  Most of us "close to stupid" folks are not worrying  about shipping our fish. 

A very good point!!!

[Scout 24]

Vacuum sealing, hands down. Used those other methods when younger, used up too much freezer space, frosted up or freezer burned in 6 months. Just had some tuna caught 18 months ago and it's still fine. I seal both ends of the bag tight twice to assure the seal. Just brought back 20 pounds of yellowtail snapper from the Keys. Threw in quart ziplocks and froze in the cottage fridge, then rinsed the frost (in only 5 days) once home, glazed on a cookie sheet in the freezer and vacuum sealed. The glazing is the best and they vacuum super tight with no water compromising the seal. Caught 34 yellow perch last two days, which I may partially freeze before sealing it works so well. My 12 year old sealer has paid for itself ($100 or so) many times over.

[Pail Rider]

Vac sealed 6lbs of crappie fillets for the first time last night.  They sure do take up less space than the ziploc bag filled with water method...which worked well for me for years.

[FrankM]

Frost free freezers ruin anything you leave in them for more than a week or two.  I have plain old chest freezer in the basement for all my fish, game, meat and frozen vegetables from my garden.  You have to defrost it every couple years but food keeps beautifully in it.  I just rinse my fillets and put them in double Ziploc bags.  No problems.  I think the vacuum sealer is a great idea and am waiting until I see a good one on sale.

[spike24]

What is the best way to freeze gills and perch 

[1moslab]

What is the best way to freeze gills and perch 

your kidding right.

[1moslab]

frost free are frost free because they actually heat up a little on a regular basis to thaw the ice.was told butchers know best is non-frost free to freeze meat.or would that be frost freezers ;Di also use the water method and have cooked 6month with fresh and could not tell the difference.but I think its important to keep the fish as cold as possible throughout the packaging process as stated earlier my hands are stinging.

[1moslab]

I'll bite
here, read this

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=287964.msg3002298#msg3002298

I am laughing my ass off