Useful Tips When Freezing Fish
By rowdyrob

Posted: August 8, 2016

As we’ve been hearing great reports of an unreal white fish bite at Flathead and other Montana water fishing excellent as well, angler’s around Montana are going to have a lot of fish filets on their hands!  Unless you are inviting an army or sports team over for a fish fry, lots of it will need to be frozen.  Here are 7 tips courtesy of fieldandstream.com for freezing your fish.

  1.  Take care of the fish immediately, put in ice or a cooler.  Do not let the fish flop around the boat which could bruise the meat.
  2. Make sure to rinse the fish thoroughly to get rid of unwanted flavor.
  3. Package the fillets in meal sized portion so you only thaw what you need, eliminating re-freezing.
  4.  Make sure to use a vacuum packer or at least make sure you seal tight enough to avoid freezer burn.
  5. Freezing fish in water is another great way to keep it, but make sure the freezer is set to coldest level to freeze quickly.
  6. High-fat fish like salmon or whitefish can go rancid in the freezer.   Make sure bag is thoroughly sealed.
  7. Thaw fish by running cold water over the package.  Never warm water.

 

 

5. Who remembers all those waxed milk cartons of fish in your parent’s freezer? Freezing fish in water is a great way to keep it fresh; however, the flesh can absorb water during the process, turning it mushy. Make sure your freezer is set to its coldest level to freeze fish as quickly as possible.

6. According to the University of Alaska–Fairbanks Extension Service, high-fat fish, such as salmon and whitefish, are also susceptible to going rancid in the freezer. Much like freezer burn, this is caused by oxidation when exposed to cold air.

7. Thaw frozen fish quickly by running cold (never warm or hot) water over the package.

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