We had some striper and crappie we froze from a trip. I did not expect it to taste as good as the it was when fresh, but the fish was flat terrible. Any ideas or tips on freezing fish?
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We had some striper and crappie we froze from a trip. I did not expect it to taste as good as the it was when fresh, but the fish was flat terrible. Any ideas or tips on freezing fish?
When we go to Oregon Salmon fishing we vacuum seal the fillets with the Tila Foodsaver and they keep for a year with no problem. Getting all the air out and sealing the pack is the key to preserving them long term.
when you say the fish was terrible , meaning what ?fishy taste? if you did not get all the red meat off that striper that's the problem it will have a stronger taste to it !!!
Definitely need to get the red out and love my vacuum seal
I've had good luck with vac sealing them. You have to dry the fillets and make sure you don't get the sealing surface wet when you put the fish in the bag
Always freeze mine in water never had a prob, red meat may have been your prob this time. Nothing but crappie in my freezer tho.
Not necessarily fishy tasting because we did take the red meat and skin off, more that the fish was mushy in texture and the flavor just not right.Quote:
Originally Posted by strmwalker
What time of year and what lake could make a difference. Hot weather crappie IMO are good but no comparison to cold water fish. I can also tell a difference between lakes. Again JMO summertime wateree crappie are for the dogs
OK I'll ask what do you think the water temps have on the taste/consistency. Maybe the fat content or lack there of?
Now you are getting above my educational level. Like I said don't know if it is fact just my opinion
Ditto.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rees Guide
Heck, you can even freeze them whole in water and thaw for filleting later if you don't have time when you get home, or if you need to wait till the wife is gone so that she wan't know you clean them in the kitchen and grind up the heads in the disposal!!
Put in freezer bags, cover with water, and freeze. They'll be as good as the day you caught them when you're ready to fry them up.
Like he said. Only thing I do is put just a bit of table salt in the bag with em. Just my way.Quote:
Originally Posted by gcromer
I vacuum seal fish and game. I think theyre better tasting vrs freezing them in water. Fish froze in water begins to taste "old" to me after several months in the freezer. Also, fish vacuum sealed thaws in @ an hour vrs several hours frozen in water. Vacuum sealing does have it's downside as the bags can be expensive.
I do both vacuum and water. I never had a problem. Fish doesn't last long in my house maybe a month or two at most. We eat fish once to 3 times a week.
yep vacuum seal and making sure they are fresh when packaged and frozen
I put filets in a quart ziploc bag and get as much air out as possible. I then wrap the bag in freezer paper. I only keep crappie and bluegill and eat it within a year or less. This method works well for me with small game and wild turkey as well.
I am going to show my age, but y'all remember buying milk in the quart or pint waxed box carton? We would wash those out real good and freeze fish with water in them. The frozen water, plus the thick wax carton kept freezer burn at bay. Plus, they were square box shaped so you could stack a ton of them in your freezer.
I stared using the vacuum seal when we were traveling in our RV because we had limited freezer space, but also as Butch pointed out, they they thaw out very quickly when vacuum sealed.
It sounds like vacuum seal is the way to go. Which brand do y'all use?
The Tila Food Saver Vac is the only one I am familar with. You can get bags for it most anywhere, including the Walmarts here,
Here is a Link to Cabela's but you can find them locally. This is the modlel I have, but they make several different kinds on up to $400 or more.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home-...3Bcat104668380
I soak my filets in salt water for about an hour before putting in ziplock freezer bags. I put them in the bags without water, just whatever amount is on the fillet. I get out as much air as possible and put them in the freezer. Even up to a year later they are firm and taste great. My father taught me this method and I have been using it for years. There is no over salty taste either.
Thanks!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaRay
ditto!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rees guide
Well, crappie! Lol. I didn't know about putting them into water .....Quote:
Originally Posted by have-a-crappie-day
I just took them out of the bucket and they still had a little life left in them, I put them whole in the freezer, sealed up in a zip lock bag. I was going to clean them today....guess now I have to throw em in the dumpster outside? I hate that because they are nice sizes! They are in my photo album. Me and my kids caught them yesterday off the local Peir. Do you guys think it's ok to clean them and fry them up??
:hesaidQuote:
Originally Posted by brush pile
I freeze fillets in water also. Prevents freezer burn if you don't vacuum seal. How you thaw them out can also affect taste and texture. They taste fresher if allowed to slowly thaw all the way out IMO. Also make sure grease is hot enough if cooking thicker pieces such as Striper. Grease that cools off too much during cooking can make for a bad batch of fish.
They should be fine. You caught them yesterday and froze them overnight? They would have been fine in the fridge or on ice too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mamba334
Free alternative to vacuum seal. Five gallon bucket filled with water. Put fillets in ziplock bag and zip almost all the way closed. Submerge bag into water letting air out through the part left zipped open. Push bag down until only the open corner is out of the water and zip bag closed. Bingo, free vacuum seal. Learned this in the keys about 20 years ago. Kept me from buying a vacuum sealer.
Thanks for the lesson! I'll give that a go next weekend. I'm sure they'll be biting.
Yes, caught these Saturday and drove about 20 mins to home and then put them in a ziplock back whole with no water. They were still half alive. I got them in the fridge right now. They were in the freezer.
Thaw just enough to fillet and fry 'em up. Lots of my friends do the same thing.
MY POPS USE TO PUT SALT AND LEMON JUICE ON THE STRIPER BEFORE HE FROZE THEM
AND HE SAID THAT WORK'ED WELL .
:fish:fish:fish:fish
Thanks guys!
I am so waiting to go back Friday and Saturday! The weather is going to be 57 Fri and 58 Sat
I know people that freeze fish whole and clean them later. They aren't dead from doing it. Not something I'd do though.:highfive
:HandsClapping Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDawgg
Freezing fish. I think they are freezing right now.