Guys I am looking for a better way to freeze crappie fillets. I store mine water filled ziplock freezer bags. This method take up alot of freezer space and are heavy.
There has to be a better way to store fillets.
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Guys I am looking for a better way to freeze crappie fillets. I store mine water filled ziplock freezer bags. This method take up alot of freezer space and are heavy.
There has to be a better way to store fillets.
I use rubbermaid takea longs.
They stack a little better than freezer bags for me. although some of them might bulge out when freezing. but it usually isn't enough to keep them from stacking.
Vacuum sealer
Vacuum seal bags. The one that I have (non FoodSaver) tends to suck in fluids, making a good seal harder, so I flash freeze mine overnight first and then seal them up. One of my uncles has an orignal Foodsaver that does fine sealing on the first try regardless of how much liquid is in the bag.
I'll put in a 3rd vote for vacuum sealing. Dry them well, then tear a small strip of paper towel and place it in the bag crossways so any remaining moisture gets trapped there instead of into your vacuum chamber. We use a food saver and it has a "moist" setting that seems to draw a slower or slightly less powerful vacuum and helps in not pulling any remaining moisture up in to the sealing bar area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6poundtest
BINGO x2
Water only for us , will last 3 times longer than vacuum sealed for sure , all vacuum bags will eventually leak , frozen water NEVER leaks
I have an excellent vacuum sealer but still use quart ziplocs. Trick is to shake out all the bubbles and then squeeze out most of the water as you seal it up. I like a little water , but I think too much tends to crush the meat and make it mushy when it thaws.
I agree!! As you are zipping the bag, let out air and water. Don't need much water and as Ketchn said they last longer in the freezer.Quote:
Originally Posted by El_Tortuga
Yup, simple and it works.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ketchn
I don't' flash freeze mine but I do dry them off pretty well and have gotten pretty darn good at rolling up a paper towel or two the same width as the bag which goes right above the filets to catch the water it sucks out, Seals great.Quote:
Originally Posted by jjue1979
Mine never leak, stay sealed. Water takes up to much room and takes too long to thaw out and not sure about the lasting part either. We've eaten two year old filets and cant tell the difference. I actually think the freezing in water method makes the filets more mushy. JMOQuote:
Originally Posted by Ketchn
One more thing don't buy CHEAP Vac Seal Bags!
Even industrial grade vacuum seal bags leak , frozen water never leaks ….Quote:
Originally Posted by keeferfish
5 years in the freezer, come out looking like I knifed em yesterday…..
Been there done that , not on purpose, just a lost bag at the bottom of our big freezer
Never had a “mushy” filet yet , take em out in the am , put in a bowl , ready in the pm …
Some sandwich size 4 filet bags defrost in an hour or so ….
The fail with the water method is often too many filets per bag and or too much water
My halibut often get air in the bags within months of getting home , just saying :highfive
use both vacuum bags and zip lock with small amount of water all good points, we do lay them flat on a cookie sheet then they stack much better
I might have to try the paper towel idea next. Once I figured out that my vacuum sealer needs a longer run or an extra run for the first seal when cold (machine or bag), it actually seals great.Quote:
Originally Posted by keeferfish
If you have a few bags to freeze at one time, cut the end of cardboard 12 pack of pop off , then place inside the quart bags. The the quart bags fit nice and when you freeze then upright in pack they are flat and square. You can even do one days catch and place another days on top to fill the carton. Tape the end mark what is in there. they then stack nice in the freezer
To get the air out without a vacuum place the fillets in a ziplock bag, fill the sink up with water and put the bag in leaving the top open. As you lower the bag the air is forced out. Then zip the bag shut and dry it off. You can them lay them flat, or shape as you want. This works with fillets in water or not. They will last longer if in water IMHO
I also seal the top twice, just let it self seal the first time then open, pull it down a quarter inch or so and seal again. Mine has a seal only feature.Quote:
Originally Posted by jjue1979
So do you freeze everything else in water like steaks? I never see the frozen food section full of bags with water? Just Sayin......................:dono :cheers2Quote:
Originally Posted by Ketchn
Should you freeze fresh caught fish in a Ziploc or put water in with it?
How to Properly Freeze Fish | MeatEater Wild Foods
yep , we often freeze prime cuts of venison in water as well , keeps FOREVER just like new , whoever can write articles about how to on just about everything , just saying :highfiveQuote:
Originally Posted by keeferfish
I had a Food Save and it went on the blink was too fast. I now have a Cabelas Pro model but not the best one. A friend told me to freeze any game meat on a cookie sheet first and then vacuum seal it, and it really sucks the air out, no water, and it seal very tight to the meat. Good luck.
I store my fillets in my stomach :Rofl
My last couple of trips had about the right amount of fish to where we ate them fresh and didn’t have to worry about freezing them. There is nothing wrong with keeping only what we need, and cooking whole yields more meat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fisheads
I put the dry breading on just like I’m going to fry them, but instead lay them on a cookie sheet flash freeze them and then vacuum pack.
if we decide to have fish they’re pre-breaded and ready for pan frying in butter or deep fat oil ( don’t even unthaw them) easy to pry the pieces apart with a butter knife. From the freezer to the dinner plate 30ish minutes, been doing this for around 20 years. Never keep many in the freezer so the longest there in there is around 6 months.
I use a chamber style vac sealer. It is very nice to be able to not worry about fillets being wet. They do need to be cold.
The great thing about a chamber vac , you can seal things like stews, gumbo , chili etc. I would not have bought one just for crappie , I used to do the
" freeze in water " thing. But that takes up lots of freezer space and takes a long time two thaw. All meats we buy at the store , if not going to
be used in a day or two , get thrown in the vac sealer. I have never had a bag leak or seal to fail.
If you use a vac sealer a lot , you will save enough money on the price of the bags to justify the extra cost of the chamber vac.
your mileage may vary
O
Which one do you have? I still have a Foodsaver vac 800 and been considering chamber vac for a while now.Quote:
Originally Posted by mozingo1952
Cooking whole yields more meat ,,,,,UNLESS the fella with a razor sharp for real filet knife is a surgeon bro , just saying…..you can’t pick a carcass cleaner than my filet knife can :RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by jjue1979