Freezing fish

[Jennie@ifish]

Bill was talking to Buzz about freezing fish.
Buzz takes some cheapo costco bbq sauce, and freezes the filets in a plastic bag, coated with the bbq sauce.
You rinse it when you thaw it.
Cool idea!
Anyone try it?
I'm going to! Plus, the liquid keeps the air out and prevents the freezer burn.
Jen

[CAGEY]

That sounds like a neat thing, may try it sometime. I have found the best way to freeze fish is in water in milk cartons, they will keep forever. Second best is the vacum pack method.

[marky-sharky]

I always use zip lock bags with just the fish in it. but lately I have noticed that the fish is getting burned. What other way's can I freeze my fish other than already stated?

[Jennie@ifish]

Buzz said the oil and sugar keep it from freezer burning.
I'm going to give it a go!
J

[dawhunt]

Foodsaver its the best !!!! :smile:
Bob
P.S. just got back from setting up our elk camp for muzzle loader and from what I've read the swap meet was great really wish i could have been there.But we had a good three days away from the
world,didn't even know what happened for three days it was great.

[invader]

i always soak the fish in water and use aluminim foil.... works great for months.........john

[CHUMSALMON]

i have to say the vacume packer is the best, but if your like me and haven't purchased one yet, i freeze all my fish in ziplock freezer bags but, i fill them up with water, so that all the fish is encased in water when frozen. this will also keep the fish from becoming frezzer burned.

[Pilar]

Foodsaver! Wish the bags weren't so spendy. Bag the fish and freeze it lying flat with one end open. Once frozen seal the other end. This completely prevents failure to seal.

I'll have to try barbeque sauce. It seems like it would overpower the flavor of the fish. All you really need for fresh fish is butter, lemon and maybe a little garlic.

[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]</p>

[fishbait]

Foodsaver..

Wash and reuse the bags as long as no holes..

Pat fish dry or place paper towl in end of bag, keeps moisture from messing with the seal

My Foodsaver is way up there on my must have list......could not imagine not having one.......This one is the second model thay came out with and still works great......

[Ramstrong]

Since I've had my food saver that's where all of my fish go. Sure does work great. Prior to that I poor mans vaccume sealed using ziplocks and a tub of water. Place fish in bag, seal bag 2/3 of the way. Place all of bag minus the 1/3 of top not sealed under the water. Water pressure forces all of the air out of the bag. Seal rest of bag and remove from the water. There you have it, poor mans vaccume sealed fish.

[TW]

I used to work for a fish Processor up in Alasks. They would freeze the fish (Plate Freezers), then dip the fish in a brown sugar/water mix. This was said to "coat" the fish, and prevent freezer burn. Something about the way the sugar crystallizes. Hope this helps.
Tom

[wetaline]

Foodsaver is a saver.... but a little secret i'd like to share. Wrap the fish, game, whatever in a layer of plastic wrap or cling wrap or whatever that stuff is before vacume packing... this will keep the juices from going into the sealer and it will last even longer...

Plus you can wrap seperate peices of fish and freeze them in the same bag.. then take them out one at a time and re-seal the bag w/ the remaining fish... saves bags...

I took out some 2 year old fish to smoke the other day all from the same fall season and half was wrapped in cling wrap and vac packed the other half was just vac packed... there was a world of difference.

[Jennie@ifish]

I'm a vac pac addict, but I thought it would be nice to use a zip lock again, once and a while...
Yeah, the sugar is supposed to prevent freezer burn, and the vac packing can get expensive.
Jen

[Fish Hunter]

Wetaline that's a great idea. Got to try that next time. Sounds like less work. I like those big pre-cut bags. I have had to clean out the vac pump check valve in the past. It wouldn't reach the reqired vac point. Fish juice must have entered it and dried.

[HOGTIDE]

I believe I got this idea from a suggestion on this site....and it works!

Fill a cooler with water. Place fillets in a heavy duty zip-lock and then submerge the bag in the water, with the opening unzipped just above the surface. Work all of the air bubbles to the bags opening at the top. Then zip it shut, right at water level. Works quite well...dang near vaccum sealed. Poor-Man's Vak Pak :smile:

[Nanook]

You ain't poor Hogtide. I've seen your "john" boat. Can we fish the channel yet? :grin:

http://images.animfactory.com/animations/children/toys/wagon_rotating_md_wht.gif

[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: ****** ]</p>

[highwater]

The FOODSAVER PROFESIONAL II can be bought today from www.eders.com (http://www.eders.com) for 209.95, white or gray.

You can go to there web site to see this price, I called and got the information that both white and gray can be bought at this price. There is a $14.95 charge for shipping.

At this price I'm going to buy one. Just thought I would share this information. highwater

[fisheromen]

The quick and easy poor mans vac pac doesn't even require a tub of water and my fish do fine up to a year with little or no freezer burn. Simply put a little water in with the filets, seal the ziplock 90%, then smash the hole thing down in the bottom of the sink getting all the air and most of the water out. Zip the rest of the way when you've gotten most of it out. Works excellent.

[Vinny]

WHAT ?? COSTCO BBQ SAUCE !! :shocked:

Doesn't anyone remember the "phattio-mattio" (sp?) seafood sauce? The difference is you won't want to rinse this one off. :grin:

If you didn't get it a couple of months ago, here it is again. (I just love "highlight, copy and paste.")


Here first of all is the basting sauce recipe: (This will be enough for about a half a salmon)
-1/2 cup melted butter
-1/4 cup cooking white wine
-one clove chopped garlic
-1/2 t. fine herbs or parsley (fresh or dried)
-salt to taste (I suggest Johnny's seafood seasoning instead of salt)
Melt butter first in microwave and then combine with other ingredients (mix well). Baste on salmon filet.
Prepare the grill by spraying oil on it. (PAM works perfectly) Place salmon on meat side first, cooking until a nice brownish color has appeared. Flip it over to skin side and finish cooking until done.
Meanwhile, put all the following ingredients in a saucepan, but do not heat until they are all in the pan, and the salmon is almost ready.
-1 cup butter
-4 T. soysauce
-4 T. ketchup
-2 T. yellow mustard
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1/2 t. horseradish
-juice of half a lemon
Heat once all ingredients are in pan, and fish is close to done. DO NOT boil! Serve over cooked fish (or oysters or shrimp, or whatever you are having). Enjoy!
Matt Hanson
[ 09-09-2001: Message edited by: phattiomattio1 ]
--------------------
I'll leave the fishin up to you guys, leave the cookin up to me
(until I steal dad's fishing secrets)

[smilesforu]

Commercial fishermen freeze then coat with water to form a ice layer on the fish. This probably wouldn't work with the defrosting cycle of the freezers unless they are sealed in plastic after the coating.

[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: smilesforu ]</p>

[Nanook]

Ditto on the Foodsaver, for anything actually.

[Uncle Bob]

In regarding re-using vac pac bags...
My wife has been in food service for over 25 years. Something she has drilled into me is the "bactiria stuff" always proper food handling/preperation etc. ...ok...yes dear...

So when I open up some vac pac fish, I save the bag for packing up cured eggs.

Something else you might want to try:
At times I've brined up too much fish to fit in the smoker. Now I put the fellets in the vac pac bag, sprinkle on "my dry brine" and then vaccume it. Freeze right away. Each vac pac bag will fill one rack in the smoker. So, they're in the freezer with all the brine on them, except now they're frozen, and not being brined. All I need to do is pull 2 bags out of the freezer, place them in the frig. When I get home from work, they're all ready for the smoker. All the extra moisture will be puddled up, and I just hang the corner of the bag over the sink to drain.
No mess - no fuss. Best part is I don't hear any coments from my wife about smelling up the house.

UB

[HOGTIDE]

No ******...we can't fish the channel, .....yet. But,....... we are only 87 daytime tide changes away from that season. OK; How 'bout only 4 full moon phases from now :rolleyes: That sounds much sooner!

And, I am too a poor man. Everything I own is invested in precious metals......that is 'Silver Alvins','Gold Clancys' and 'TIG Welded Aluminum'! :wink:

...oh ya, bought my wife a real nice piece of jewelry for our engagement, at one time. But, then I heard the guys were just catchin' the heck out of the kokanee on those things, so......... :grin:

[Nanook]

Yep Hogtide, as soon as winter sets in, I start dreaming about the first Springers to show. :grin: