frozen tuna

fish_on · 08-04-2006, 08:16 PM

How long does vaccuum sealed frozen tuna last?

Mark Mc · 08-04-2006, 08:29 PM

I vac packed & froze quite a bit last fall....it was still delicious 6 - 8 months later.

prienn · 08-04-2006, 08:32 PM

I am still working on two y/o vacuum sealed tuna. Still tastes good!

pnwcoast · 08-04-2006, 08:41 PM

I had some from a year ago, still ok.

Paddler · 08-04-2006, 10:35 PM

That's great to hear. I recently grilled salmon we caught a year ago that tasted as good as the day we caught it. If tuna stores as well, I'll be delighted. Anybody have a feel which lasts longer, salmon or tuna? I don't expect sashimi grade meat a year out, but if it grills nicely, that's good enough.

wthr4d · 08-04-2006, 10:44 PM

I would say Tuna last longer. my salmon looses its seal after about a year in the freeze. the tuna stays longer and I think because of the oils in it it holds flavor better.

either way if you dont can it vac pack it and keep it as cold as you can.

Paul

wak'm&stak'm · 08-05-2006, 05:44 AM

I must be doing something wrong...in my freezer, fish shielf life is in this order..Sturgeon, then Halibut, then salmon, then tuna and bottom fish are a tie.
It seems to get freezer taste pretty quick...of course nothing beats fresh.
We always just put a few in whole and thaw, clean and smoke 3 months later. I think they keep just as good that way.
Maybe I just need a better vacuum machine...

8knots · 08-05-2006, 11:07 AM

I'm smoking six loins today that are from fish caught a year ago. I am impressed with how good the meat looks. Very high quality.

Day Late · 08-05-2006, 11:42 AM

I've gotten in the habit of "double sealing" both ends of the bag...never seem to get a leak that way and I've pulled the different species of fish out of the freezer at a year+ and they seem as good as the day I processed them. Maybe I'm just lucky. :smile:

Day Late

Bait O' Eggs · 08-05-2006, 11:55 AM

my family does not like frozen loins after about Christmas, they say it taste to fishy.

I have to agree with them, even vac pac'd the taste does change with time

Snakebite · 08-05-2006, 05:11 PM

I think it's the freezer temp! Mine is -20 and I just recently took out some venison that was single wrapped three years ago in regular freezer paper that I expected to be real burnt. NOT! It was fine. I have herring I put in there last year that looks like I bought it yesterday. In any case, I still vac seal most of everything, it's the best way to go.

apparentgenius · 08-05-2006, 06:04 PM

Wak,

I got a better sealer and my tuna is good for over a year. If they don't look great on the outside, I trim off 1/4" and it is great. I had it with the foodsavers, upgraded to a cabelas stainless steel model, that was better but it only lasted 1 year. I recently upgraded to the professional deli style. It's awesome, no worries about liquid.

Glen

Killertraylor · 08-05-2006, 10:27 PM

I think 6 mo's is max - and I never eat it as sushi out of the freezer - just can it or bbq it. I'm surprised folks are getting a year out of it - maybe I'll turn my freezer temp. down and see if that helps. I get excellent sealing with my foodsaver. I just told someone the other day that 3 months is almost too long.

I guess it just depends on the freezer.

Salty Walty · 08-05-2006, 10:47 PM

It can depend on your type of freezer and the temp you have it at. As Snakebite said above colder is best for preserving flavor. I have mine at as low a temp as possible. I also have a manual defrost. The frost free turn themselves off once in awhile to keep the frost from forming. This means the temp fluctuates, this can cause freezer taste and shorten the time your product will keep in the freezer. A manual defrost chest freezer with its more constant temp is the best for keeping your frozen fish and game. One trick that I also use with tuna and salmon is to put the loins/fillets in the freezer for for a few hours or over night before vacuum packing them. The firmness will allow you to get a much better seal on them with less fluid in the package. I have had tuna that was a year old and it tasted fine.

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 08-06-2006, 04:28 AM

I will never freeze tuna again..... I save a few loins to eat fresh and the rest gets jar's and pressure cooked.... We cooked some fresh here at work last night and it was awesome

Just seems to me the oily properties are not as consistent after you freeze it and to me it just doesn't taste as good....

I sure know one thing, when it is canned fresh, it has a nice oil slick on the top of it

Netscape · 08-06-2006, 08:29 AM

We always keep some steaks for the BBQ. Freeze individually on cookie sheets, then double glaze with solution of 2 tsp Vitamin C crystals to one pint of water, then vacuum seal. Crystals are available over the counter at any pharmacy. This doesn't change the flavor at all and acts just as a preservative, and glazing keeps out the freezer burn.