freezing fresh smelt

[zipper]

OK! Anyone want to give up their tips and techniques for preserving these slimey, juicy little critters? How long can they keep vacuum sealed? I like the paper towel in the bag idea, how do the commercial places do it? there's always some free juice in the bags.... I can't believe anyone really eats this stuff... looks like bait to me!

[willierower]

Last year I got a bunch of smelt. I just froze them in the same water I caught them in, Cowlitz river water.
Worked good for me.

[Trout,myster]

Yep. Vacuum pack'em but don't forget your paper towel. If you do, you'll have a mess in your vacuum sucker that won't quit!

I'm interested in trying Willie's trick, though. When I was a kid, my dad used to catch trout all the time in the Sacramento River and mom would freeze them in milk cartons filled with water. They would easily keep for a year or more. Neat thing about that was when they thawed, they were just like fresh caught trout!! Sounds like that may be a smelt storage trick.

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Troutmyster

[Trick]

When I freeze smelt, I too like to use at least some of the river water. I fill the zip-locks with enough to cover the fish. Then I squeeze the bags from the bottom up until water flows over the top of the bag. At that moment I seal the bag, it eliminates freezer burn almost 99% for the first couple of years. My smelt from last year look perfect and have not turned mushy. You will get some evaporation of the ice at the top of the bag after a year, so don't stuff the bags to the top with smelt or you run the risk of loosing the top ones to burn if they come in contact with air.

[This message has been edited by tshickam (edited 02-20-2001).]

[Jerry]

The only way to store Smelt is to vacuum pack them. We have got our limits of Sturgeon the last 5 trips on 2 year old vacuum packed Smelt.

[zipper]

This is how we did it - we used waxed paper and made layers on a board. this we stuck in the freezer over night. Last night I vacuum sealed the whole works. Worked like a champ... the little units weren't frozen solid, but just enough to have some texture and the liquid around them was iced. We'll see how they look in a year or so. (left about 3# fresh for this weekend....weeee hoooooo!!!!!

[Trout,myster]

Zipper-

"Little units"? You must work for some type of manufacturing outfit or did in the past. Found that humerous!



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Troutmyster

[zipper]

Nope. I grow plants for a living. Never have worked in manufacturing except the manufacture of new plants.