Freezing fish

[Pontoonrob]

I only have a android and it will not do the search function on this site, my apologies.

How does one freeze caught fish? Should I be lucky enough to to get a mahi or tuna how do I freeze it?

In the great lakes we freeze our pan fish in water. Fillet some perch, put them in a bag with water and freeze.

Is it similar for ocean fish?

[Cheechako]

I just wrap it in plastic or a baggie in portion size, get the air out and freeze it. I have tried putting in water, not sure I could tell a difference but I think it does make a difference if you dont use it within a month or two.

[desodave]

If you're considering freezing the fish onboard, you should look at how cold your freezer gets. Ours is a Webasto Isotherm unit and the manual explicitly says that it should not be used to newly freeze foods ... it doesn't get cold enough. We use a vacuum sealer at home to freeze fish in meal-size portions and the boat freezer keeps them frozen. We do regularly fish for spot prawns and put them in water in the freezer to keep them as cold as possible until we get back home, usually 2-3 days until we get our limit. Then we freeze them at home in a weak brine solution rather than fresh water. After 2+ days in the boat freezer, the water in the prawns is just beginning to freeze.

[rslifkin]

A ziploc with as much air as possible removed, or better, vacuum sealed are generally good options. Vacuum sealing is better for long term storage. I haven't tried the water trick though.

[boatpoker]

We turn the freezer up (down) to - 20C and have no problem freezing fish rather quickly. We have never tried it with water in the bag. After the fish is frozen we return the freezer to our normal -10C ... cause' we always have icecream and we like it firm

[SailingHarmonie]

Saltwater fish in general do not do well soaking in fresh water. They tend to get "mushy". Some people don't notice or care, but it is off-putting to me especially if it is being served as sushi. I have never tried freezing in salt water. Theoretically, that should be better. But the water freeze method is just a poor-man's vacuum sealer to keep air away from the fish.

Vacuum sealed in meal sized portions is the gold standard

[wrwakefield]

We catch wild salmon, halibut, cod, etc. All portions to be frozen benefit from an overnight brining in [non-iodized] weak salt water before vacuum bagging and freezing. The meat stays firm, has a longer freezer life - without burning- and isn’t salty.

An alternative if we run out of freezer space is to [dry] salt the fillets [using a coarser non-iodized Kosher salt] for a few days [no refrigeration needed.]. Soak in fresh water overnight before eating.

We also love to cold pickle the salted [and soaked] fish in pint or quart jars. Bite sized chunks in a vinegar [1/3rd ea cider and white]/ water [1/3rd of total]/sugar/onion ring/ garlic clove cold pickle. [Sometimes a slice of lemon if on hand…] Store at cool temps for at least 14 days. Bones soften/dissolve but meat stays firm. Good for 6 months on the shelf.

Pickling hint: Isolate the metal jar lid from the brine with heavy plastic wrap [or use plastic lids] or the brine will corrode them.

Oh, did I mention smoking the fish?… [And then canning or pickling what you can’t consume in a week or two…]

Just some experiments for the species of fish you are dealing with…

Bon appetite! Bill

[MicHughV]

You can buy a small portable vacuum sealer. about the size of a keyboard...it will require 115v though....the meal sized bags you can re-use, around 8" x 8"....if you have a power inverter, that will work too. The bags can be cut larger if so desired.
It takes about 10 seconds to vacuum seal fish...or any other food for that matter.
Once sealed, can freeze for a long time. I havn't monitored the time, but I'm guessing that I've -pulled fish from the freezer that was in there for 6 weeks or so.

[Miyalk]

Easier than a vacuum sealer, use good quality zip seal bags and a bucket of water, push the bag with fish pieces in it, down into water slowly which will push all the air out the top, seal bag as you get near the top of the bag and before water goes into the top of the bag.

Never freeze fish in water, it ruins it. In fact never put fresh water anywhere near a saltwater fish when cleaning it before freezing.

[GordMay]

In addition to vacuum bagging, ice glazing will keep oxygen/air [causes rancidity & freezer burn] off your frozen fish.
Ice glazing is a method in which you glaze the fish with ice, first by dipping the fish into lightly salted ice water, and placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, in your freezer. Let the water on the fish freeze, then repeat this process [several times], until the fish has ¼ thick glaze of ice.
At this point, you can place the ice glazed fish into an airtight Ziploc bag, or, better yet, you can vacuum seal, and store it in your freezer.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

We catch wild salmon, halibut, cod, etc. All portions to be frozen benefit from an overnight brining in [non-iodized] weak salt water before vacuum bagging and freezing. The meat stays firm, has a longer freezer life - without burning- and isn’t salty.

An alternative if we run out of freezer space is to [dry] salt the fillets [using a coarser non-iodized Kosher salt] for a few days [no refrigeration needed.]. Soak in fresh water overnight before eating.

We also love to cold pickle the salted [and soaked] fish in pint or quart jars. Bite sized chunks in a vinegar [1/3rd ea cider and white]/ water [1/3rd of total]/sugar/onion ring/ garlic clove cold pickle. [Sometimes a slice of lemon if on hand…] Store at cool temps for at least 14 days. Bones soften/dissolve but meat stays firm. Good for 6 months on the shelf.

Pickling hint: Isolate the metal jar lid from the brine with heavy plastic wrap [or use plastic lids] or the brine will corrode them.

Oh, did I mention smoking the fish?… [And then canning or pickling what you can’t consume in a week or two…]

Just some experiments for the species of fish you are dealing with…

Bon appetite! Bill

Now your talking!! Living high on the cod