Long ago before the ability of freezing fish was made possible, preservation was provided by smoke and salt. Ancient cultures hung fish inside their chimneys to be smoked and dried from the peat fires.
Since it was so perishable, distributing fish was always a problem in the olden days.
Only people living near the sea ever had the opportunity to eat fresh fish. In those times, fish was salted to preserve it throughout its journey inland.
Along with the salt, the fish was packed in jars sealed with butter. Now days, the most often used preserving technique is freezing.
A convenient way of preserving food like fish and meat is either in a single portion or sufficient portions for the meals served.
When freezer cooking keep in mind that it should not be necessary to saw through frozen blocks foods, which is neither good for the food or for the temper!
Freeze only 2 pounds for each cubic foot of freezer space in any 24 hour period. The quality could suffer if packed at a larger rate than recommended.
Wrapping Fish Fillets
Use plastic wrap or other moisture proof paper to wrap fish fillets. Rewrap the entire package in foil and press out any air.
Wrap excluding air spaces in the foil. Seal with freezer tape. Label contents with type, number or portions, and date of freezing fish. Chill first; then freeze.
Alternatively, pack each fillet in self clinging plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag. Small sized, whole gutted fish are best packed this way for protection.
These should be cooked frozen. Separate fillets in a pack with butcher paper or plastic wrap.
Tips for Freezing Fish
Small, whole fish store best when glazed. Open freeze scaled, gutter fish on trays. Then dip each one in iced, salted water.
Return it to the freezer; repeat procedure until the fish is covered in ice. Pack fish individually in cling wrap.
* Keep in airtight packages and exclude as much air as possible.
Freeze fish as quickly as possible. When freezer cooking, do not let the unfrozen packs touch already frozen products. This slows down the freezing process and could also deteriorate the frozen food.
* Avoid overloading your freezer.
* As a general rule, white fish stores 9 months, oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring store 4 months.
Freezing Foods
When you go to unwrap and cook your tuna or mackeral, if you find dry, discolored patches, your packaging may be torn or not moisture proof.
Frosted food found in packages usually means there was a temperature fluctuation or air not expelled. Dry fish generally points to the freezing cooking process being done too slowly.
Flavor deterioration is typically caused by fluctuating freezer temperatures.
Freezer Cooking
Besides being delicious, fish is about 18 percent protein, which is not easily affected by the usual cooking methods, and up to 95 percent digestible.
The amount of fat in fish such as cod, haddock, sole, and whiting is less than 1 percent. Salmon, mackerel, and trout contain 20 percent fat. The fat is easily digested and used readily by your body.
Small pieces of fish are best cooked frozen. Foods that require thawing before cooking should be thawed slowly.
This way, the moisture is absorbed by the tissues of the food. If a freezer breakdown or power outage causes food to partially thaw, the fish packs can be safely refrozen if they remain frozen solid.
Otherwise, it is a great excuse for a fish fry!
Charter a boat and have a great excuse to have some fun, and start freezing fish !
