Storing fresh fish can be a serious problem. Fish is a perishable product, especially in hot conditions. Ideally, freshly caught fish should be processed and consumed within an hour, but this is not always possible. To prevent your catch or purchase from becoming rotten during the day, use any of the ways to keep the fish fresh.
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You will need
- - freezer bag;
- - ice;
- - boiling water;
- - slotted spoon or colander;
- - plastic wrap or wax paper;
- - salt.
Instruction manual
1
Buy live fish - this is a guarantee of its freshness. If you have caught a large number of fish, try to keep it alive with the help of a special net, which is immersed in water, allowing the fish not to fall asleep longer.
2
If the fish falls asleep, immediately clean and gut it, cut it into pieces if necessary. Lightly salt is recommended. The gills and internal organs begin to rot very quickly and can give the meat an unpleasant aftertaste and aroma if they are not removed in a timely manner.
3
Cover the fish with ice on all sides and place it in a stationary refrigerator or cooler bag. It takes 2 kg of ice for every kilogram of gutted fish. Put ice in a bag before wrapping fresh fish. Water from melting ice can over-saturate the fish and make it watery if it has prolonged direct contact with it. Try to cook fresh fish for 48 hours or during this time send it to the freezer. Remember to change the ice as soon as it melts, this way you will keep the fish cool and fresh.
4
Salt the fish if you are not going to cook it within 48 hours. In brine, it can be stored for at least 4-5 days.
5
You can also blanch fish for long-term storage. In steep boiling water, immerse each gutted fish for 2 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or colander for this. Put the blanched fish in one layer on a tray, cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate, this treatment will allow you to store fresh fish for up to 6 days.
6
Freeze fish if it has not been cooked for 6 days. Wrap each carcass in an individual bag and ship in a container to the freezer. Stick the date label on the container. When you are about to cook the fish, just take out the entire packaging and leave it to defrost directly in the container. Fresh fish after freezing can be stored for four to eight months, while some species, such as pike perch and perch, can retain their taste in frozen form for up to a year.