Freezing your catch questions.

[Wiggy]

The last few batches of trout I have fried up had a bit of a "fishy odor/flavor to them and Im trying to figure out why. Two things I have changed within the past year when it comes to my fillets are 1. I am vacuum sealing now where I use to freeze the fish in water in qt. Ziploc bags and 2. The last few times I have fried fish, it was a late dinner suggestion so I thawed the fish in the sink with warm water. I can understand how a fast thaw may affect the texture of the fish, but the taste?? Does anybody else vacuum seal fillets? Any similar problems?

We eat fish a few times a month and normally love it. But the last few batches have been a tough sell.

How does everyone else freeze their fish?

[Gilbert]

I don't thaw out anything with warm water, other than that, I do the same exact thing and haven't had any problems.

[Hogie70]

Let the fish naturally thaw out... I freeze my fish in water as well and I have not had this problem... I clean the fish and wash down each individual fillet before putting them in the bag...

[buoy37]

Let the fish naturally thaw out... I freeze my fish in water as well and I have not had this problem... I clean the fish and wash down each individual fillet before putting them in the bag...

X2

[Bigwater]

When vacume packing lay your fillets on a cookie sheet on wax paper in the freezer before vacumm packing for 17 minutes.

Biggie

[B&P]

Fry some up and we'll discuss the flavor over a cold beer. It's hard to identify the problem from here.

[Milkjug]

Trout are kind of oily and will always smell a bit fishy after freezing. They normally cook up fine though.

Flounder are a fish that freeze very well. Shark meat and sheephead with the red trimmed off too. I try not to freeze reds, drum, or mackerel for very long.

[trophytroutman]

had the same problem but came to the conclusion of where we caught them at..the trout we caught in the ship channel tasted different than the ones we caught in east bay.

[JT]

GHSmaker can tell you how to freeze those sheephead so you dont f*** them up when you microwave them up later.

[coachlaw]

I've never gotten fancy, just froze them in water in a ziploc with all the air squeezed out. I've had redfish and snapper that was over 3 years in the deep freeze and it tasted great. My deep freeze is not a frostless, so it stays truly frozen all the time.

[OR19]

Let the fish naturally thaw out... I freeze my fish in water as well and I have not had this problem... I clean the fish and wash down each individual fillet before putting them in the bag...

X3...plus I think Coachlaw is right about the frostless freezer...they heat stuff up every so often to keep out the ice...I've had better luck with the old fashioned deep freeze...on fish, venison or any game...

[GHSmacker]

GHSmaker can tell you how to freeze those sheephead so you dont f*** them up when you microwave them up later.

That's right, the true key is to put em in a bag with no water, thaw them out in hot water, when they're half thawed take them out and throw some cornmeal over the ball of sheephead filets, put in the microwave for 5 mins, and then you're good to go.

You can thank me later.

Nice aggie joke.

[JT]

I've never gotten fancy, just froze them in water in a ziploc with all the air squeezed out. I've had redfish and snapper that was over 3 years in the deep freeze and it tasted great. My deep freeze is not a frostless, so it stays truly frozen all the time.

Please remind me to never eat fish that comes out of your deep freeze...Like ol Claude Perrier from Orleans told me, the reason the food is so spicey is becasue they are covering up the funk. black eye peas or purple hull peas which are immortal, in a freezer for 3 years aint worth a sheeeet much less meat.

[coachlaw]

If it wasn't good, I'd admit it bro. I usually won't let things go even a year, but these got buried in the back. They were just as good as fresh. Did them on the half shell.

[Tiny]

I always freeze mine in water, no air, comes out fine