Members 4fishys Posted April 23, 2008 Members Share Posted April 23, 2008 Freeze fish from a yearly trip to Lake Erie (fantastic!!) and eat them over the course of several months to close to a year. Is there anything that I can do when packing them to prevent the freezer burn which happens? I seal them in baggies, squeezing out as mouh of the air as I possibly can. Short of buying one of the vacuum sealers, do you have any other tips to keep the filets looking any better? Thanks in advance. It was a brave man who first ate an oyster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 If you have room in the freezer, you can freeze them in water and they will stay good for a long long time. I saw a vaccum sealer at Wally World for less than $10 the other day. I picked one up and have some stuff sealed and frozen right now. I won't know for a while how well it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patfish Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Personally, I put the fish a gallon freezer ziploc, fill it with fresh tap water, squeeze or suck out as much air as possible(air is the enemy), seal, and lay flat in the deep freeze. Works like a champ. Also, like Dutch said the vacuum sealers are really good, of course it probably depends on the quality of the sealer, plus the bags are kind of pricey. My girlfriend freezes fresh herbs after she vacuum seals them and when thawed they are fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Beeson Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Definately fill with water and get rid of the air in the bag. I've got the ZipLoc vacuum sealer system and it works OK. Kinda hard to get the vacuum started for some reason, but once it starts, it works just fine. I've got several things in the freezer from a few months ago and they are still just as good as the day they went in. Now for fish, I'm not sure I would use it, but that's only because the water trick works so well for me with fish. TIGHT LINES, YA'LL  "There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." - Paul O’Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4fishys Posted April 24, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Thanks to all for the advice. Got the same replies from a very good Chicago site, if you're up there and looking for info.---Chicagolandfishing.com. It was a brave man who first ate an oyster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denjac Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I knew a guy that cut out the top of milk jugs. He would throw what fillets he had and cover with water and freeze. When he had more he threw them on top of the others covered with water and back in the freezer. Did that untill he filled it up. Fish fry in a jug! Dennis Boothe Joplin Mo. For a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." ~ Winston Churchill ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bojack Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 we go up to lake mich. every july and bring home salmon. i have been freezing them in freezer paper and that has worked well for us. it usually takes us 9 months to eat all the salmon. even after 9 months there isn't any freezer burn on our fish. now i have a vacume sealer and am going to try that after this crappie season. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chub minnow Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 The water trick works even better if you freeze them in a ziploc first then fill the bag with water and freeze. This keeps water from absorbing into the meat and damaging it when it freezes. I've kept trout and panfish for up to a year this way with no freezer burn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoveTail Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'll dip the fish in ice water and make about 5 layers of ice on the fish. Dipping them in the water, placing in the freezer to make the fresh ice water solid into ice. Coat them with about 5 layers of ice and then vacuum seal. If you don't have a vacuum seal, just use a zip lock. The ice will evaporate in the freezer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekl-stl Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I know thay can be pricey but a FoodSave Vacume Sealer is the best option out there.. The bags are relatively cheap if bought at Sams or Costco and it will pay for itself over time.. I have had mine for almost two years and have used it for everything from multiple deer, to all kinds of fish, to mushrooms and tonight I bought several bags of those chicken breasts at $5 for 3lbs and sealed them in meal size portions.. Its well worth it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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