How To Freeze Fish In Ziplock: 3 Easy Steps & Tips For Everyone

How To Freeze Fish In Ziplock?

Fresh fish can easily be spoiled after two days of careless preservation. Whether you catch your fish from the water or buy it from your local mart, the best way to consume fresh fish is to cook it within two days after you buy it. Leaving fresh fish uneaten for a long time can expose it to harmful bacteria and make it not safe for consumption.

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However, if you do not plan to have your fish right after buying it, it is important to store your fish properly so that your fish can be fresh and safe for consumption for a long time. This guide will show you a step-by-step tutorial on how to freeze your fish in a ziplock – a staple of every kitchen to help your fish last longer

3 Steps To Freeze Fish In Ziplock Correctly

Step 1: Prepare the fish

Take the fish out of its package. If you need to remove its scales and bones, fillet it, or cut it into smaller portions, do it now because frozen fish can be difficult to handle.

Step 2: Clean the fish

When all the necessary steps are done, rinse your fish in cold water first and dry it properly with a paper towel. This step will clean all the contaminants that can spoil your fish in the freezing process.

If you want to keep the moisture in your frozen fish, you can also dip your fish in a mixture of water and salt after rising it with cold water. Remember to always dry your fish before the freezing process.

Step 3: Freeze the fish with a ziplock

A Ziplock bag is a useful tool to keep your fish from direct exposure to air, which can dry out the surface of your fish and make it inedible.

Put your fish into the ziplock bag and make sure there is no air pocket in the bag. You can add water to the bag to remove all the air but be careful because the flesh of the fish can absorb all the water and turn mushy.

Seal the bag properly, put it in your freezer, and you are good to go.

Here is a video showing how to remove all the air from the Ziplock bag easily for your reference:

Useful Tips On How To Freeze Fish In Ziplock

If you catch your fish

If you catch your fish fresh off the water, you have to take care of it immediately and make sure that it is frozen within the next 12 hours. On hot summer days, you should get your fish frozen as soon as possible. Freezing your fresh fish immediately ensures that it is safe from bacteria or decomposition and allows you to keep it for a longer time.

Protecting your frozen fish against freezer burn

Although your food is not directly exposed to oxygen, freezer burn can still happen after some time of freezing your food. After a certain time, oxygen in the freezer would invade, dehydrate, oxidize, and damage your frozen food. This happens to anything stored in the freezer for too long.

Consuming food with freezer burn is by no means safe. However, this condition can be easily prevented by eliminating all the oxygen and the air in the ziplock bag before freezing your fish. Adding water is a good way to remove all the air if you are afraid that removing the air by hand is not enough.

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However, if adding water to your ziplock bag takes too much space in your freezer and prevents you from storing more food, you can employ the help of the Ziplock vacuum bags tool – a helpful kitchen tool that helps you remove all the air from your ziplock bag. This will help keep your food longer in the fridge and keep your fridge much more organized.

Freezing a lot of fish

When you have a lot of ziplock bags storing fish in the freezer, you should always consume the oldest fish first. The freezer does extend the life of your frozen fish, yet, you should not keep your fish in the freezer for too long because its taste can be damaged over time.

However, it can be hard to keep up with the date of your fish. One useful tip in this situation would be to write the date of your fish on the ziplock bag. If writing causes too much inconvenience, you can keep all your fish in a neat stack and always put the latest frozen fish on the top. This stack will remind you to consume your fish from the bottom up.

FAQs

How long does fish last in the freezer?

If you want the best quality frozen fish, you should consume it within two days. If it is not possible, a week following the freezing process would be a safe time.

How do you defrost vacuum sealed fish?

One quick way to defrost it is to put your ziplock back into cold water. You can also remove your fish from the bag and leave it to the defrost setting of your microwave. However, never thaw your frozen fish by letting it sit at room temperature because this is a perfect chance for bacteria to attack your fish.

How do you know if frozen fish has gone bad?

If there are any white or gray spots on the surface of your frozen fish, it is probably freezer burn. If your fish is thick, you can cut this area away and cook the rest. Yet, if your slice of fish is thin, you should throw this away because it is no longer safe for consumption.

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Conclusion

Now you have everything you need to know to freeze your fish with a ziplock bag. Apply our tips to keep your fish properly for a longer time in the freezer and extend the life of your frozen fish now. You can thank us later.