skilletlicker
Head Chef
Now I remember why I keep stopping posting here.
Fish dilemma - how not to waste it
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
These are the US GOVERNMENT's food safety recommendations. I didn't pull them out of my backside. Canada has similar recommendations. Last I checked, I don't live in the UK. If your government has different ideas about food safety, and you choose to follow those guidelines, then so be it.
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jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Sorry Mad Cook but you are entirely wrong about that.
I can certainly understand having stricter rules for restos. If they thawed and refroze food, how would anyone know how many times they had done that?
I recently defrosted some ground pork. I didn't have the energy to do anything with it for a few days. We refroze it and marked on the package that it had been defrosted, so we would know that once it was defrosted again, it would have to be used immediately.
I always count the time food spends defrosting in the fridge as "fresh days". If it already sat in the fridge for 3 days and it had a use by date giving 5 days, I would make sure to use it within 2 days of taking it out of the freezer.
I always count the time food spends defrosting in the fridge as "fresh days". If it already sat in the fridge for 3 days and it had a use by date giving 5 days, I would make sure to use it within 2 days of taking it out of the freezer.
Vanitas
Senior Cook
What a great idea! I'm always worried about meat spoiling after I've defrosted it... and hubby is notorious for changing his mind on dinner once I've defrosted something. I usually just give it the sniff test after a few days.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
When the fish are caught at sea, they are gutted and tossed down below into one of the bins. As soon as there is a good think layer of cleaned fish, a thick layer of ice is tossed on it. Come the next couple of layers, more ice. By the time the fish reach the dock and are unloaded, they have been sitting there on ice and frozen for a minimum of five days. More like 15 days. Depends on the size of the boat. They are unloaded, processed for auction and sold. The stores and restaurants that buy the fish, again freeze their buy. The fish are still partially frozen from being on the boat. During the auction, the fish are sitting in bins that are filled with ice to keep the fish "fresh" and frozen. Believe me, by the time those fish reach your plate, they have been partially thawed and refrozen more than once. The freshest fish you can possibly buy is from the boats that make day trips out and back. Be at the dock around three in the afternoon and see if they will sell you their catch. Good luck. 
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On some fishing boats/ships, the fish are frozen before they return.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
On some of the larger boats, they are frozen anywhere from five to fifteen days. The ones in the very first bin at the bottom have been frozen the longest. Each bin is six feet high, and there are five-six bins on each three man boat. The five to ten man boats are out for fifteen days and have many more bins with more ice to freeze them.
My husband would on the very last catch, find the biggest Haddock in the net. He would filet it for me and cut it up into serving size pieces. Sometimes it was as much as ten to 15 pounds of ready to eat fresh off the boat. He would bring it home, I would egg and bread it, then fry every bit of it. It didn't matter if it was one pound or 15 pounds. That whole platter of fried fish was completely gone by the end of the meal. Never any leftovers for the next day.
RPCookin
Executive Chef
What a great idea! I'm always worried about meat spoiling after I've defrosted it... and hubby is notorious for changing his mind on dinner once I've defrosted something. I usually just give it the sniff test after a few days.
Hmmm... If I've defrosted and planned a meal, and my wife decides that isn't what she wants that evening, then she can cook her own dinner. I sometimes consult with her before I get something out of the freezer, but after that I'm locked in.
I will particularly ask her before I thaw any fish, because she goes through periods where any kind of fish actually makes her nauseated. It's all in her head and she knows it, but that doesn't help. Just like her acrophobia, she knows that there is no danger on the 3rd rung of a ladder, but that doesn't make it any less impossible for her to step up to the 4th one.
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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- Apr 12, 2011
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Heh. If DH doesn't want what I'm cooking, particularily following consultation, he's on his own. There's Cheerios readily available. Have at it.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
I've never known my Souschef to change his mind about what's for dinner after it's been planned. He's probably worried I'd go on strike.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Before grocery shopping, I try to create a menu for the week and consult with SO as I do so. She usually asks each AM what's for dinner. If I can be flexible as to which weekly menu item I can cook, I do so. If she's still not happy, I suggest she buy take-out for us. Then she usually settles for one of the dishes on the menu.
skilletlicker
Head Chef
I live alone a cook for myself. If that changed and then somebody told me not to make this but make that instead I'm pretty sure I'd be back to cooking for myself real quick.
On the other hand though, I change my own mind all the time.
On the other hand though, I change my own mind all the time.
Vanitas
Senior Cook
I married a strange creature... he talks big about making and sticking to "weekly menus", but as the week progresses he changes his mind from day to day. Being as I hate food waste, the meat gets used - just not necessarily in it's intended recipe.
He's very wishy-washy when it comes to fish... I only recently convinced him to even eat it. I'm so glad to know it can be refrozen!
He's very wishy-washy when it comes to fish... I only recently convinced him to even eat it. I'm so glad to know it can be refrozen!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Just to be clear.
If a protein (fish, meat, poultry) has a safe life of three days refrigerated, that's the limit. If you freeze it then defrost it, the three day timer doesn't start over. Safety isn't an issue but texture will suffer. Freezing and defrosting damages cells causing them to release moisture. The cooked product will be drier and texture change could be noticeable.
However, freezing contaminated protein won't eliminate the contamination. You could safely defrost contaminated protein, cook and eat it and get sick even though you treated it safely. That could lead you to believe it was the defrosting and refrigeration was the cause of the illness.
If a protein (fish, meat, poultry) has a safe life of three days refrigerated, that's the limit. If you freeze it then defrost it, the three day timer doesn't start over. Safety isn't an issue but texture will suffer. Freezing and defrosting damages cells causing them to release moisture. The cooked product will be drier and texture change could be noticeable.
However, freezing contaminated protein won't eliminate the contamination. You could safely defrost contaminated protein, cook and eat it and get sick even though you treated it safely. That could lead you to believe it was the defrosting and refrigeration was the cause of the illness.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
How very well said Andy. My father taught me the same, but you said it perfectly.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Be nice! and Let's get back on topic. The OP was trying to figure out how to safely store her fish, she lives here in the states.
