After a day spent fishing, you don’t want your catch to go to waste. To make your fresh fish last, you need to know the best ways to store it. Depending on the method, you can make your fish last for a while.
Keep It On Ice
It is especially important for you to keep fresh fish cold. They spend their time in water that is much colder than the air, so it takes very low temperatures to keep them from spoiling. When your fish is in the refrigerator, you need to make sure it is on ice. The ice will keep it at the ideal temperature so it doesn’t spoil. Before putting the fish in the fridge, make sure you properly prepare it. Wash the fish under cold water, pat it dry and then wrap it in wax paper, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap. After you’ve done this, place the fish on ice. Typically, your fish will last for about two days. If you want your fish to last longer you should vacuum seal, then freeze it. Properly vacuum sealed fish can last more than a year in the freezer.
Smoke It
Traditionally, smoking was used as a method of preserving fish until the refrigerator came along. When you smoke fish, you can either hot smoke it or cold smoke it. With hot smoking, you will cook the fish and incorporate flavors into it via the wood you use. With cold smoking, your fish will be kept at a lower temperature and smoked for a long period of time. Once fish is smoked, it needs to cool and then should be stored in a refrigerator. The best way to store it is by vacuum sealing it. This will keep out oxygen and make your fish last longer in the refrigerator. When you vacuum seal, you can also use fish boards.
Dry it
When you dry fish, it will last much longer than any other method because it won’t spoil the way frozen or canned fish will. You also have many methods for how you can dry your fish. Depending on where you live, you may be able to dry your fish outside. Air drying or sun drying fish are both traditional methods used worldwide. You can also dry your fish via the salt. With this method clean and prepare your fish and then lay it in several layers of salt. If you’re looking for a more simple method, you can also use a food dehydrator to dry your fish.
Preserving your fish can be done in several ways. Try out a variety of methods to see what you like best. Different methods will give you different flavors and textures.
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