Is it possible to freeze smoked fish in the freezer: how long can such fish be stored and how can you tell if it is already spoiled?

Is it possible to freeze smoked fish? This is quite an interesting point that is worth examining. Of course, it is possible and necessary to freeze smoked fish if you do not plan to eat it in the near future, but you do not want to throw it away due to the fact that it will spoil. But after the defrosting procedure, the product loses some of its taste properties, and the aroma will be less intense. In addition, the fish becomes loose.

How to freeze smoked fish correctly: tips and tricks

In order not to be disappointed with the result, you should adhere to the following useful tips:

1. Before freezing butterfish (or other smoked variety), you need to carefully pack the product in craft paper. Thanks to this manipulation, the finished product can be preserved for a longer period of time. In addition, the aroma will not spread throughout the freezer and be transferred to other products. And the fish itself will not absorb third-party odors.
2. Whole cold smoked fish carcasses are not recommended to be stored in the freezer for more than 14 days, as the structure will be lost.
3. It is not recommended to freeze hot smoked carcasses. This is due to its softer structure, which results in a porridge-like product after defrosting.
4. Fish, cut into small pieces, is stored well for the first 5 days.
5. It is important to remember that whole smoked fish retains its texture, flavor and aroma much better than fillets.

Attention! It is strictly prohibited to re-freeze smoked fish! In addition, a long period of storage of the product after defrosting is not allowed. It is best if the product is consumed immediately after it thaws.

Features of freezing cold and hot smoked fish

If you plan to freeze hot smoked fish, then you need to immediately understand that such actions are fraught with a number of consequences. For example, after defrosting, the product loses its taste, in addition, the smell changes for the worse. Of course, if you are faced with a choice - freeze or throw away, then of course you should choose the first option. But purchasing a hot smoked product specifically for freezing is not the best option.

As for cold smoked fish, everything is completely the opposite. The finished product tolerates freezing better. As practice shows, it does not lose its taste for a long time. But despite this, it is best if the carcasses remain frozen for no more than 14-20 days. It is also worth noting that the structure of a whole carcass is preserved much longer than that of a fillet.

Advice! The best option for hot smoked fish is blast freezing.

Shelf life

Before sending smoked fish to the freezer for deep freezing, it is recommended to carefully ensure that the product is fresh, otherwise there is no point in this procedure. Even if only the first signs of decomposition appear, freezing is unacceptable.

The shelf life depends not only on the quality of the finished product, but also on the power of the freezer:

1. At a temperature range of -5 to -2 degrees, cold smoked fish is stored without loss of quality for 60 days, hot smoked fish – 45 days.
2. At temperatures from -10 degrees and below – cold smoked products for up to 90 days.

For packaging, it is best to use parchment paper, foil, or just newspaper. You should refuse cling film and plastic bags. Vacuum packaging would be an ideal option.

Attention! To preserve the aroma and taste of the product, it is recommended to defrost smoked fish gradually, without using a microwave oven.

How to tell if smoked fish has started to spoil

Even if all the conditions were carefully observed, this does not mean that the finished product will not deteriorate ahead of time. The tissues located near the spine begin to decompose first. After a short period of time, this process becomes clearly visible.

It happens that a product that has begun to deteriorate is sent to the freezer, which becomes noticeable after defrosting.

Signs of damage are as follows:

1. The fish slips in your hands, and sticky mucus can be found on the skin.
2. There is a green-gray coating on the surface.
3. There is sourness in the smell.

To determine whether the product has really begun to deteriorate, it is recommended to remove the packaging and make a shallow cut in the spine area. If you smell this place, you can smell a rotting smell. In this case, the product must be disposed of.

Another common sign is the appearance of a white coating. However, often its presence speaks of something completely different, namely, that the salt has caused moisture to appear.In this case, you need to take a piece of gauze or a cotton pad, moisten it generously with sunflower oil and wipe the carcass. Fish with such a salty coating should be eaten as soon as possible.

Useful tips

In order to preserve all the taste qualities of smoked red fish, certain rules must be followed:

1. You cannot put several fish carcasses in a plastic bag for long-term freezing. It is recommended to use individual packaging for each fish, and it is best if it is a vacuum bag or plastic container. You can also wrap the fish in newspaper. In this condition, the product can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
2. The freezing temperature should not exceed -20 degrees. At this temperature, the freezing process is carried out evenly.
3. If pre-smoked fish has been in the refrigerator for several days, then it can no longer be placed in the freezer.
4. It is unacceptable to re-freeze the product after defrosting.
5. After the finished product is removed from the freezer, it is recommended to place it on the refrigerator shelf for 6-7 hours, and then leave it for 2-3 hours at room temperature.
6. To restore the lost taste and aroma, after defrosting, you can place the carcasses in a microwave or oven for a few minutes.

How to properly defrost smoked fish

In order to eat fish after the freezer, and not a porridge-like substance, you need to know how to properly defrost smoked fish so that the structure is not damaged.

It is important to remember that the defrosting process should not be abrupt. Of course, slow defrosting will take much longer, but the result is worth it.The best option is to place the smoked fish immediately on the top shelf of the refrigerator and leave it for 7-8 hours on average. After which you can keep it at room temperature for several hours.

Undoubtedly, the taste and structure of the pulp will be slightly worse than that of fresh fish, but this is unlikely to be avoided. Since it will be problematic to prepare the fillet after defrosting, the fish will have to be cut into pieces for consumption. It is recommended to defrost the amount of fish that will be eaten immediately, since re-freezing is unacceptable.