Is it possible to freeze salted red fish: recipes, description, storage, defrosting

Any thrifty housewife most often purchases fresh red fish and freezes it herself at home. But a whole fish sometimes weighs more than 5 kg, especially when several large specimens are considered, so the question becomes whether it is possible to freeze salted red fish. Because everything definitely cannot fit in the refrigerator compartment.

Features of freezing and salting

Freezing and pickling are the most common methods for storing foods that spoil quickly. But is it possible to combine these methods? Unfortunately, this does not increase the storage duration, but the convenience is unambiguous.

Naturally, if several small pieces of fillet were purchased, then few people are interested in the problem of whether it is possible to freeze red fish in the freezer. Even several family members will eat this amount faster than the storage period ends.

Another case was when a large carcass was purchased and the housewife decided to cut the fish into pieces in order to cook it for some time.There is probably no need to explain that constantly defrosting a large specimen, cutting off the required part from it and freezing what is left will simply lead to the fish spoiling.

Repeated freezing has a particularly negative effect on raw fish, in contrast to a salted carcass, if it continues to be stored in the freezer. However, salted meat also has some limitations that are associated with any type of fish.

That is, if you answer the question whether it is possible to freeze salted pink salmon, then this is quite possible, but with some conditions. It is pink salmon, unlike other types of salmon, that is rather dry, so if all the requirements are met, then this fish is suitable for preparing salads or appetizers. But after soaking and frying it, you can get not very tasty meat.

Features of freezing lightly salted fish

Although the level of salinity does not affect the shelf life of frozen fish, this question still occurs and needs an answer. First, you need to indicate the freezing requirements, after which it is best to store salted red fish.

The fillet must be cut into pieces of any size, but they must be packaged in such a way that the separately thawed part will be used within several days. Moreover, the pieces can be made quite large in order to cut them later. Or thin, and they will be ready to spread on sandwiches.

Before placing pieces of lightly salted fish in the freezer, it is recommended to moisten them a little with vinegar, and then coat them a little with sunflower oil. Then the carcass is divided into portions and tightly packed in bags.

Recommendation: For the best preservation of lightly salted fish, it is recommended to wrap it in parchment after processing with sunflower oil. One layer of paper is enough, but the packaging must be carefully wrapped on each side and then placed in plastic.

The above tips are also suitable for situations where the fillet has a very strong salting. In other words, is it possible to freeze highly salted fish - naturally, yes. In this case, the freezing method is completely borrowed from the example already described.

Moreover, the optimal temperature for freezing salted fish is -18 degrees. Most often, household freezers cannot produce lower values. If your freezer has a “fast freeze” mode, then it is recommended to use it.

Experienced housewives often advise freezing salted red fish in several stages:

• the chopped carcass after treatment with sunflower oil must be cooled until frozen;
• Afterwards, the fillets are packaged in plastic bags and only then completely frozen.

The frozen storage time for fish pieces for salted meat should be no more than 5 months. If you decide to freeze the whole fish, it is not recommended to keep it in this state for more than 3 months.

Defrosting any salted foods by cooking is prohibited. You must wait until the fish gradually melts in the general compartment of the refrigerator. That is why it is best to make the fillet as thin as possible, so the meat will thaw faster.

You should not store these fish pieces unfrozen for a long time, despite the strong salting, this fish will spoil much faster, unlike lightly salted fish.

Differences in processing lean and oily fish

It is recommended to soak lean fish in brine before freezing. It can be made by mixing a quarter cup of salt with 1 liter of water. Immerse the fillet in the mixture for approximately 30 seconds, then strain. This will give the meat a more rigid structure and prevent moisture from evaporating during the freezing process.

In this case, fatty fish species must be immersed in ascorbic acid for the same period. It is done like this: you need to mix 1 tbsp. with 1 liter of cool water. The solution is required to prevent the fish from spoiling due to rancidity, which occurs much faster in fatty meat.

How to freeze salted red fish in the freezer

Once the fish has been treated with one of the solutions described above, you can continue freezing it using one of these recipes.

Ice glaze

Freezing steps:

• fish in pieces or whole in a bag is placed in the freezer until completely frozen;
• remove the meat from the chamber and from the polyethylene;
• Place the pieces in a container of very cold water for 2-3 seconds;
• wrap the fillet in plastic and place in the freezer until the water on top freezes;
• It is necessary to repeat the procedure of washing and freezing until a layer of ice glaze grows on the pieces with a layer of approximately 4-6 mm;
• Place the fish in plastic and put it in the freezer.

Lemon-gelatin method

Freezing steps:

• mix 250 ml of water with a quarter glass of lemon juice;
• divide the mixture into two equal portions;
• mix a bag of gelatin with 0.5 glass of water and lemon juice;
• heat some liquid in a container, but do not let it boil;
• add gelatin composition;
• let cool to room temperature;
• dip the prepared fillet pieces into the cooled liquid and strain;
• place the fish in a bag, remove excess air;
• place it in the freezer immediately.

ice block

Freezing steps:

• place the fish in a shallow container;
• transfer to the freezer and let stand overnight;
• in the morning, remove the frozen pieces from the container and wrap them in a vapor-proof material;
• put it back in the freezer.

Defrosting features

You should never defrost fish fillets at room temperature. The meat is defrosted in the refrigerator or in cold water.

It is best to leave the fish in the refrigerator overnight, and it is recommended to cover it with plastic or place it in a basin so that water does not drip onto the rest of the food in the refrigerator.

When defrosting meat in cold water, this often takes several hours (will depend on the size of the carcass).

Do not defrost with hot water as this may contaminate the meat with bacteria. If you use this method, you should try to cook the fillet immediately after defrosting.

The main condition for any type of red fish is that this meat cannot be stored in the freezer for more than 3-5 months. In addition, repeated freezing and thawing is not recommended. Otherwise, the fillet will turn into a mushy mass with absolutely no taste. It is for this same reason that defrosting should not be sudden, but gradual.