Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Chehalis_Steel]

Hey everyone
I have a sockeye from August and I didn't get around to gutting the fish. When I got home I decided to just throw it in the freezer.  This isn't something I usually do since I almost always bleed anything I catch and retain immediately then gut it ASAP. Now I'm wondering if its safe to eat. Has anyone ever done this?

[Chehalis_Steel]

_

[Kevgor]

I would think if the fish was in good condition when it went into the freezer, it should be fine.

[spoiler]

it will be better than expected! I know a guy that had a 55lb Spring frozen whole as he was going to have it mounted.
as time went on he changed his mind then one day a thawed it out and was surprised how well it turned out because it hadn't been gutted and allowed the air to get in and promote freezer burn.

[Fish Assassin]

It should be fine for eating.

[BBarley]

Did you bleed the fish? An old man once told me the most important thing to keeping a fish was to pop it's gill rakers after dismissal and while it's heart was still beating to eliminate hormones and destructive acids released during the fight.

I wouldn't fret eating something bled/not gutted and thrown in the deep freeze right away but may be a little more careful around something unbled/ungutted taken during the heat of August but your own knowledge on said conditions should warrant a better decision.

[Fatso]

No problem whatsoever.  Popping a gill and bleeding it would be optimal but i find they actually keep better frozen and  ungutted.

[milo]

No problem whatsoever.  Popping a gill and bleeding it would be optimal but i find they actually keep better frozen and  ungutted.

What he said.
That's how FN keep their fish long term.

In addition, if you let the fish thaw halfway through and then gut open it, the guts will still be mostly frozen and they'll come out easily, without making a mess in the kitchen. All my long-term frozen fish stay ungutted until the day I want to use them.

[Fatso]

All my long-term frozen fish stay ungutted until the day I want to use them.

...exactly... 

[Chehalis_Steel]

Did you bleed the fish? An old man once told me the most important thing to keeping a fish was to pop it's gill rakers after dismissal and while it's heart was still beating to eliminate hormones and destructive acids released during the fight.

I wouldn't fret eating something bled/not gutted and thrown in the deep freeze right away but may be a little more careful around something unbled/ungutted taken during the heat of August but your own knowledge on said conditions should warrant a better decision.

Yeah I did and I kept it in the water. It wasn't sitting in the sun or anything. So it should be fine then I guess.

[Chehalis_Steel]

In addition, if you let the fish thaw halfway through and then gut open it, the guts will still be mostly frozen and they'll come out easily, without making a mess in the kitchen. All my long-term frozen fish stay ungutted until the day I want to use them.

Great tip. I'll remember that if I actually get enough Coho this year to have long-term frozen fish lol

[milo]

Great tip. I'll remember that if I actually get enough Coho this year to have long-term frozen fish lol

It's a good year for coho, and the Chehalis is no exception. You should do fine.

In case people were wondering, "long term freezing" in my books is anything longer than 30 days.
Also, be careful when you thaw it. Fish will deteriorate easily if thawed too quickly.
The best approach is from freezer to fridge and from fridge to kitchen countertop.
I gut the fish between freezer and countertop.

[clarki]

Interesting thread.

I always gut my fish before freezing...only cuz I thought it was the thing to do. But others' experience with freezing in the round has given me pause to re-consider.       

[DanL]

I always gut my fish before freezing...only cuz I thought it was the thing to do. But others' experience with freezing in the round has given me pause to re-consider.       

Same here, always cleaned but frozen with head on. Also partly because I figured returning the guts to the ecosystem would be better than composting (and less messy)

And I often freeze fish much longer than 30 days. If filleted and vacuum packed, it's good for many many months if not a year or more, but anything not sealed will freezer burn around the exposed edges.

I've had some pretty old fillets dug up from the bottom of the freezer that were badly burned around the edges, but after cutting that part away, the meat that was protected by the skin & scales seemed perfectly fine.

If kept un-gutted, I now wonder how long it might take before the quality starts to suffer in a deep-freeze? Years? Maybe if there's no exposed meat, an intact frozen fish might have a very long freezer-life...

Going to try some like that this year.

[milo]

And I often freeze fish much longer than 30 days. If filleted and vacuum packed, it's good for many many months if not a year or more, but anything not sealed will freezer burn around the exposed edges.

Absolutely true. But those bloody vacuum rolls are so expensive, especially if you also have game meat to deal with.
I only vacuum pack fish destined for sashimi and gravlax - fully skinned and deboned.
Anything that will be hot smoked, baked or BBQ-ed goes gets saran-wrapped intact and into a plastic bag.