Before you buy fish, decide on a store that has a constant supply of fish. The quality of the taste of the fish and your health undoubtedly depend on the freshness of the catch and the supply of the product.
Fish spoils quickly and the taste of the finished dish depends on its freshness and storage.
Here you will learn about the proper storage and use of fish.
Determination of fish freshness
Main signs: fish scales should be shiny, dense with clean mucus. The eyes are transparent and clean.
The gills are always dark red in color; the paler, the lower the freshness, without any foreign odor. The body of the fish is solid, without dents. The fillet should be firm, but not loose.
Choosing the right one
Before discussing ways to store fish, you should pay attention to how to choose the right fish. Chefs and experts say that carp, crucian carp, carp and others are best cooked fresh. They recommend preparing dishes from fresh fish, or better yet from live fish that have just been caught. It will last longer if you choose it correctly on the store counter:
- carp and other species should have a faint smell - a sea scent, or a river one. If, for example, a carp has been sitting for a long time, it will have a bad and unpleasant smell. By the way, carp is one of the most perishable fish;
- elastic and shiny scales are a sign of good products;
- Be sure to pay attention to the eyes; if the product is fresh, they should be glazed, bright, but translucent. If the product is bad - gray;
- It is also important to pay attention to the gills, which should be extremely shiny, without yellow edges.
- if the product is fresh, for example carp, then the scales will be elastic, and therefore there will be no trace left on it.
Where is the fish stored?
A fresh carcass is removed from the cold immediately before cooking, because bacteria instantly multiply in warmth.
Fresh fish should never be placed next to prepared food products: dairy, sausages, salads, snacks. The persistent fishy smell will transfer to the food.
Important! You cannot freeze fish two or more times, it will simply lose its taste and beneficial properties.
Shellfish
If you live far from the sea, then shellfish are definitely worth buying frozen. But if you are in a seaside city and decide to cook something with fresh ones, then you should know that it is better to buy them from a trusted place and alive! How can you tell if a clam is dead? Since fresh shellfish must be sold alive, they must respond to external stimuli. Place them on the table, step back and wait a bit. Then knock on the sink - it should be closed even tighter than when you bought it. It will be more difficult with oysters - they have very dense and hard shells. But mussels and clams will definitely react to this.
Another option for determining the “degree of liveliness” is cooking. If you buy dead clams, they will not open their shells when cooked. Feel free to throw them away. And, yes, if you are not sure of the freshness of the purchased shellfish, it is better not to try them raw!
How to store fish in the refrigerator
If you need to store your purchased fish for a day: clean it inside and remove scales, but under no circumstances remove the skin, it retains the juiciness of the flesh, rinse well, dry with a towel and put in the cold, in the coldest place. This way you will retain all the taste and nutritional properties of the product.
You can also preserve the carcass for several days by placing it on a layer of crushed ice and covering it with another layer, it will be as fresh.
If for a longer period, it is better directly in the freezer. Fish fillets cannot be washed when frozen.
Preparation for storage
Shelf life of different types in the freezer
Rules for storing fish include a preliminary preparation stage. The algorithm is quite simple:
- Raw fish must be scaled and giblets removed.
- Wash top and inside, dry with napkins or paper towel.
- If you are going to store the product for about two days, then you need to sprinkle with salt or sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Transfer the fish to a storage container, wrap it with cling film or close it tightly with a lid.
There is no need to wash finished fish fillets before storing them in the refrigerator.
Smaller fish, such as roach or perch, can be frozen without gutting them - then they will better retain their taste and juiciness. But it is not recommended to freeze burbot at all - this fish is tasty only fresh.
There are ways to preserve fresh fish without refrigeration, invented by our ancestors at a time when no one dreamed of this technological miracle. In order for fresh fish to last 2-3 days, you need a cool and well-ventilated room. You need to do the following:
- clean from scales, gills, entrails, fins;
- wipe dry with a towel;
- rub the carcass on all sides with spices (usually salt and ground black pepper are used);
- wrap the fish in cotton cloth soaked in a solution (200 ml of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar);
- Cover the inside and outside with coarse salt.
If you plan to freeze the carcass, then you need to put it in a plastic bag. It is recommended to divide a large specimen into small portions.
How long can fish be stored?
Freshly gutted in a cold place for up to two days.
- Fresh frozen up to 3 months.
- Salted in the refrigerator: herring in brine for up to 4 weeks, salmon for up to 3 days, mackerel for up to 10 days.
- Smoked in the refrigerator for up to a week, in the cold for up to a month.
From our tips, you learned how you can store fish and now not worry about your health. At the same time, eat fresh and high-quality fish, from which you will get a lot of useful substances for the body.
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Optimal conditions
Raw fish cannot be kept in a refrigerator at above-zero temperatures, as this product is subject to rapid spoilage due to the development of bacteria and moldy fungi. They begin to multiply within a couple of hours after the temperature rises and lead to rotting.
Fish, if properly prepared, has a shelf life in the refrigerator of 1-3 days. At the same time, raw minced meat, cutlets or fish pieces can be stored for only 10 hours, and fillets for 24 hours. In the freezer, where the temperature reaches -24°C, fish can last from 3 to 6 months, depending on the fat content.
The main storage conditions are vacuum packaging (extends the shelf life of fish to 4-5 days) and temperature conditions. Cold destroys microflora and slows down the fermentation process.
Temperature
The ideal storage temperature is from -2°C to 0°C. With this mode, the fish will be preserved for three days. Unfortunately, most often the temperature in refrigerators is 5-6°C, so the period is reduced to just one day.
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If there is no temperature-controlled zone in the refrigerator, you can make one yourself using a container with ice and store the fish there. With this method, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the ice so that it does not melt. If this suddenly happens and the carcasses end up in water, they will spoil very quickly.
Photo tips on how to store fish
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