Bad tasting crappie

[jigtosser]

I cleaned some fresh caught crappie and froze them as soon as they were cleaned. I let them sit in the ice box soaking in Kosher salt for 24 hours before freezing. Took them out today ( one month later) and cooked them. They tasted like strong fish, so bad you could not eat it all. What happened? The batch before this one was great.

[CrappieJed]

I cleaned some fresh caught crappie and froze them as soon as they were cleaned. I let them sit in the ice box soaking in Kosher salt for 24 hours before freezing. Took them out today ( one month later) and cooked them. They tasted like strong fish, so bad you could not eat it all. What happened? The batch before this one was great.

sounds to me like you somewhere in between you catching the fish and putting them in the frig they had gotten a little warm that will bring the fishy flavor out in them....i purposely bring ice chest with ice and throw them in the chest soon as i take them out of the water even in the winter...guys really think soaking the fish in water and freezing the fish in the water is the best way to freeze...it is not, fish is much better frozen in plastic with all the air taken out...i use a seal a meal...but you may already know this.

sometimes crappie can get a strong flavor and that can be because of there diets, what they may be foraging on.

CJ

[crappiedoc]

Clean them and go right to the freezer, don't soak them in anything. Freezing in your baggies is fine, just enough water to cover them and push the air out. It'll work great for you, some day you might upgrade and vac seal or maybe not.

[jigtosser]

These fish did not get a chance to get warm. They were alive right up the the time of filleting. I do not freeze them in water, only soak them in ice water while cleaning and then into the fridge until the next day. I can cut out the overnight soak but it has worked for a long time with no problems. I am not opposed to the vacuum system if it will save fish. I can remember on a TV program years ago that someone said that if any part of the guts or blood got on the meat it will ruin it. When I fillet I cut through rib cage and sometimes get the insides on the fillet. Next batch I am not going to fillet that way but cut around the rib cage.

[CrappieJed]

freezing fish in water even with the air out will cause freezer burns unless your just freezing for no more then a week but for a month to long fish will not be as fresh...here is a trick you can use if you dont have a seal a meal vacuum packer....put your filet's in a plastic freezer bag no water submerge the whole bag and fish in water right to the top of the opening of the bag this will push all the air out..zip it up, put it in the freezer works fine. this is a pic of a 13" bluegill fillet lots of blood this fish was not fishy at all...fish are not like deer no need to worry about a bladder or blood or any organ spoiling the meat unless you let the fish get warm. I hear Trout guys here in Cal talk about oh you got to bleed your fish..what a messy waste of time...its all about packing that fish on ice ASAP!

[jigtosser]

Thanks for that tip.

[dkb23]

Drink more beer! That taste will go away sooner or later! LOL

[Wiskers]

Drink more beer! That taste will go away sooner or later! LOL

Works everytime. Moonshine will have the same effect!Thumbs Up

[mepperson]

Yep, I agree.

[Diamond Jim]

I have frozen felets for a year & they taste fine. Of course I freeze
them in water & I've never had a problem.