crappie fillet keeping and freezing?

**crappie75** · 03-21-2011, 07:59 PM

Heading out to rough river tommorrow for my first trip of the season although by these reports of high water and lake drawn downs, it doesn't look to promising. I have a question which im sure has been brought up on here, but was wondering how people keep their fillets fresh in the fridge and how they freeze their fillets. I used to catfish alot and would soak the fillets in water in the fridge in a covered bowl and then freeze in water in a freezer bag. Works out well. I'm finding this not to be the case for crappie fillets. I had some frys were the fish were real mushy after being soaked in salted water. Also, when freezing in water, the unthaw would just shred the fillets. This was the method i was taught for fillets in general. Any suggestions as how to keep and freeze crappie so i can have good tasting fish later and not just on the day i catch them.

**Tube man** · 03-21-2011, 08:27 PM

I've always froze my fillets in a freezer bag filled with water. They come out just the way I put them in. I've never had any problems like the ones you are describing...Thumbs Up

**CatFan** · 03-21-2011, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Tube man

I've always froze my fillets in a freezer bag filled with water. They come out just the way I put them in. I've never had any problems like the ones you are describing...Thumbs Up

Same with me.

**jiggshooter** · 03-21-2011, 09:06 PM

same here i fillet my fish then i soak them in saltwater i use a milk jugs some times cut the top off and freeze milk jugs with my fillets and sometimes i use feezer bags

**M R Dux** · 03-21-2011, 09:08 PM

I freeze mine in ziplock bags with just enough water to cover them, add a pinch of salt, squeeze ALL the air out of the bag then to the freezer.

Are you trying to fast thaw your fillets? I either thaw mine at room temp or in enough cold water in the sink to float the bag. No warm or hot water to thaw. That will turn the fillets to mush.

**Alphahawk** · 03-21-2011, 09:53 PM

I have used the freezing in water method for 40 years and it has worked fine. Of course most of the fish...really all of the fish were eaten up within 6 months before starting over. But I also started using the Food Saver Vacuum System about 10 years back for meat and fish. You have to pre-freeze the fish first, or put a paper towel at the opening to the bag or you will not get a seal if there is a lot of water being sucked into the machine. The advantage to the Food Saver System..or any other vacuum system...is space. I have read on forums where some people have had a few bags break the seal while in the freezer and the fish would get freezer burned. This has never happened with me but I only use the Food Saver bags which are really tough. I no longer have a stand alone freezer so space is at a premium for me.

Regards

**colayn** · 03-22-2011, 06:07 AM

for crappie if I am not going to freeze I will keep in the frig a few days , but with NO water. I wash them and put them in a sealed bowl dry.
As for the freezer, I cover them with water in a ziplock. Works great.

Good luck

**Rowdy** · 03-22-2011, 06:59 AM

I have 2 freezers 1 in the shop a side by side and a old freezer in the basement,the one in the shop is a self defrost and I have lost some fish because of thawing and refreezeing, the old freezer in the basement will stop time!! Never lost any in it and some are a year old!!
Rowdy

**springhillwantabe** · 03-22-2011, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by jiggshooter

same here i fillet my fish then i soak them in saltwater i use a milk jugs some times cut the top off and freeze milk jugs with my fillets and sometimes i use feezer bags

why the salt in the water?

**CrappiePappy** · 03-22-2011, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by springhillwantabe

why the salt in the water?

Mainly I believe it's to disolve the blood from the filets ... could be a holdover from the days of using salt to preserve food, and just passed down from generation to generation. My family did it (three generations before me), and I learned it from them ... so they must have learned it from generations before them.

.. cp

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