Do you love fishing? If you catch more fish than you can actually eat in a few days and prevent your well earned catch from going to waste, consider vacuum sealing.
Vacuum sealed fish can last in the freezer for up to two years if vacuum sealed correctly. The air is removed from the bag or roll so no bacteria can grow, plus there will be no freezer burn. We think that’s a great reason to start vacuum sealing.
What do you need for vacuum sealing your fish?
- Plastic wrap
- Cookie sheet/baking tray
- Micro channel bags or rolls
- Vacuum sealer
After the fish has been cleaned and prepared, place it on a cookie sheet/baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and quick freeze it overnight. Remove the fish the next day and weigh out serving size portions. Place the individual portions in micro channel bags or rolls and vacuum seal them. To make a bag out of a roll, cut your desired length, seal one of the open sides of the bag and you now have a bag ready to be vacuum sealed.
Vacuum sealing tips
Vacuum sealing a fish that isn’t pre-frozen can be very difficult due to the moisture it contains. The juices can get pulled into the vacuum sealer which may cause the machine to stop working. If the micro channel bag has moisture on the sealing end, the seal might fail and the fish won’t be vacuum sealed correctly (which causes freezer burn as the air gets in the bag). Always make sure the area where the seal will be is completely dry (2-3 inches from the top of the bag). This way you will always get a strong seal and no air will get in the bag.
Another way of successfully vacuum sealing your catch is to dry fresh fillets with paper towels before vacuum sealing them.
Label your catch
Don’t forget to label every package! Include what’s in the bag as most fish or meat look similar when vacuum sealed and date of freezing. This way you can always use the first in – first out system to ensure freshness.
You can also use the above described method for vacuum sealing meat, poultry and seafood.
For more tips on vacuum sealing continue reading HERE.