Freezing Mackerel

[kayos]

Having had the shock of my life by having to pay almost £4.50 per pound for mackerel a couple of weeks ago I think I need to try to freeze more of what we catch, for bait. I have tried freezing them to eat, but I find they don't last very long.

So any advice on how to freeze them, so that they don't turn to mush when you defrost them please? As I said, mainly for bait purposes.

Know I know why a family had a house bin and were filling it with Mackerel last Summer!!

 

[g-force]

Keep it as cold as possible as soon as it's caught - mine go straight into a cool- bag with ice packs; no leaving it around in the sun in a carrier bag. Fillet it as soon as possible (I've tried freezing them whole and that's when they turn to mush) and ideally vacuum-seal them, or wrap as tightly as possible in cling film; it's pockets of air that will lead to freezer burn. If you've got a fast-freeze setting on your freezer, use it - the faster you can get them frozen the better so don't stack them or pack them too tightly at first - spread them out on a baking tray or such like which has already been placed in the freezer.

The same goes for any fish really, but oily fish such as mackerel are the ones that go off quickest & are the hardest to freeze without degrading.

Gary

 

[ships cat]

gut them but dont wash them put in bags or filet them then salt them

 

[RossW]

Does salting them affect their quality as bait ( do the fish not care?)?... If not, it sounds like a great way to make them a tougher hook bait as well as preserving them. Might try that......

 

[[email protected]]

Normaly fillet mine, sprinkle with salt, freeze in bags of two.

 

[steppeydog]

normally fillet them as soon as possible and straight into a cool bag packed with ice packs or small pop bottles filled with water find it stays frozen longer then ito freezer wrapped in cling film onto baking trays that have been left in freezer seems to help freeze them faster by putting them on the trays

 

[kayos]

Good advice lad thanks. I especially like the keeping them in a cool bags with blocks. I think that is where we are going wrong, leaving them out in the open air/sun.

 

[Kartonkel]

Good advice lad thanks. I especially like the keeping them in a cool bags with blocks. I think that is where we are going wrong, leaving them out in the open air/sun.

If you want to eat them and talk about bait, here is another hot tip:

Make Gravad Mackie!

1lb sugar, 1lb salt 50g pepper and lots of dill and a big plastik box is needed!

Pm if you need more detail or youtube it

 

[dabcatcher]

i take a small coolbox with an ice pack in it with me.

after catching a few fish or every 15 mins i take the fillets off the fish. [keep them out of the sun when caught].

lay the fillets in the bottom of the cool box and put the ice pack on top. my small cool box will take around 40 fillets once i have to remove the cool block.

once home i sort the filltes straight away, keeping the larger ones aside for food.

those meant for bait are wrapped tightly in pairs in clingfilm [unwashed] and frozen straight away. dont pile them up, spread them around in the freezer. the faster they freeze the better.

those fillets i want for food are boned and washed. i actually cut the thin bellies off these for bait also.

once all blood is washed off they are also wrapped tightly in clingfilm and frozen.

i find freezing them whole is the lazy method and the fish dont last as long and are softer when defrosted.

ive still got fillets in the freezer from last year and they still look fresh and are firm when defrosted.

 

[Pete from shields]

Same as dabcatcher, I don't understand salting them as that draws out moisture.

 

[kayos]

Thanks again guys. Top tips.

 

[codcatcher3000]

salting them makes them tougher the water molecules drawn out thru the salting process. that in turn creates less ice within the mackerel flesh fibres which reduces the ' toughness ' of the fish which is why some frozen macky can turn to mush pretty quick as the cell structure is gone. same reason why u wouldnt freeze rag but can freeze rag if u salt it first. same would apply with making runny down as in gutting them before rolling in paper. hope this helps

 

[codseeker]

fkn mackerel warz allready just fillet them when ya down there catching them ,get home wrap each 1 side fillet in clingfilm hoy in freezer bang theres ya gan macky sorted for winter whiting bashing easy as 123

 

[mick dunn]

Coolbox is essential. I cut fillets off fish asap. Hoy in box and freeze in twos when i get home. Use freezer bags. When i use them i defrost then slice into bits and put in tupperware box with kitched roll seperating cutup fillets. Works top dollar-its all about keeping macky our of the sun and cool. Thats why i take small cooler box with me in summer fishing.

 

[Codcrazy]

Defo fillet asap and keep cool, I always freeze in two's, best way is to lay out on any form of metal tray with space around them, they freeze much quicker so the flesh structure doesn't break down as easily, better to only keep and freeze a few at a time, will be far more use to you when defrosted, also when frozen this way much nicer to eat through the winter!!!

 

[kayos]

Do you freeze the pair of fillets skin to skin?