A few tips on how to store fish

It so happens that different tasty things fall into our hands at the wrong moment. If the product you’ve got has a long shelf life, this is not a problem – just hide it until you are ready to eat it. But what about truly perishable foods? .. Fresh fish is one of these foods, and without proper preparation, even in the refrigerator, it will “live” no longer than 24 hours. In this article, we’ll talk about how to properly store fish in order to maximize its freshness.

Perfectly…

… it is certainly not worth storing fish for a long time. Even if the fish does not have time to deteriorate, its taste properties during long-term storage will not change for the better. Therefore, the general rule for storing fish does not disagree with folk wisdom: having bought fish, it is better not to delay its preparation and do it on the same day, ideally within a few hours. Well, in the interval between purchase and preparation, it is worth storing fish in the refrigerator, ideally wrapped in waxed paper, and not in a plastic bag, so that the fish does not “suffocate”.

Preliminary preparation

But life often makes its own adjustments, and the fish, be it a spontaneous purchase, an unexpected gift or a fisherman’s trophy, must wait in the wings. So that during this time the product does not deteriorate, it is worth taking care of the correct storage of fish. In this matter, your two main enemies are heat and humidity, as these factors contribute to the rapid growth of the number of bacteria. Several conclusions follow from this:

• The ideal temperature for storing fish is between 0 and 2 degrees, so fish should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator. By default, this is the top shelf closer (but not close) to the back wall, however, in each individual case, it all depends on the design of the refrigerator. The shelves and compartments of modern refrigerators are usually marked with pictograms that indicate where it is better to store certain products, use this.
• The proverb “the fish rots from the head” is unlikely to lose its relevance, but it has nothing to do with the fish itself: in reality, the fish’s insides are not the first to deteriorate. Therefore, if you know right away that you will not be cooking the fish today, you should gut it and remove the gills.
• The fish should not be washed. You have probably read this rule more than once, so I also included it in my article – but I myself am my fish, and I do not see this as a problem. If we are talking about whole fish, albeit gutted, and not about fillets, the contact of water directly with fish meat will be minimal, but you will be able to remove some of the bacteria that are already present on the surface of the product, and other dirt.
• Last but not least, stock up on paper towels. Regardless of whether you washed the fish or not, be sure to wipe it dry from all sides, especially from the inside, so that the amount of moisture remaining on the fish is minimal.

Stock up on ice

The best way to store fish with might and main is in the stores where it is sold, and you can also use it at home. To do this, you will need a roomy container, free space on the top shelf of the refrigerator (or in its colder place – see above) and a lot of ice – ideally, crushed, but the usual cubes that all modern freezers can do will also work. Spread a layer of ice over the bottom of the container, place whole fish or fillets on top of it and cover with the remaining ice. This will keep the temperature of the fish in the region of 0 degrees, as a result of which it will calmly lie in the refrigerator for two or even three days – provided that the ice does not melt too quickly.

If the fish is frozen

Sometimes the one who overnight became the happy owner of fish in quantities larger than he can eat and feed his neighbors, considers the freezer to be the most reasonable and logical way out of the situation. I recommend using it only in the most extreme cases – even the latest models of freezers are not able to freeze fish as well as large freezers installed on fishing vessels or factories do. The cellular structure of home-frozen fish will in any case be disrupted, so that when thawed it will lose a lot of moisture and become dry. However, the same can happen with fish that is frozen according to all the rules, if you are irresponsible in defrosting it. … In no case should the fish be placed under a stream of warm water or, even more so, defrost it in the microwave. Just transfer the frozen fish from the freezer to the same top shelf of the refrigerator a day before you are going to cook it. The slower the defrosting process, the less moisture the fish will lose and the juicier it will be after you cook it.

Oil comes to the rescue

The most effective way to properly store fish, I have already described above: ice and the lowest temperature that your refrigerator can only give. But what if you don’t have such quantities of ice? Partial salvation, which will extend the shelf life of the fish by several hours, in this case can be vegetable oil. Prepare the fish as described above, wipe it dry and brush on all sides with vegetable oil. It forms an impermeable film on the surface of the fish, which will delay the penetration of foreign odors and microorganisms.

This method shows the greatest efficiency in relation to fillets and, I think, it is not worth saying that the oil should be the best, since its aroma will be transmitted to the fish itself.

Salt and lemon

Besides oil, there are other culinary ingredients that can prolong the freshness of the fish to a certain extent. They are not suitable for every occasion, but if you know in advance how you will cook the fish, you can be ahead of the curve. For example, by salting the fish not just before cooking, but in advance, you will not only allow it to be salted more evenly: by pulling out some of the juices from the fish, the salt forms a strong brine that will make it difficult for bacteria to multiply (but, of course, will not stop it).

Lemon juice works in a similar way – it not only gives the fish a pleasant citrus aroma, but also creates an acidic environment, which also prevents the free life of microorganisms. Do not use it in large quantities, unless your plans include making ceviche – but a slice or two of lemon, laid in the belly of a whole fish, in addition to everything already said, will affect its condition and taste very beneficially.

Other ways of preservation

It may be that despite all the tricks, you understand that in the coming days you will not eat fish anyway. In this case, the freezer is not the only alternative to the trash can: there are many ways to cook fish and not only, invented by mankind specifically in order not to eat it right away, but to keep it as long as possible. I will briefly give a short list of them below – of course, not complete:

• Pickling… Having bought a large trout, you do not have to eat it for several days in a row: you can use the fish more sensibly by immediately frying the most meaty part of the fillet, boiling the fish soup from bones and a small amount of meat, and simply salt the remaining trout fillet. There are many ways of salting fish – from lightly salted salmon to brick-hard, salted cod, which is stored for years, which is why it is very popular even in those countries where there is no shortage of fresh fish.
• Smoking… Cold smoked fish can be stored longer, and in addition, in my opinion, it tastes better, but for this you need special equipment. On the other hand, it is easy to cook hot smoked fish in the country and even at home, in the oven, by adapting an old cauldron or saucepan for this business. After that, you will eat delicious smoked fish for several days cold, in a salad or sandwich, with horseradish or a slice of lemon, each time remembering me with a kind word.
• Conf, that is, cooking in oil heated to a certain temperature. The fish cooked in this way is excellently stored, and when heated, its taste is not inferior to the freshly cooked one.
• Su-vid… A somewhat more advanced version of confit, sous-vide does not require oil. True, it requires a vacuum sealer and special equipment, but this is only in theory: in practice, I got my first experience of cooking in sous-vide long before I got it, and salmon cooked in sous-vide will forever turn your idea of ​​this fish.

And now it’s time to close the circle and end my story the same way it began. The best and most delicious fish will be the one that is cooked right away. It is quite possible that it will become one of the best memories in your life, therefore, keeping in mind all the tricks described above, do not forget to pamper yourself and your loved ones, spontaneously changing dinner plans, if unexpectedly, unexpectedly, there is fresh fish in your hands: this is that worth it. And I, in turn, will be glad if you share in the comments your tricks and your signature ways of storing fish – let’s share your experience!