Vacuum Packing Fish. . .

[Defender 22]

I'm seriously thinking about getting one of the vacuum packers that ore on the market, but wondered about freezing fish. Do you have to freeze the fish first and then pack it, or can you just put the raw fish in the bag and vacuum seal it? Also, is one brand or model better than another?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Happy New Year!

Dan

[finally]

I have a Food Saver Model 1050 and love it, sometimes it is easier to flash freeze the fish fisrt or you have to make sure you dry it real well. If not the liquid will get sucked into the vacuum pump and that can mess it up. I usually freeze it in the bag for about an hour, then vac and seal it.
We just had some striper I put away in early Nov and it was just like eating fresh caught.
I have found Wal-Mart one of the cheapest place to buy bags and now Black And Decker has come out with bags and they seem to work very well in the Food Saver and the bags are about 2/3 the price of the Food Saver brand.

[Capt Lew]

I also have the 1050, about 2 years now with no problems. I also think it's better to flash freeze it first. You can freeze it right in the bags and seal them later. I clean the seal area of the bag with a paper towel for a good seal. ;)

finally, thanks for the tip on the B&D bags, I'll give them a try. smile.gif

[Barnegat Light Mike]

What Capt. Lew said.

[Never Better]

I use mine all the time for bass , flounder and venison. Also, I make up striper cakes in advance and vacuum seal them so that all I have to do is drop them in a pan of hot oil, crack a beer ond turn on the game!! Also, during flounder season, I'll seal squid or strip baits in small size portions and just open up what I need for one trip, the rest goes back in the freezer and gets used next time.
Thanks for the B&D tip- sounds like a winnner.
Tom

[Jimbo]

A friend of mine tried the B&D bags & didn't like the results.

[outtaSt8r]

Gotta say, I've tried the B&D bags and did not like them. They are built differently, instead of being smooth on one side and waffled on the other, they use a waffled insert on each side. This is a pain when you are trying to get fillets to lay flat and then you have to worry about the insert curling over and not letting you get a good seal. I also had a bag that leaked from the side seam. Considering the money spent to get the fillets, I'll keep using the tilia bags.

[MargaritaVille]

The B&D bags work just as well as the other bags. They are a little bit of a PIA if the waffle insert gets crumbled up.

They are a little thinner than the original bags.

I always bag the fillets, then freeze them, then vacuum seal them.

[Sea Squirrel]

The last striper trip out in 2002, I found my self with a dozen fresh bunker left. Sealed them in the vacuum sealer an put them in the freezer. It was almost one year later when i finally remembered to get them from the freezer to use and they where still as fresh as could be, nice red meat color, eyes were not glazed over, and still had that wonderful smell. Worked great for me.

[windmeup]

As far as stripers and "The Big Pond" fish, I have yet to have a proble bleeding the fish as caught, then iceing up fast. At the dock, clean as best without fresh water. Ice down again for the trip home. Here's where the rest of the barners will jump in! But... since I have a water filter for the house and more for drinking water, I, block freeze my fish. I will compare to anyone's fish! AS, fresh! Bring them to my house, And, we'll cook them to prove otherwise in the same manner! Of course, if your in my house, we talk fish, fish, the rods, reels and boats. Then there's the stuff that goes in them boats we talk about! Meantime, bring the lady so the wifie has someone to talk to. LOL's As far as VAC. bags go? I'm an ole salt for change on that right now.

[Capt Lew]

I use to block freeze my fish also. Yes this works well also to stop freezer burn. smile.gif The only problem is it takes allot more space in the freezer and it is a little of a pain doing. I like the vac sealing, nice neat and clean, with more freezer space.
One more note, we use the vac sealer for allot more than just fish. You can't block freeze a nice meat filet, chicken, or veggies. ;)

[CaptG]

Windmeup
I used to block freez all my fluke fillets too. kept them nice and fresh but was a PITA and took too much freezer space and way too long to defrost.

I've beenusing the vacuum sealer the past 4 years, much easier and keeps the fish just as fresh.

I don't freeze the fish first though like alot of the guys. I bleed em, even fluke ice em down filet meticulously and never wet the meat, put in gallon bags iced up good for the trip home. When i go to vacuum seal i just pat the filets down w/ paper towels to dry em a bit which makes the bag seal better plus cleans any slime off the meat.

[Ron Redington]

Moving this topic to the Tackle Box smile.gif

[emilio528]

Never thought of flash freezing before vacuum sealing. It was always a hassel dealng with items that are wet.

[ub1243]

i also prefreeze.

when i am bagging deer burger, i weigh the meat balls to 1.25lbs, lay on a tray and freeze overnight. then vac seal.
the strip cannot make enough heat to melt the bag if it is wet.

walmart bag are a pain.
i stick with food saver rolls.