How to Properly Freeze Seafood

When frozen fish retains all of the essential vitamins and minerals that you’d find in its fresh counterpart. Processors freeze seafood at subzero temperatures to prevent spoilage without damaging the proteins or healthy fats inherent in fish. The key is choosing a good freezer and knowing how to properly wrap your fish before freezing.

Convenient Frozen Fish: Your Go-To Option for Easy Meals

The three best ways to freeze fish are vacuum sealing, freezer paper combined with freezer plastic (such as a Ziploc bag) or ice glazing. All of these methods prevent direct contact with air, which can change the texture of the fish by oxidizing its fats. Oxidation can also give the fish a rancid flavor, especially with lean fish species and high-fat fish species like salmon or trout.

Wrapping fish is another option, but it can lead to freezer burn and moisture loss, as well as changes in the fish’s texture. If you’re using this method, it’s important to use thick freezer bags and to press as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing. It’s also a good idea to write the date on your freezer bag when you seal it, so you know how long it has been stored.

Frozen seafood is a great alternative to buying fresh fish if you can’t eat it right away or if you’re looking for more variety in your diet. In fact, a 2019 blind taste test found that frozen fish was often preferred over fresh in terms of texture and flavor.