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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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Did well on stripers and white bass and I can't decide if vacuum sealing or freezing in lemon water is better? I have had the vacuum bags fail after a couple of months and tend to think the water method may be more fool proof.
Any thoughts or other methods?
Last edited by Tejano; 11/25/20.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I wrap mine in Cling Wrap, then bag them. A friend freezes his in water.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Did well on stripers and white bass and I can't decide if vacuum sealing or freezing in lemon water is better? I have had the vacuum bags fail after a couple of months and tend to think the water method may be more fool proof.
Any thoughts or other methods? I think cling wrapped tightly followed by freezer paper. I use a vacuum sealer but for fish think the cling wrap is better for fish.
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Joined: Mar 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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We freeze all of our fillets in water/Ziploc bags. Will keep for an extended period of time w/o any freezer burn as long as they are completely covered in water. Just have to make sure the bags are not put on freezer racks where parts of the bag hang down through the rack before they freezer.
"Kids don't remember their best day of television."
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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The cling wrap and butcher paper works well and this is how I do red meat. But I am a klutz with shrink wrap to the point I don't think I get all the air out.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Water in Ziplock bags.
I've tried the vacuum sealing thing, a few months later I've always got leakers.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Just have to make sure the bags are not put on freezer racks where parts of the bag hang down through the rack before they freezer. I learned this lesson the hard way!!
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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Thanks gentlemen, I did the lemon water with a little Maldon Salt in zip lock bags and then put the quart bags in a gallon bag to prevent the freezer wedgie problem. Striper Ceviche after the non turkey day for me. It was a pretty good meat haul ending up with five gallon bags of fillets.
Still open to other suggestions.
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I used to get broken vacuum sealer bags until I got a chamber unit and thicker bags. Solved that issue.
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Campfire Tracker
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We freeze all of our fillets in water/Ziploc bags. Will keep for an extended period of time w/o any freezer burn as long as they are completely covered in water. Just have to make sure the bags are not put on freezer racks where parts of the bag hang down through the rack before they freezer. THIS is how we do them... they will be great in 16 months if they last that long...
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went" Will Rogers
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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We freeze all of our fillets in water/Ziploc bags. Will keep for an extended period of time w/o any freezer burn as long as they are completely covered in water. Just have to make sure the bags are not put on freezer racks where parts of the bag hang down through the rack before they freezer. THIS is how we do them... they will be great in 16 months if they last that long... X3. Have froze fish like this for 60 years. Used quart milk cartons LONG before zip lock bags were in existence.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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The old milk carton method is still my favorite: Less chance of sticking to freezer racks, getting punctured, more protection from freezer burn, nice tight storage.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Get a real vacuum sealer and 4 mil bags. I try really hard to eat thru the freezer every year and have it empty in the spring, but have seen fish I've given to family/friends go 2 or 3 years and still be in perfects condition.
"243/85TSX It's as if the HAMMER OF THOR were wielded by CHUCK NORRIS himself, and a roundhouse kick thrown in for good measure."
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Vacuum sealing is the way to go. The key to keeping them from failing is to pre-freeze the fillets so they're not leaking water which gets into the seal and causes failures. I wrap the fillets with plastic wrap and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours then vacuum seal and back into the freezer.
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Joined: Dec 2017
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Campfire Regular
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I use water and gallon Ziploc bags. I have had fish in the freezer for up to 2 years. After thawing the fillets they smelled like the day I froze them.
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Thanks all. I did ziplocs with a little lemon juice this time. I was going to experiment but went with what has worked well before.
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Campfire Tracker
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I think salmonoids are better vacuum packed and white meated fish last better frozen covered in water.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I think salmonoids are better vacuum packed and white meated fish last better frozen covered in water. I’d agree. Rarely have had issues with frozen salmon. Cod and halibut, not so much. Even when the bags don’t fail white fish seems to degrade much more often. White fish pretty much always gets a milk soak when defrosted now.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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What is this freezing fish $hit ?
Catch it, clean it, eat it & start at the beginning again.
Paul.
"Kids who grow up hunting, fishing & trapping, do not mug little old Ladies"
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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I always freeze fish in water. I barely cut the top off a gallon milk carton and put the fish in and cover with water then come back in 24 hours and pour a little more water in just in case some floated to the top. This way is a pain in that it takes up more freezer space and takes awhile to unthaw but the end product is excellent and I’ve kept it for 2 years and it was still good.
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