PDA

View Full Version : freezing tuna?


FF_T_Warren
03-18-2010, 10:05 AM
Ok guys I got a question about saving/freezing tuna. a friend of mine in august gave me some tuna that he didn't have room for. It was a pretty good bit, so I put it in the food saver and vacuum sealed it. Well it already is nasty to the point of its not any good to eat. It is extremely fishy tasting. It started getting nasty probably back around december and now its to the point that its unedible unless you starving. I mean is this normal for tuna to only stay good for 3-4 months. I mean we have trout in the freezer that taste just fine and its a few months older than the tuna.

Is this normal and how do yall find it best to freeze it?

cmdrost
03-18-2010, 10:37 AM
Depends on how you cut it. If left as one big loin....freeze it in water in the bag. That way the inside stays fresh.

If already cut up into steaks. You really have to dry them good with paper towels before vacuum sealing them.

I usually do a little of both. Leave it in loins for about 4 to 6 steaks that can though out for big parties, then steaks in vacuum seals of 2 per pack.

Sounds like your seal might be bad on your steaks or the guy that originally froze it didn't do it right.

ETA - Tuna is also a fish you have to be careful how you thaw out. I usually just let it thaw naturally in the sink all day.

Fishmaster
03-18-2010, 10:41 AM
Depends on how you cut it. If left as one big loin....freeze it in water in the bag. That way the inside stays fresh.

If already cut up into steaks. You really have to dry them good with paper towels before vacuum sealing them.

I usually do a little of both. Leave it in loins for about 4 to 6 steaks that can though out for big parties, then steaks in vacuum seals of 2 per pack.

Sounds like your seal might be bad on your steaks or the guy that originally froze it didn't do it right.

ETA - Tuna is also a fish you have to be careful how you thaw out. I usually just let it thaw naturally in the sink all day.

Are's did that and when this fish expanded when it froze it would break the seal just enough to let air in, and talk about freezer burn... :cry:

simplepeddler
03-18-2010, 11:33 AM
I never tuna freeze in water.........
I leave the loin intact with skin and redline.
then I seal as best I can .........double bag
Thaw in the fridge........do all my trimming then.

stays edible for a year............good for six months..........but still edible at a year

Gerald
03-18-2010, 11:51 AM
The "clock" starts on how long you can keep ANY kind of meat......when it is caught / killed. All meat will last longer if it is cooled quickly.

If your Tuna was not iced down with lots of ice after it was caught.....that could be your problem. When this happens, the meat is not as "fresh" when it was frozen, so it will not last very long in the freezer before it starts to taste "fishy".

specktator
03-18-2010, 11:55 AM
Tuna very hard to freeze. I vacuum sealed the last ones I caught and they lasted for 3 months. Till I devoured every bit of it. Love me some Tuna! Biut u def don't wanna put water anywhere around tuna u saving. Especially warm water!

fishinpox
03-18-2010, 05:36 PM
dry them off with a paper towel put a very light coat of olive oil on em and vacume seal em this is what i was to to do by the guys who tuna fish for a living ( charter/ commercial) i did mine this way and they keep very well if you freeze em in water they will be mush . i never freeze any fish in water i vacume seal em

Big Kahunaz
03-18-2010, 05:38 PM
Speaking of...Just Seared me 2lbs of fresh pacific ahi tuna yesterday on the pit. HMM HMM Good!

FF_T_Warren
03-18-2010, 06:12 PM
yea, from the responses, I guess I should have not cut it up. I should of just left it whole and vacuumed it.

swamp snorkler
03-18-2010, 10:13 PM
A buddy of mine gave me a whole frozen blackfin tuna today. Its not sealed though.

Garfish
03-19-2010, 10:26 AM
I had some blackfin loins in regular Ziplocks for almost a year w/o water and they were fine everytime I grilled them. We had a lot of it and everyone that took it with them had good success with it staying good. We really made sure they were on ice immediately after they were cleaned.

FF_T_Warren
03-19-2010, 10:50 AM
I had some blackfin loins in regular Ziplocks for almost a year w/o water and they were fine everytime I grilled them. We had a lot of it and everyone that took it with them had good success with it staying good. We really made sure they were on ice immediately after they were cleaned.

IDK maybe they didnt ice them fast enough, I wasnt there for all that. I just sliced it up and vacuumed it. it was on ice when I got it.

B-Stealth
03-19-2010, 02:09 PM
You have to be very carefull when you trim away the excess sinew and fat.

Tuna have lots of meat but its not all "Good".