Shad - to freeze or not?

Q

QAZA

Senior Member
Some insight please?

Everybody knows shad, once frozen, can not even closely compare with fresh shad, even if it was caught the previous day.
An old toppie ( sorry, forgot his name ) last year told me he never cleans shad, but freezes shad whole, with scales, guts, head and all. He does the entire fish cleaning process only after it has been defrosted.

Any truth in this, or alternative suggestions?
 
S

Stapies

Sealiner
Many people freeze fish like that. Hol, long, poeph0l, en tong... From tuna to kob. I personally dont like it and rather spend the time filleting(if pan fish) and cleaning my fish and then I vacuum seal and freeze.

For a good result I salt the fillet with "growwe sout"(something i put on most fish i braai)and leave it on the fillet for half an hour, then rinse the fillet and vacuum seal... This prevents meat from going pap... Before cooking I wind dry and the result is nice fresh fish...

But unfortunately it still doesnt beat a fresh fish and still doesnt taste like a same day vissie...
 
C

CharlesF

Senior Member
I feel for you guys living in GP and it is not easy to get fresh fish.

My dad taught me never to bring fish home which can not be consumed in one meal on the same day caught. All excess fish caught must be safely released.
 
Q

QAZA

Senior Member
CharlesF wrote:
I feel for you guys living in GP and it is not easy to get fresh fish.

My dad taught me never to bring fish home which can not be consumed in one meal on the same day caught. All excess fish caught must be safely released.

So true CharlesF, I agree completely with your dad.
Then you get a some people ( unfortunately a reletive of mine )keeping anything and everything, knowingly they will not eat it, when back in Gauteng give the fish they stocked up to their garden/house servants. According to them they save money as they need not have to buy "pap and vleis" on a regular basis.

Funny enough, they are the first ones to complain when fish stocks dwindle.
Click to expand...
 
D

DieterW

Senior Member
CharlesF wrote:
I feel for you guys living in GP and it is not easy to get fresh fish.

My dad taught me never to bring fish home which can not be consumed in one meal on the same day caught. All excess fish caught must be safely released.
Click to expand...

Liket(((up((
 
S

sakn

Senior Member
Surprisingly shad freezes well if frozen whole, as caught. Have been doing this for many years for family in Gauteng. Keeps for months.

Thaw in fridge, before scaling and cleaning. Good eating quality for curries, grills and fries.
 
S

Simen

Sealiner
Freeze it in a whole state as said, BUT bleed it the minute you catch it, and I mean right away. By removing the blood it will stop the fish from going pap.

 
 
P

Psy

Sealiner
Stapies wrote:
Many people freeze fish like that. Hol, long, poeph0l, en tong... From tuna to kob. I personally dont like it and rather spend the time filleting(if pan fish) and cleaning my fish and then I vacuum seal and freeze.

For a good result I salt the fillet with "growwe sout"(something i put on most fish i braai)and leave it on the fillet for half an hour, then rinse the fillet and vacuum seal... This prevents meat from going pap... Before cooking I wind dry and the result is nice fresh fish...

But unfortunately it still doesnt beat a fresh fish and still doesnt taste like a same day vissie...
Click to expand...

Somewhat off the topic of freezing, which is quite applicable to any fish...

My 2 cents learnt after many years spent fishing deep ocean...Never ever (after filleting) allow water onto clean filleted meat! One can however allow water or the use of a rag/cloth onto the stomach, which has a membrane or 'skin'....mmm pls dont throw the stomach away, this is the tastiest part of any fish.
The water washed over the stomach area, has not penetrated onto the flesh of the fish!

Afterall...is the filleted fish dirty? Did you dirty it by filleting it?

Why no water?....Well you are washing all the natural fish oil off the flesh and in fact removing the taste!

:wfish
 
S

shuraj

Sealiner
QAZA wrote:
Some insight please?

Everybody knows shad, once frozen, can not even closely compare with fresh shad, even if it was caught the previous day.
An old toppie ( sorry, forgot his name ) last year told me he never cleans shad, but freezes shad whole, with scales, guts, head and all. He does the entire fish cleaning process only after it has been defrosted.

Any truth in this, or alternative suggestions?
Click to expand...

Keep the Shad whole with all guts scales and everthing else intact .

wrapp the fish in clip wrapp and freeze , it is teh best way to keep the fish fresh and solid and tasty.
 
S

shuraj

Sealiner
Psy wrote:
Stapies wrote:
Many people freeze fish like that. Hol, long, poeph0l, en tong... From tuna to kob. I personally dont like it and rather spend the time filleting(if pan fish) and cleaning my fish and then I vacuum seal and freeze.

For a good result I salt the fillet with "growwe sout"(something i put on most fish i braai)and leave it on the fillet for half an hour, then rinse the fillet and vacuum seal... This prevents meat from going pap... Before cooking I wind dry and the result is nice fresh fish...

But unfortunately it still doesnt beat a fresh fish and still doesnt taste like a same day vissie...
Click to expand...

Somewhat off the topic of freezing, which is quite applicable to any fish...

My 2 cents learnt after many years spent fishing deep ocean...Never ever (after filleting) allow water onto clean filleted meat! One can however allow water or the use of a rag/cloth onto the stomach, which has a membrane or 'skin'....mmm pls dont throw the stomach away, this is the tastiest part of any fish.
The water washed over the stomach area, has not penetrated onto the flesh of the fish!

Afterall...is the filleted fish dirty? Did you dirty it by filleting it?

Why no water?....Well you are washing all the natural fish oil off the flesh and in fact removing the taste!

:wfish
Click to expand...
((goodp_((goodp_
 
S

shuraj

Sealiner
shuraj wrote:
QAZA wrote:
Some insight please?

Everybody knows shad, once frozen, can not even closely compare with fresh shad, even if it was caught the previous day.
An old toppie ( sorry, forgot his name ) last year told me he never cleans shad, but freezes shad whole, with scales, guts, head and all. He does the entire fish cleaning process only after it has been defrosted.

Any truth in this, or alternative suggestions?
Click to expand...

Keep the Shad whole with all guts scales and everthing else intact .

wrapp the fish in clip wrapp and freeze , it is teh best way to keep the fish fresh and solid and tasty.
Click to expand...

sorry for the spelling cling or glad wrapp, 3 or 4 layers.

 
 
D

drkobus

Senior Member
Eet gevriesde vis so gou moontlik. Niks kom by vars. Hou soms vis vir 4 of 5 dae in yskas. Steeds baie beter as gevriesde vis.
 
H

hrogers

Senior Member
Shad is still ok to eat after it was frozen - just but it in egg with flour and spices deep fired  - maybe not as goos as it was fresh but you will still enjoy it !!
 
D

Dr halibut hoffman

Moderator
If you slice the shad across the gills from the first gill to the gillrakers in a perpendicular direction to them, you'll slice the fishes' main arteries with a large surface area of cut and its heart will pump all of the blood out in a very short time. As simon says, bleed the fish the moment you catch it. It stresses when caught and releases histamines, like tuna and yellowtail, in large amounts which can make the flesh go pap and even bring on allergic attacks in people sensitive to allergies/histamines. Bleeding immediately and effectively will avoid this.

Leaving the guts intact, I don't know.. It is done on big bluefin and I've seen it done locally on tunny and yellowtail but they went onto ice as soon as they were caught as far as I know and were bled when caught in all instances. Some species have flesh eating bacteria in their gut I've heard so it might not be too good to leave the guts in some species, which and the details I don't know.

Do a search on freezing 'bluefish' or 'tailor' on google you'll get info from the states and auz where it's also a popular fish.
 
F

Foxhat

Senior Member
Shad caught in the daylight hours and subjected to the heat of the beach or son goes pap pretty quick.
Now shad caught at night or late afternoon stays firm.
You can actually compare the changes in the flesh color.
When fishing for shad be prepared, carry a hessian sack which stays moist and keep your catch wrapped in that.

I've frozen shad whole, gutted, scales on, scales off and filleted.
My preferred method, because my wife might cook for the family whilst I'm out of country is to take clean fillets, no bones, cling wrapped and frozen straight. Don't gut or penetrate the stomach when filleting.
These get fried frozen with no defrosting, season in the pan whilst frying, tastes pretty good, quick, easy and not messy for the lady who does not enjoy the mucky experience.
 
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