Chill fish correctly and as soon as it is caught to preserve its quality.
Maintain the taste and texture of fish during short durations of storage by chilling it. The quality of fish begins to deteriorate as soon as it is pulled from the water. Chilling the fish as soon as possible dramatically slows the action of enzymes and bacteria that act to lower quality and cause spoilage. The objective of chilling is to lower the temperature of the fish to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Chilling is a simple process if the fisherman is prepared with the right materials and equipment and acts immediately.
Instructions
1. Wash out a large ice chest with soapy water using a medium-bristle brush. Sanitize it by rinsing with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water. Leave the drain plug open.
2. Clean and wash the fish and dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
3. Fillet the fish before chilling them. Smaller cuts chill faster and keep longer than a whole fish.
4. Fill the ice chest 1/3 full with crushed ice. Don't use pellet ice or cubed ice because they do not come into close enough contact with the fish to keep them cold enough.
5. Seal the fish fillets in re-sealable plastic storage bags and place them in a single layer on top of the ice. Fish flesh develops an off-flavor and the texture deteriorates if it remains wet.
6. Place another layer of ice on top of the first layer of fish until the chest is 2/3 full.
7. Lay another single layer of re-sealable bags of fish on top of the ice and fill the remainder of the chest with crushed ice. Leave the drain plug open so the melted water drains slowly.
Tags: chest full, chest with, drain plug, drain plug open, Leave drain