HOW TO PROPERLY STORE MEAT AND FISH IN THE REFRIGERATOR. Discussion on LiveInternet

Did you catch a fish? Great! A rich fish catch is a source of joy and pride for a fisherman. But in order for the caught fish to be eaten, it is worth knowing ways to help keep the fish fresh . The issue of preserving the catch in the heat of fishing becomes especially relevant in the summer, when fish taken from a reservoir are only a few hours away from being turned into food for maggots. In addition, it is believed that for damaging trophies, the fisherman will be punished with no bite, which will be longer, the more fish were destroyed. Therefore, if there is a chance of the trophy rotting or fishing is not a means of obtaining food for you, all caught fish must be removed from the hook, photographed and released.

The tactics for preserving fish while fishing in the summer heat depend on how much and how often the angler is forced to move along the shore or by boat in search of fish.

How to preserve fish - what to do with wounded fish

If the fish is injured in the process of fishing or being removed from the hook (deeply swallowed the bait and the hook damaged the internal organs or gills from which blood is oozing), neither the cage, nor the kukan, nor special resuscitation measures will help the fish. Such a specimen should be euthanized with a precise blow to the back of the head, wrapped in a dry towel and placed in a cool place away from direct sunlight. a large basket of grass (preferably nettle) has worked well ; there should be twice as much grass as fish. Carcasses should not touch each other. In both cases, relative coolness and ventilation are important. During transportation, carcasses must breathe, so the use of plastic bags is highly undesirable . If an angler comes to fish by car, it makes sense to use an insulated container with ice to preserve the catch.

Preserving a rich catch

Did you catch a fish?
Great! A rich fish catch is a source of joy and pride for a fisherman. But in order for the caught fish to be eaten, it is worth knowing the methods that will help keep the fish fresh. The issue of preserving the catch in the heat of fishing becomes especially relevant in the summer, when fish taken from a reservoir are only a few hours away from being turned into food for maggots.

Freezing

The most common way to preserve fishing catch is refrigeration and freezing. To do this, use ice without sharp edges.

Fresh fish is surrounded with clean cubes, then wrapped in thick cloth. In this way, you can extend the taste and nutritional quality of your catch by at least a week.

Good freezers can keep fish fresh for six months. Thawing and re-freezing is highly discouraged, as this greatly spoils the appearance and taste of the catch.

Fish should not be salted before freezing. For long-term storage, it is better to use thick paper or plastic bags to avoid freezing in ice.

The optimal temperature for storage is minus 1 degree Celsius. For quick freezing, you can set the temperature to minus 15 degrees. It is also worth knowing that lean fish lasts longer in the freezer than fatty fish.

If it is necessary to transport freshly caught fish over a short distance, use a damp cloth instead of ice. To do this, the carcasses are wrapped in cotton or linen heavily soaked in cold water. In addition, nettle leaves and alder branches are placed there for aroma. It is necessary to periodically check the moisture level of the fabric, since along with the evaporation of water, the taste also disappears.

Drying

This method is suitable for both shore and boat fishing. In the first case, you need to have several kukans in stock.

After catching the trophy, the pike is placed on one of them, the end of the rope is securely fastened to the shore - for example, tied to a tree - and the fish is released into the water. Then you can move on, fishing new areas.

The main thing is to remember the points where the fish were left so that you can collect trophies when you move back along the shore.

When fishing from a boat, you can use kukans with shock-absorbing inserts attached to the cords. In this case, you will be able to move around the pond on oars without worrying about the fish being damaged during transportation and quickly falling asleep.

This method is inconvenient if you move around a body of water on a motor while fishing - each time before starting it, you will have to remove all the caught trophies from the water. In the case of kukan, this is more difficult than with a cage.

How to store pike when fishing on kukan, see the link for more details.

There are three ways to preserve your catch. Following them does not require special skills and resources—it is enough to use natural resources wisely and be responsible in following simple rules.

how to preserve fish - freezing

The most common way to preserve fishing catch is refrigeration and freezing. To do this, use ice without sharp edges.

Fresh fish is surrounded with clean cubes, then wrapped in thick cloth. In this way, you can extend the taste and nutritional quality of your catch by at least a week.

Good freezers can keep fish fresh for six months. Thawing and re-freezing is highly discouraged, as this greatly spoils the appearance and taste of the catch.

how to preserve fish - drying

The tactics of keeping the catch alive or prepared in the summer heat during fishing depend on how much and how often the fisherman is forced to move along the shore or along the water surface (by boat) in search of fish.

What to do with wounded fish

Such a specimen should be euthanized with a precise blow to the back of the head, wrapped in a dry towel and placed in a cool place away from direct sunlight. As an option, a large basket of grass (preferably nettles) has worked well; there should be twice as much grass as fish.

Carcasses should not touch each other. In both cases, relative coolness and ventilation are important.

During transportation, carcasses must breathe, so the use of plastic bags is highly undesirable. If an angler comes to fish by car, it makes sense to use an insulated container with ice to preserve the catch.

When fishing with a float rod or feeder, all care for the caught fish, if there are no injuries, can be entrusted to a stationary mesh cage that will not hamper the movement of the fish. Less preferable is a wire cage, in which the survival rate of fish is much lower - such cages, by definition, are not spacious, and the fish in them are seriously injured.

To prevent the fish tank from becoming a mass grave for the fish, it should be placed in a quiet, shady place, at least a meter deep, but in no case near the surf shore. Here, due to the constant movement of water in the bottom layers, the gills of the caught fish become clogged with silt and sand, and it quickly falls asleep.

There are three ways to preserve your catch. Following them does not require special skills and resources—it is enough to use natural resources wisely and be responsible in following simple rules.

And here's what you need to know: The best lures for pike and perch in the summer

Drying

If you fish with donks, feeders and float rods in one place, then store the caught fish in spacious fabric cages. Metal cages can be used for short fishing trips. The fact is that fish are preserved worse in them. Its scales fall off and it becomes more vulnerable.

When folded, such cages take up little space, but at the same time allow you to store fish so that they are not damaged or experience discomfort. Naturally, the cage should be almost entirely in water. Only the neck should look out and be as close to you as possible so that the fish can be thrown easily.

We see that all the rings, except the first one, are in the water and there is enough space for the fish. It is also important to store the fish in the shade so that direct sunlight does not fall into its area.

This is especially true in the summer, when the air gets warmer every hour and the heat negatively affects the fish. It is necessary to periodically inspect the condition of the fish.

If, for example, you come for an overnight fishing trip, then it is better to use the evening catch for preparing fish dishes. You can salt some of the fish, bake some, smoke it, or boil it in your ear.

The cage should not be installed in places with a surf current. Powerful flows cause it to sway violently and the fish may die. In such cases, sand and other debris fills the gills, which also leads to the rapid death of the fish.

Now more and more fishermen are paying attention to sports cages. They have great length and volume.

They consist of many rectangular or square sections. Their length is from 3 to 8 meters.

Yes, such cages are quite bulky, but fish are best preserved in them. Sports cages are especially relevant in cases where the shore is very shallow and it is not possible to store the catch in ordinary cages.

By installing it to its full length, you will save fish throughout the entire fishing session.

It is enough to insert one of the ends of this instrument into the mouth and hook the hook. After this, with a slight movement it is removed. Such a tool will save the life of the fish. If we leave the hook inside or pull it out by force, we will damage the internal and external organs of the fish. After such an operation she will quickly die.

It is convenient to store predatory fish on a kukan when fishing from a boat or from the shore. One of the hooks is threaded through the lower jaw of the fish.

Next, the kukan is lowered into the water near the shore or boat. A rope with a loop is tied to one end.

The loop is inserted into a peg on the shore or on a boat. Pike, catfish, asp, pike perch, perch, chub, silver carp, carp, and crucian carp are stored on the kukan.

This fish will feel normal throughout the fishing trip. The perch is baited through the operculum.

Bream, roach, ide and other white fish should not be stored on the kukan. They die quickly. Still, kukan is a tool for storing predatory fish.

Usually it is left in one place. This is very convenient when you have to frequently change the dislocation, but if the places are located close to each other. During multi-day fishing trips, the kukan is a great help. Some people use two or three copies. This method is convenient because you don’t have to drag a single hook when changing places. During such transitions, fish often die.

When it is noticed that the fish has died, it must be removed from the kukan and placed in a container with grass in the shade. After fishing, you should salt it or cook it on the spot if you plan to stay overnight.

It is convenient to store medium and large fish on the kukan. It is better to place the small change in a fish tank or release it immediately. The same perch dies very quickly in hot weather. This fish requires a more reverent attitude. It is best not to torture it, but to use it for its intended purpose. Release the small ones, and prepare fish soup and other dishes from the larger ones, and salt them for ramming.

After fishing, the fish should be covered with fresh grass or leaves. The ideal option is to use nettle. If it is not there, then we tear up ordinary succulent grass or young reeds. We put the grass in the bottom of a bag made of breathable fabric, and then we put some fish. We again place the grass on top and again lay the fish. In this way, we will provide all conditions for normal storage of fish on the road.

If you have an insulated bag or freezer, that's best. Place the fish inside and nothing will happen to it. You should not transport fish in bags. It deteriorates faster there. If you come fishing with a backpack, then the fish should be placed at the very top in a fabric bag. It must still be placed in a bag so that the liquid from the fish does not leak into the backpack.

By following these simple recommendations, you will keep your catch fresh even during long-hour delivery at air temperatures above 30 degrees.

Upon arrival home, carefully check the condition of your catch. If the fish is well placed in the grass, it should not spoil. The same applies to salted fish. But if you notice that the meat is separated from the bone, then throw away such individuals. This is a sure sign of depravity.

Why you need to quickly remove the fish from the hook

Once you have caught your fish, you must carefully remove the hook so as not to further injure the fish. It will tremble and squirm in your hands, and you will hold it tightly so as not to drop it. The longer you apply pressure to the fish, the greater the likelihood of internal organ damage from the pressure. And we need live and healthy fish. Therefore, the hook must be removed quickly and deftly.

If you come fishing for a few hours or for a day and the fishing spot is close to home, saving your catch will not be difficult. In a short time, with proper storage, your fish will be fresh and alive until it reaches the kitchen. To properly preserve fish, it must be sorted by type and size.

How to store small fish in cages

Every little thing is usually put into ordinary wire or thread cages and lowered into the water somewhere under a bush or next to thickets of grass that cast a shadow on the water. It is cooler there and the fish are not so hot.

How to store large fish when fishing

Large fish (such as bream or ide) should be placed in larger wicker cages or other traps (they are made of wire, thread, vine) and immersed in the bottom, where the current is good. The fish will not get out of the cage, but will be able to stay in the water, because this fish prison is full of holes and the water circulates freely in it.

How to keep predatory fish alive while fishing

A shaded place (and if possible so that there is shade there throughout the day). If the fishing is supposed to be long (more than one day) and it was not possible to find such a place, it is better not to be lazy and make a shelter for the cage from the sun (for example, by stretching some fabric over it on pegs).
A place with constantly renewed water, but without obvious current. In general, a cage in the current is another “way” to keep fish alive.
A place with cold water. A spring flows into a river or lake - a fish tank can be installed in this place. You can also dig a hole in the coastal area according to the size of the cage.

Of course, such an enhanced “life support system” will not be needed for tenacious fish like crucian carp, which calmly survives in a cage thrown into the water right at the place of fishing. However, for grayling or trout it is necessary, and will allow them to remain alive for quite a long time, despite the fact that many anglers believe that these fish do not live in a cage at all. How they live is verified by our own experience.

And here's what you need to know: Fishing in the Yaroslavl region and in Yaroslavl

Of course, the fish must be handled carefully before placing it in the cage in order to reduce any injuries to a minimum. To remove a deeply embedded hook, use an extractor and hold the fish not with bare hands, but with cloth gloves.

How to keep fish in a cage

When fishing with a float rod or feeder, all care for the caught fish, if there are no injuries, can be entrusted to a stationary mesh cage , which will not hamper the movement of the fish. Less preferable is a wire cage, in which the survival rate of fish is much lower - such cages, by definition, are not spacious, and the fish in them are seriously injured. To prevent the fish tank from becoming a mass grave for the fish, it should be placed in a quiet, shady place, at least a meter deep, but in no case near the surf shore.
Here, due to the constant movement of water in the bottom layers, the gills of the caught fish become clogged with silt and sand, and it quickly falls asleep. Especially large specimens should be kept separate from the rest of the catch.
It is preferable to use a separate kukan for each giant. Because of its sharp teeth, the pike is always kept only on a hook with a metal clasp, and never in a fabric cage, from which it will quickly arrange an escape for itself and other captives. If a fish in a cage floats up belly up , it must be urgently removed and euthanized by stunning it with a blow to the area of the head behind the eyes with a heavy object. Dormant fish in water will deteriorate even faster than in the sun, so you need to act decisively.

Storing on a refrigerator shelf

Fresh fish is best stored at a temperature of 0°C -+2°C. These conditions can be recreated in the coldest part of the refrigerator. What temperature, on which shelf, in your refrigerator model can be found in the instructions for it.

Interesting: How to Store Onions in the Cellar

Refrigerators that do not have a special temperature-controlled zone can be equipped with containers with ice and cut up carcasses can be kept there. Ice is poured into a container, fish (fillets) are placed on it, and then ice cubes are poured on top. With this storage method, it is important to check the condition of the ice so that it does not melt. If this happens, the carcasses will end up in water and quickly spoil.

At +2°C -+5°C, the shelf life of gutted fresh fish will be 2 days.

It is not advisable to keep fish in a bag or refrigerator. This reduces shelf life to 8 - 12 hours. This bag should only be used to transport this product.

How to save fish while fishing during sea fishing

If fans of the float and feeder can spend all their fishing on the edge of one river pool, then spinning rods and fly fishermen, who run several kilometers a day, cannot fully use the fish tank. In hot weather conditions, the Catch and Release principle is especially relevant.

If the fish is caught for pleasure and does not plan to be tasted, the capture is followed by a short photo session, mandatory resuscitation, and the release of the trophy back into the reservoir.
If a representative of the ichniofauna is destined to become a culinary delight, in hot weather adepts of sea fishing either immediately euthanize the fish or immediately put it on a kukan, which is tied to the coastal vegetation right at the place of capture.
The place for tying the kukan is selected according to the same criteria as for the cage. On the way back, the fish are removed from the kukans, stunned, wrapped in a dry towel or covered with nettles so that the carcasses do not touch each other.

How to transport frozen food without a refrigerator?

The fish was washed, cleaned and gutted. The heads were also cut off for two reasons. Firstly, so that it takes up less space in the freezer (my mother’s freezer, as always, was already full), and secondly, fish, as you know, spoils from the head, and we didn’t know how it would survive the road and decided on heads get rid of.

We put the fish, two or three at a time, into food bags and froze them. The main thing is that the fish freezes well!

The next morning we wrapped it in three more new bags, each separately, then in several layers in a paper towel, it holds the temperature very well, and again in a bag. That is, we create multi-layering.

Mom had a piece of fabric with padding polyester, which she cut off when she turned an old quilted coat into a country jacket, and did not throw it away. I knew it would come in handy!

If you don’t have such a successfully preserved piece, then you can use a jacket with padding polyester. Let me remind you that our journey was not 3-4 hours, but two days! That's why there are such problems with packaging.

So, we put our fish, already packed in bags and paper, in a synthetic “jacket”, tie it tightly so that warm air does not penetrate, and into the refrigerator! Just kidding... There is no refrigerator!

Luckily, we always have a thermal bag in our car, the kind they sell in Metro or Auchan, and many other stores. I highly recommend always having such a useful bag on hand. It happens that you buy groceries, but you don’t get home right away, due to traffic jams or other reasons. An irreplaceable thing, especially in summer!

Interesting: How to store dill for the winter

The motel where we stayed overnight also had a refrigerator with a freezer. So our fish, not defrosted at all after a ten-hour journey, went back into the freezer. Without a “jacket” and a thermal bag, of course.

In the morning, having packed the fish again, we moved on. I thought that I would have to cook the fish on the same day upon arrival. However, the fish survived the second day of the trip just as well as the first. So, at home, I went back to the freezer. The frozen fish trip was a great success!

Now we know how to transport frozen food without a refrigerator over long distances. I really hope that this information will be useful to someone! After all, in this way you can transport not only fish, but also meat and other products that require freezing.

At home we have another useful thing in the freezer, a cold accumulator, which can also be bought in many stores.

It can also be placed in a thermal bag with frozen and chilled foods. But, unfortunately, we didn’t have it with us. However, they managed without it.

So, it’s possible to transport food over long distances without a refrigerator, it’s been verified!

Yes, let me clarify, it’s October now, the temperature in the car was about 21 degrees, in the trunk, probably a little less. But in thirty-degree heat, you probably can’t do without a refrigerator or at least a cold accumulator.

I would be grateful if you could share your experience of transporting food over long distances without a refrigerator in the comments.

But I will tell you what I prepared from fresh Astrakhan fish in one of the following articles, don’t miss it.

First, a little background. My brother is an avid fisherman, and not only did he go fishing in Astrakhan for the week that we were staying in Stavropol, he had a plan, you see! Right on the eve of our departure back to Moscow, he arrived and brought a whole bag of fresh fish! Crucian carp, carp and I don’t know what else...

How to save your catch when fishing from a boat

A cage is only suitable for fishing with a float and feeder, when the angler’s movements around the reservoir are kept to a minimum. If fishing is carried out from the side of the boat with a spinning rod (casting or on a track), when caught, the fish is either immediately euthanized or placed on a special cucan with a rubber shock absorber, which is securely attached to the sides of the boat and does not interfere with movement across the reservoir on oars (but not under a motor). !).

In this regard, a special kukan design proposed by Russian enthusiast Nikolai Shcheynikov for inflatable boats :

to the bow end (a rope about one and a half meters long) a piece of rubber shock absorber connected to the hole for the stern end is attached through a carabiner (or a loop in a loop). The ratio of the length of the rope and rubber is selected directly on the pond. It is preferable to keep steel fasteners with short laces at the ready in your vest pocket.

A fish placed on such a fish does not interfere with rowing or fishing. Pike, pike perch and large perch have their lower jaw pierced with a metal clasp . This piercing does not interfere with the functioning of the gill covers. Moreover, sitting on such a kukan, the pike can start hunting again if the kukan is placed near the shore.

Proper storage of meat: poultry, rabbit and nutria

One piece

In the refrigerator - up to 48 hours

In the freezer - from 8 to 12 months

Portioned pieces

In the refrigerator - up to 24 hours

In the freezer - from 6 to 8 months.

If there is no refrigerator nearby, then the meat must be processed in any way: soak in milk, rub with lemon juice, or wrap in nettles. In this form it will be stored for up to 24 hours.

How to save your catch while fishing (on a stationary kukan)

If fishermen have camped for several days, the experience of using a stationary cucan on a rubber shock absorber , which is not much different from the design of a donkey, only instead of a fishing line, a strong nylon cord with a diameter of 5-7 mm is used. On such a kukan, trophies are not afraid of seagulls, crows, or curious passers-by. You also don’t have to worry about breaking waves: the fish are located far from the shore in the bottom part of the water.

During long stays, killed and gutted fish can be stored in a special pit in a shady place near a spring . The entrails and gills are removed from the fish, wiped inside and out with nettles and placed at the bottom of a pit lined with plastic film. After gutting, the fish should never be washed. In the pit, the carcasses are laid in rows, separating each layer with nettles. To protect against flies, the pit is covered with grass from above. Before placing it in the pit, the fish can be lightly salted, but in this case the juice will begin to release and the meat will lose some of its properties.

How long can beef and pork be stored in the refrigerator?

To keep beef and pork in the refrigerator longer, you should:

1. Remove the plastic wrap from the piece of meat and place it in an enamel bowl or plastic container.

2. Cover the meat (not very tightly) with a lid.

3. Place the dish with meat on the shelf closest to the freezer.

Meat storage temperature

The shelf life of beef and pork depends on temperature:

From +5 to +7 - up to 12 hours.

From 0 to +5 - up to 24 hours.

From -3 to 0 - up to 48 hours.

*Slice the meat just before cooking, as a whole piece of meat will keep much better and longer in the refrigerator.

Shelf life of meat: offal and minced meat

Typically, by-products such as liver, kidneys and heart are purchased for preparing meat filling.

Such by-products spoil quite quickly. If kept in the refrigerator, they can stay fresh for up to 8 hours.

If during this time you have not prepared anything from them, then be sure to put them in the freezer, after wrapping them in foil or plastic. They can stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Fresh minced meat:

In the refrigerator - up to 10 hours.

In the freezer - up to 3 months.