Advice from experienced housewives on defrosting fish correctly
Freezing fish allows you to preserve the product for a long time.
To prepare a product stored in the freezer, preserving the maximum amount of nutrients, it must be properly defrosted.
There are several popular ways to defrost fish, each of which has its own characteristics.
Content
Rules
Properly frozen fish products are practically not inferior to fresh fish in their taste and nutritional characteristics. Wherein it can be stored in suitable conditions for a long time.
In order not to spoil the product that should be used for cooking, it is important to defrost it correctly. Most methods involve slow, gradual thawing, but there are also quick thawing options.
You should defrost only as much food as you need for cooking.. “Excess” fish cannot be re-frozen and cannot be stored for a long time once thawed.
Defrosting methods
There are quite a few methods for defrosting. All of them are time-tested and provide good results.
In water
Using cold running water allows for safe defrosting. The process is not fast, and on average takes up to one and a half hours. The larger the carcass, the longer it will take to defrost.
According to sanitary standards, the temperature of the water used should not be higher than +12? C. Higher temperatures can speed up the process, but can also lead to a decrease in the quality of the defrosted product.
Procedure:
Remove fish from freezer.- Release the carcass from the packaging.
- Place several bags on top of each carcass and tie them so that pouring water does not get inside. Otherwise, the taste of the product will be distorted, and the fish itself will become dry.
- Prepare a container into which the whole carcass fits.
- Fill the container with cool water.
- Place the fish previously placed in bags. It is necessary that the water completely covers it.
If the fish is too large, it is possible to use a kitchen sink as a defrosting container, after plugging the drain with a stopper.
On air
The process of defrosting in air at room temperature is relatively slow. Its duration depends on the air temperature in the house and the size of the carcass. The fish, after removing its packaging, is placed in a container and placed on the table. On top - put on polyethylene.
In a refrigerator
Defrosting the product in the refrigerator is a slow, gentle method of thawing. The product is transferred from the freezer to the shelf of the refrigerator compartment, having previously been placed in a container.
Complete thawing of ice takes place in several (up to 9) hours., depending on the size of the pieces. At the same time, water will collect in the container, which should be drained and the fish should be dried with a paper towel.
How to quickly defrost in the microwave?
Most microwave ovens have a built-in defrost option. It can be used to prepare fish. This method allows you to defrost fairly quickly. But it should be borne in mind that a large carcass will not fit entirely.
Procedure:
release frozen product from packaging;- put the fish in a deep container that can be used in the microwave;
- place the container in the chamber;
- start the work process by setting it for 3 minutes;
- after 3 minutes, turn the fish over and start defrosting again;
- repeat this step until completely thawed.
The disadvantage of the technique is the need to be near the microwave oven to control the process. The time required for complete thawing depends on the size of the product and can take up to half an hour. At the same time, it is important not to overcook the fish so that it does not become too soft, literally falling apart.
It's better to underexpose a little than to overexpose. After processing in the microwave, a slightly frozen carcass will be easier to process - clean and separate into parts.
If your microwave does not have a defrost option, you can set the switch to minimum power.
How to put it in the oven?
Modern ovens have a defrost function and convection. This allows the fish to defrost.
The oven temperature will remain at room temperature.It is possible to speed up the process if you add a little heat, but not more than 30? C.
If the oven does not have a defrosting option, the method will be different:
- Remove foreign objects from the oven.
- Turn on the oven, setting it to 30? C.
- Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the frozen fish from the freezer to a bowl. Packaging - remove.
- Place the grill in the lowest position.
- Place the dish in the oven on a wire rack. Do not cover with anything.
- Close the oven door.
Do not use glass containers for defrosting, as they may break due to the temperature contrast.
With salt
For defrosting fish saline solution can be used. The method is only suitable for defrosting sea fish.
Freshwater species should not be processed using this method, since salt tends to absorb moisture from the carcass, and the product after cooking will become excessively dry and not juicy. The method does not give quick results - it takes several hours to completely defrost.
The defrosting procedure with salt should include the following steps:
Prepare a saline solution at the rate of 38 grams per liter of liquid. Stir.- Remove the fish from the freezer and remove the packaging.
- Place the product in a container of such a size that the carcass fits completely.
- Pour the prepared saline solution over the carcass.
- Close the lid loosely so that air can enter.
- Place the container with fish in the refrigerator on a shelf. You can leave the container on the table if you need the result faster.
It is recommended to use coarse table salt.
In a water (steam) bath
It is convenient to defrost small-sized fish or cut into portions in a water bath. The technique is a quick defrosting method, as it takes less than an hour.On average - about 40 minutes.
Procedure:
- prepare a pan of a suitable size;
- fill the container one third with water;
- remove frozen fish from the freezer and remove from the packaging;
- transfer the fish to a colander;
- Place a colander on top of the open pan;
- put the pan on the fire;
- after the water boils, reduce the flame, the main task at this stage is to generate steam;
- To ensure uniform defrosting progress, fish products must be turned over periodically.
Hairdryer
A household hair dryer can be used as a defrosting tool. This processing method is suitable for large fish with scales. The whole process will take at least half an hour.
In order to preserve the maximum beneficial substances contained in fish and preserve the taste, you must proceed as follows:
transfer the fish from the freezer to the refrigerator for half an hour - this will help preserve the taste better;- On the hairdryer, select the “cold air” mode;
- transfer the fish to a glass container in a loosely tied bag;
- blow with a hairdryer from a distance of 25 cm, moving along the carcass for at least 30 minutes;
- Rinse the fish with cold water.
While processing fish, the hair dryer must be turned off periodically, allowing it to rest so that it does not burn out.
The benefits and harms of quick options
If fish lying in the freezer needs to be defrosted urgently, then can be used
- hair dryer,
- microwave,
- oven and even a steamer.
Features based on view
Which type of defrosting to choose depends on the type and type of freezing, size and type of fish:
| Defrosting method | Fish | Freezing type and conditions | Size |
| In air, at room temperature | Hake, pollock, silver carp, catfish, sea bass, sturgeon | Minced meat, fillet, carcasses, cut fish, gutted, steaks | Any |
| In cool water | Pollock, hake | Carcasses | Small and medium |
| In a refrigerator | Any | Minced meat, steaks, carcasses, cut, gutted | Any |
| Combined (combining several methods) | Horse mackerel, mackerel | Smoked | Any |
The combined defrosting option is a phased thawing that allows you to preserve nutrients and taste as much as possible.
Re-freezing: is it possible or not?
Re-freezing an already thawed product is not recommended.. Such processing has a bad effect on the taste of the fish product and its properties, and the consistency will change to loose, disintegrating.
Freezing is intended for long-term storage and to prevent the development of microorganisms in the carcass. After thawing begins in any way, even the most gentle, bacteria will begin to develop in the product. This starts the process of spoilage of the fish.
It is advisable not to re-freeze fish, since it becomes no longer useful and may even pose a health hazard. Therefore, it is better to decide in advance on the required amount and not defrost the excess. This will avoid re-freezing.
How to do without defrosting?
Improper defrosting can harm the product, deteriorate its taste and reduce the amount of nutrients. But even defrosting itself is not always required. In some cases, it is enough to only slightly defrost the carcass, and sometimes even this is not required.
It is more convenient to cut a not completely defrosted product. Moreover, you can do without preliminary defrosting altogether if the product is to be cooked. In this case, you just need to increase the cooking time.
Video on the topic of the article
This video will show you how to defrost fish correctly:
Conclusion
Defrosting fish is not a difficult task if you know the possible methods. Taking into account the available free time and the type of fish product, the problem can be solved even in the shortest possible time.
