Is it okay to freeze fish at home, after it was only refrigerated in the supermarket?
Let's say you buy packaged fish from the supermarket, which was kept cool, but not frozen, by their commercial refrigerators.
The wisest thing to do would be to prepare and consume this at the earliest convenience, as it would be most fresh, but what if you wanted to keep it stored at home for later?
Is it okay to store packaged supermarket-fish in your freezer, especially after it was merely cooled by a normal store refrigeration system, and it had time in the car to gain some temperature?
Does it ruin the texture/flavour of the meat? Is it hygienic/sanitary/unhealthy to do this?
I'm looking to buy a bunch of fish (and shellfish) for the weekend, as I'll have no time/means of going to the supermarket the day of the meal.
Edit: I am aware of, and often practise, the method of buying frozen fish and storing it at home in the freezer, but in this example, I'm referring to fish that was not frozen in the supermarket.
Best Answer
This is a relatively common practice in my household, no harm has come from it to date, but do it at your own risk.
One may say "Why buy fresh fish and freeze it, just buy it frozen instead, it is probably a lot fresher", but at least where I live (Portugal) there are a few reasons to buy fresh fish and freeze at home. Just to list a few:
It is still generally relatively fresh even compared to pre-frozen packages, and you can get a lot more different varieties and species than you could from the pre-frozen selections alone.
You get to see the whole fish "live" and unspoiled and easily assess it's quality, size, freshness, and characteristics etc.
Unfrozen fish can also be cleaned up a prepared at the supermarket by the staff to your desire, which is unavailable for frozen items, and saves some trouble and mess at home, while being prepared by professional, or at least trained staff.
Flavor and texture should be well preserved, suitable even for more delicate preparations like grilling, as long as you don' take too long before freezing it, or store it for very long periods in the freezer.
Just make sure it is actually fresh fish, here local supermarkets specifically label store thawed fish for immediate consumption, and often verbally advise the customers at the moment of acquisition to not re-freeze.
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Quick Answer about "Is it okay to freeze fish at home, after it was only refrigerated in the supermarket?"
Raw fish and shellfish should be kept in the refrigerator (40 °F/4.4 °C or less) only 1 or 2 days before cooking or freezing. After cooking, store seafood in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. Any frozen fish or shellfish will be safe indefinitely; however, the flavor and texture will lessen after lengthy storage.Can I freeze fresh fish from the grocery store?
Many people freeze fish in water, and this causes fish to lose some of its flavor when defrosted. Fresh, and the emphasis is on 'fresh', (store bought or fresh catch) fish freeze well for up to six months if stored in an airtight method (fatty fish like salmon and trout; only three months).Can you freeze fish that says keep refrigerated?
Answer: It's fine to refreeze the fish fillets \u2014 as long as you thawed them in the refrigerator and held them there for no more than two days. If that was the case, you can pop the fillets back into the freezer and they'll still be safe to eat, says the United States Department of Agriculture.Can you refreeze previously frozen fish from grocery store?
Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.The Best Way to Freeze Fish and Avoid Freezer Burn | Thundermist Quick Fishing Tips
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