Fish is wet and delicate, which makes it the hardest everyday food to seal well with an edge sealer.
Step by step
- Pat fillets dry.
- Freeze them on a tray for an hour or two so they firm up and stop weeping.
- Seal the firm fillets, keeping the seal area dry.
- Label and freeze flat.
With a chamber sealer you can skip the pre-freeze; liquid stays in the bag.
How long it keeps
FoodSafety.gov lists 6 to 8 months frozen for lean fish like cod and 2 to 3 months for fatty fish like salmon, for quality.
Thawing
Open the bag before thawing fish in the refrigerator. UConn Extension advises opening vacuum packages before defrosting so some air gets in.
Keep it cold
Vacuum sealing is not a substitute for refrigeration or freezing. Clemson Cooperative Extension advises keeping vacuum-packaged perishables at 34 to 40°F, or 0°F or below for longer storage.
