Gamy fish

[Nikanit]

Hey guys,
I have always had the problem of whitefish developing a overly strong fishy taste if it's not eaten right away. We take excellent care of the fish, it just seems to taste stronger if it has been in freezer longer than 2 weeks. We've never run into it with fresh caught whitefish ever, only fish that have resided in freezer. We catch the fish and kill right away, then he fillets them out and lays on ice for quick cooling. They get brought home and carefully wrapped and dated. What gives? Any ideas on how to prevent this? These are fish from Sylvan Lake

[calgarygringo]

Have you been trimming off the fat layer? If you dont it gives them a fishy taste the longer you go. Learned that myself by asking about fishy whites. Lakers much the same.

Originally Posted by Nikanit

Hey guys,
I have always had the problem of whitefish developing a overly strong fishy taste if it's not eaten right away. We take excellent care of the fish, it just seems to taste stronger if it has been in freezer longer than 2 weeks. We've never run into it with fresh caught whitefish ever, only fish that have resided in freezer. We catch the fish and kill right away, then he fillets them out and lays on ice for quick cooling. They get brought home and carefully wrapped and dated. What gives? Any ideas on how to prevent this? These are fish from Sylvan Lake

[Stinky Buffalo]

We used to save milk cartons; when we would come home from fishing, we'd put the fillets into the carton, fill with water, and freeze in a block.

When we were ready to eat them, we'd thaw it out and all was good. I never noticed it ever being gamey. Might want to give it a try?

[schleprock]

Soaking the thawed fillets in milk overnight before cooking might work for you. It is what some people do with the bigger lakers in Cold Lake to make them edible.

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

We used to save milk cartons; when we would come home from fishing, we'd put the fillets into the carton, fill with water, and freeze in a block.

When we were ready to eat them, we'd thaw it out and all was good. I never noticed it ever being gamey. Might want to give it a try?

This or use an old margarine container ..... they can stay fresh for up to 2-3 months.

D.

[EZM]

If you remove the discolored darker meat along the lateral line (blood line) the difference in taste is significant.

That part is where a lot of the fishy taste comes from.

The old milk carton frozen block works very well as well ..... we did that with smaller eater sized lakers this helps too. No freezer burn and slightly off tasting meat that way.

[58thecat]

Freeze in a ice cream bucket of water.....

[Smoky buck]

I know this is going against popular opinion here but freezing in water is viewed as a bad thing for maintaining quality in higher end market. The reason for this is because the water absorbed into the flesh freezes and expands breaking the cells in the meat. This is why a lot of commercial fish is flash frozen so the natural moisture in the fish freezes into smaller crystals then your conventional household freezer

If you enjoy the results you get from freezing in water go for it. Personally I have to advise against it because it goes against everything I know from the standards demanded to supply high end restaurants with fish in the past

My opinion remove the blood line/fat along the belly as mentioned, pat the fish dry, vacuum seal and freeze at the coldest temperature possible. Some species don’t have the best freezer life black rockfish for example

Like I said if you like the results of freezing in water it’s your fish have at it. I spent 10years supplying high end restaurants with trout and I would never recommend and yes I have tried this method

[HL_transplant]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I know this is going against popular opinion here but freezing in water is viewed as a bad thing for maintaining quality in higher end market. The reason for this is because the water absorbed into the flesh freezes and expands breaking the cells in the meat. This is why a lot of commercial fish is flash frozen so the natural moisture in the fish freezes into smaller crystals then your conventional household freezer

If you enjoy the results you get from freezing in water go for it. Personally I have to advise against it because it goes against everything I know from the standards demanded to supply high end restaurants with fish in the past

My opinion remove the blood line/fat along the belly as mentioned, pat the fish dry, vacuum seal and freeze at the coldest temperature possible. Some species don’t have the best freezer life black rockfish for example

Like I said if you like the results of freezing in water it’s your fish have at it. I spent 10years supplying high end restaurants with trout and I would never recommend and yes I have tried this method

Agree with this 100%!! and whats with Black Rockfish they seem to not taste good frozen for long at all no matter what, i noticed that too.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I know this is going against popular opinion here but freezing in water is viewed as a bad thing for maintaining quality in higher end market. The reason for this is because the water absorbed into the flesh freezes and expands breaking the cells in the meat. This is why a lot of commercial fish is flash frozen so the natural moisture in the fish freezes into smaller crystals then your conventional household freezer

If you enjoy the results you get from freezing in water go for it. Personally I have to advise against it because it goes against everything I know from the standards demanded to supply high end restaurants with fish in the past

My opinion remove the blood line/fat along the belly as mentioned, pat the fish dry, vacuum seal and freeze at the coldest temperature possible. Some species don’t have the best freezer life black rockfish for example



Like I said if you like the results of freezing in water it’s your fish have at it. I spent 10years supplying high end restaurants with trout and I would never recommend and yes I have tried this method

We froze them whole....not cut open etc...these were cutthroat trout...salmon went into bigger containers....thaw out then let the fillet knife do its job then cook and eat....never tasted bad etc......never had the luxury of vacuum sealing etc so kinda stuck to the basics.....

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by HL_transplant

Agree with this 100%!! and whats with Black Rockfish they seem to not taste good frozen for long at all no matter what, i noticed that too.

Only thing I have heard with black rockfish is it’s something to do with there fat not keeping well. All I know is I won’t keep one unless I plan to eat it fresh

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

We froze them whole....not cut open etc...these were cutthroat trout...salmon went into bigger containers....thaw out then let the fillet knife do its job then cook and eat....never tasted bad etc......never had the luxury of vacuum sealing etc so kinda stuck to the basics.....

It’s the texture difference that is the biggest difference but flavor too in my opinion. Vacuum sealed correctly is a big difference but vacuum sealed and flash frozen is a major difference.

I am extremely picky with fish to the point I don’t like freezing them in general

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

It’s the texture difference that is the biggest difference but flavor too in my opinion. Vacuum sealed correctly is a big difference but vacuum sealed and flash frozen is a major difference.

I am extremely picky with fish to the point I don’t like freezing them in general

I prefer from lake/ocean to pan if I had a choice as in a shore lunch

I also know people who smother the fish in ketchup to the point they could be forking down a ol' hunk of leather

In this case it really doesn't matter how well you preserve the fish etc too much crap smothering the fish.....

Hope the OP got what they were looking for.....oh and the smoker is an awesome way of keeping fish too

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

I prefer from lake/ocean to pan if I had a choice as in a shore lunch

I also know people who smother the fish in ketchup to the point they could be forking down a ol' hunk of leather

In this case it really doesn't matter how well you preserve the fish etc too much crap smothering the fish.....

Hope the OP got what they were looking for.....oh and the smoker is an awesome way of keeping fish too

Smoked fish is a good option

In the end if someone enjoys their meal that is the main thing

I have Asian friends who like to butterfly fish cover them in spice and dry them on hot summer days. I also know FN who like wind dried salmon. Both of these opinions are gamey. I have been fed some crazy stuff from friends with different backgrounds. Some I definitely will not eat again

Everyone has different tastebuds

[HL_transplant]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Only thing I have heard with black rockfish is it’s something to do with there fat not keeping well. All I know is I won’t keep one unless I plan to eat it fresh

Yeah they and quillback are really good fresh but even vac sealed I've had mixed results on how strong a flavour it is, the last few I ate were ok but definitely not as good as lingcod.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by HL_transplant

Yeah they and quillback are really good fresh but even vac sealed I've had mixed results on how strong a flavour it is, the last few I ate were ok but definitely not as good as lingcod.

Quillback as long as the were iced right away I have had no issues. Rockfish in general are delicate meat. Lingcod and halibut are way more forgiving

[Vapor]

I just pulled a whitefish from the freezer that was 3 years old. Tasted fabulous, no issues. As others have suggested:

1) Fillet
2) Trim the fat
3) Remove the lateral line
4) Rinse with cold water really well
5) Vacuum seal

Magic!!

[Reeves1]

Lived in Sandspit for 3 years.
Old timers taught me how to fillet fish.
Even Halibut can be nasty if not done right.

Most hold the knife (removing skin) at an angle.
The old timers showed me if you use a knife that is not razor sharp & work it through at the same angle as the skin (flat) you remove the "brown" muscle next to the skin & it will taste much better.

Yup, worked for me , on all species.

It also helps to hold the fillets in the fridge for 12 + hours. It goes through the rigermortice (sp ?) squeezing the extra water out of the meat.

I then dried on paper towel & put in zip locks & draw the air out.
Lasted very long doing it this way.

I strongly dislike any "fishy" tasting fish. It is why I do not keep or even fish for Trout / Salmon etc

[FlyTheory]

This is a really useful thread.

Ill add some personal experience... I kept some splake fillets, vacuum sealed, deep frozen etc. They all were gamy because I didn't take off the fat. I also recently smoked some whitefish. I left the fat on so it wasn't so dry... it tasted like bacon.

I love eating fish and generally am never turned off from fishy taste, but muddy taste doesn't do it for me. But I'm trying to get used to it, because I feel like I need to start appreciating more wild flavours lol

[Smoky buck]

Muddy fish is from too warm of water in most cases and warm water combined with algae bloom is worse. Poor oxygen levels also impact the flavor. Don’t keep fish out of warm waters during the summer Trout stocked in swampy ponds caught in the summer are the worst

Cold well oxygenated waters produce the best tasting fish

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Muddy fish is from too warm of water in most cases and warm water combined with algae bloom is worse. Poor oxygen levels also impact the flavor. Don’t keep fish out of warm waters during the summer Trout stocked in swampy ponds caught in the summer are the worst

Cold well oxygenated waters produce the best tasting fish

The splake was a product of ice fishing a deep and clear lake. The muddy taste might be a result of the splake’s diet of snails and daphnia. Not sure though

[pikergolf]

The brown fat along the lateral line is the culprit. I cut it out and the fishy taste is gone. I tried a piece of just the brown stuff once, holy cow is it nasty, just like cod liver oil.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

The splake was a product of ice fishing a deep and clear lake. The muddy taste might be a result of the splake’s diet of snails and daphnia. Not sure though

The temperature and water quality are the most common issues but diet is possible. Sometimes water quality issues are not something easily seen without testing as well. Even with a background in aquaculture I can only guess unless I am testing the conditions and health of the fish in that body of water.

Basically you can rule out temp and consider diet but you know for sure the fish taste like crap

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

The temperature and water quality are the most common issues but diet is possible. Sometimes water quality issues are not something easily seen without testing as well. Even with a background in aquaculture I can only guess unless I am testing the conditions and health of the fish in that body of water.

Basically you can rule out temp and consider diet but you know for sure the fish taste like crap

Very true hahaha, all I can say is that those splake are safe now. Thanks Smoky!

Anyways, I find if people are interested in keeping stocked trout, winter is the only time unless you’re canning them.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

The brown fat along the lateral line is the culprit. I cut it out and the fishy taste is gone. I tried a piece of just the brown stuff once, holy cow is it nasty, just like cod liver oil.

Really? I take the brown stuff off, lay it on a cracker and drip some lake trout slim on it.... Yummo

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I also know FN who like wind dried salmon.

When I lived in BC had native friends always trying to give me 'stwan'. I couldn't stand it. I don't think they liked it either, I'm sure thats why they were always looking for someone to give it away too!

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

When I lived in BC had native friends always trying to give me 'stwan'. I couldn't stand it. I don't think they liked it either, I'm sure thats why they were always looking for someone to give it away too!

Its nasty stuff tried it a couple times and that was it. The one I refused to try was straight bear fat on bread

I have been fed crazy things by my Asian friends but at least most of it taste good

[220 Swift]

Does anyone have any photos of this lateral line blood line? Never caught a white fish before.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 220 Swift

Does anyone have any photos of this lateral line blood line? Never caught a white fish before.

It exists on all fish to some degree. After you fillet the fish and remove the skin you will see dark colored flesh on the skin side. This will spread out from the lateral line and will be a thin layer just under the skin

[Greatwest]

Originally Posted by Nikanit

Hey guys, We catch the fish and kill right away, then he fillets them out and lays on ice for quick cooling. They get brought home and carefully wrapped and dated. What gives? Any ideas on how to prevent this? These are fish from Sylvan Lake

When you get them home do you not soak them at all before wrapping and freezing? I soak and rinse in the sink probably 3-4 times in cold water this seems to help. I have also started putting fillets into a ziplock bag then filling the ziplock bag with water then freezing. I just cleaned out the freezer and found a bag of walleye in there from a year ago cooked it up and it tasted just like it had just come out fresh out of the lake. I never used to freeze fish we would always just eat it fresh, until an old boy told me this water in a ziplock bag trick. Normally wrapped or bagged fish in the freezer would be freezer burnt after only a month or 2 but that fish was a year old and not even any signs of any slight freezer burn.