Your “fresh” fish was probably frozen

“Fresh” has a very nice ring, right? Fresh fruits and vegetables. Freshly baked sweets. And if you want to have some fun from the sea: fresh fish. However, many of the fish at the counter may have been frozen before arriving at the store. And if not, it’s not automatically better than what you can find in the freezer aisle.

What you can find in the “fresh” fish counter

You might think that the fresh fish was recently pulled out of the sea and brought directly to the store. But as a labeling term, “fresh” simply means not frozen.

That is, the fresh fish on the counter may not be “fresh” in the sense that it came straight out of the boat. Fresh fish have been around for days before arriving at the store and may not be as delicious as the first day. The delay also means that fresh fish won’t last long when they arrive in the store, and sellers may have to throw some of them into the trash if they don’t sell fast enough.

To solve this problem, stores often buy frozen fish, ideally flash-frozen immediately after it is caught (often while it is still on the boat). The taste is well preserved and you can thaw only what you plan to sell, reducing waste. More sustainable in other ways: FFrozen fish can be transported by truck or train instead of by air.

How to buy the best frozen fish

You can apply the same logic to what you buy for your own kitchen: BUse frozen food and thaw if necessary. It tastes as good, if not good, and tends to be much cheaper.

Depending on where you shop, counters may have better options than freezing aisles. However, if the sign shows that the fish was previously frozen, consider asking if you can sell the fillets that are still frozen.

Looking at the label, “quick frozen” and “flash frozen” fish taste the freshest.Fillet Should still be completely frozen when you buy them, There is no liquid in the package. It should also be vacuum sealed or ice coated ideally. Avoid ice crystals and freezer burns as they indicate that the fish may have melted someday. Fish that refreeze can become muddy.

If you have a long drive home, pack them in ice to make sure they stay frozen.If you want to get fancy, there are companies that do so Send fine frozen fish to your door..