Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well

Soon fishermen will be taking to the lakes and streams all over Arkansas. One thing that all fishermen must know, if they plan to return home for a fish dinner, is how to safely bring their catch home.

Fish spoils quickly. Contami-nation by bacteria starts within a few hours after the fish is caught.

While on your fishing trip, you should plan to chill fish in an ice chest as soon as it is caught. Chilling the fish will slow down the growth of bacteria, but it will not stop it.

You may want to prepare your fish on the lake just as you would for immediate consumption. The ideal situation is to scale, gut and clean fish as soon as it is caught.

Store cleaned fish on ice immediately. Keep about three to four inches of ice in the bottom of your ice chest. Alternate layers of ice and fish. Keep the ice chest out of the sun. If there is no place to store it out of the sun, cover with a blanket or quilt, to protect it from the heat of the sun. This will help to ensure that your catch arrives home in prime condition.

Once you arrive home with your catch, package it in vapor- and moisture-proof packaging materials. You might want to separate pieces with freezer paper.

Remember, sharp edges can tear or puncture some packaging materials. If you are using plastic bags, cover sharp edges. It might be a good idea to place the plastic bags containing the fish in a box for extra protection. If you are using freezer paper or foil, your should also cover sharp edges. All folded areas should be covered with freezer tape.

You may store your fish safely in the refrigerator if it is to be eaten within one or two days, or it can be kept in a freezer for up to six months.

Label packages with the type of fish and date.

Freeze at zero degrees as soon as possible. Glazing is another way to protect fish from drying out.

To glaze fish, place it in the freezer uncovered on a baking sheet.

When the fish is frozen, take it out of the freezer and dip it into very cold water. Place it back into the freezer to harden the glaze. Repeat this process until you have a glaze over the fish that is about one- sixteenth of an inch thick. Handle carefully so that you do not break the glaze. After this process, pack-age according to previously men-tioned directions.

For best quality, store safely while at the lake and follow safe storage techniques at home. If you place your catch in the freezer at home, plan to use it within six months.

For more information on food safety, contact the Nevada County Extension office.