Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
Hello all,
My son and daughter were in a local fishing derby over the weekend and the question got raised as to the already caught fish. My daughter caught her fish after the offical scales had closed for the night. My question is once caught, killed and put in the fridge, how long do we have before the meat spoils? I know with my limited experience hunting big game, feild dressing is done ASAP. Is there a suggested or required cleaning time limit for fish(lake trout) that anyone can help us with for next time?
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
Personally I will clean them right away, I find it a heck of a lot easier when they are still soft and supple plus I find the meat tastes less fishy than if they stayed in the boat or the fridge all day.
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
trout or i should say fish, should be cleaned as soon as you can, it isnt quite as important as game animals because they arent warm blooded. if you put the fish on ice its will be ok for a while, however if the urine sac inside the fish bursts it will undoubtedly spoil the meat. i was in a steelhead derby and caught an 18lb 6 oz steelie after the weigh-in closed for the evening, i cleaned the fish and kept guts in a bag and weighed them in the next day.
i guess if you had to keep it overnight on ice it would be ok, but i wouldnt do it on a regular basis.
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
I used to work in a trout hatchery and have dressed my share of fish. Personally I wouldn't eat a trout that sat more than a day on ice without being dressed out - but I'm picky. That being said I know some asian food markets would put our whole trout on ice and sell them that way (they were in their live tanks but died sometime during the week. )
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
- Fish stay in nets for days, on ice for longer periods sometimes before they get cleaned.
- If you want to you can put it in a container with water { head and guts still on} and freeze it this way until you want to eat it.
This will save the fish from getting freezer burn in the gut cavity etc.
- Before you clean trout if you put some salt in a pan of water and let them sit in it for a while it helps take the slime off the skin, easier to hold while cleaning.
- You can also freeze ducks or geese etc by just throwing them in the deep freeze as is ... feathers on no need to clean them.
The guts stops freezer burn and no harm to the meat.
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
Originally Posted by DBM
That being said I know some asian food markets would put our whole trout on ice and sell them that way (they were in their live tanks but died sometime during the week. )
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
I have a trout farm and I would not eat a trout that was not cleaned the day it was caught. That said I also will not eat them if they were frozen so I might just be picky. If you want good trout you clean and eat them right after they are caught.
Re: Cleaning trout...how quick does it need to be done?
Sorry if this sounds sarcastic but .... geez. How long would you leave a deer before you dress it? Same goes for the trout. Get it done asap. This is some of the finest food you will be blessed with putting on your table. Cleaning your fish and game is all part of fishing and hunting and it is the "work" part of it that some find unpleasant. How many times do you hear someone complaining about how their venison or fish or whatever came out tasting like and many times when you ask the question about how it was field prepped you get the true answer for the crappy taste. Anyone that leaves the guts in a fish and then complains about the taste later is only getting what they deserve. So, in answer to your question.... as soon as possible!
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy!