Freezing Fish

• Save fish for later by freezing it in a block of ice. The ice will protect the fish in the freezer against freezer burn and odors. Place cleaned fish in a washed cardboard milk carton. Add water to cover the fish and freeze until solid. Wrap the carton in foil or plastic wrap to prevent it from leaking.
  
  

Thawing Fish

• Peel off the milk carton from around the block of ice encasing the fish. Hold the ice block under running water until the ice melts away and the frozen fish is left. The ice block around the fish protects the flesh of the fish from absorbing excess moisture from the running water. Complete thawing the fish in a sealed bag on a plate overnight in the refrigerator or cook the frozen fish and add one to two minutes to the cooking time.
  
  

When to Use Running Water

• Use running water to thaw fish frozen in a solid block of ice. The block of ice protects the fish from uneven thawing or sogginess that can happen if you try to thaw flash-frozen fish directly under running water without protection. Do not use running water to thaw flash-frozen or large fish. Use the refrigerator to thaw these types of fish. Refrigerate the fish overnight in a sealed bag so the large or flash-frozen fish thaws evenly and slowly without getting soggy.
  
  

Precautions

• Once thawed, fish must be cooked the same day to prevent spoilage and not refrozen. Only use cold running water to thaw fish slowly. Thawing fish under hot or warm running water can partially cook the fish or unevenly thaw it. This results in uneven cooking so some of the fish might overcook before the rest of the fish is finished.