Refreezing fish the right way

Can you refreeze fish? In short, yes! Say you planned to make a delicious meal for two, but life happens and you end up eating out – or you have thawed more than you need as the brood didn’t end up all coming home for a feast this weekend. Refreezing frozen fish often brings up fears of how this can done safely, but never fear, as we can help you with a step by step guide to show you refreezing fish isn’t as complicated as it first appears.

Refreezing fish safely is easy and leaves things safe to eat. There are a few dos and don’ts when it comes to ensuring you keep yourself and your loved ones safe so you are able to enjoy that deliciously baked salmon, pan fried seabass or Friday night cod another day!

How to refreeze fish safely

Making sure your fish remains as fresh as possible is key in keeping both you safe and preserving the signature texture and flavour of your thawed fish. 

Keep in mind once you have thawed your frozen fish, you need to be on the ball with refreezing within a couple of days if that becomes the plan – or you’ll lose out! Also, a key tip to keep in mind in case you’ve made a delicious feed out of your frozen fish, remember it can only be refrozen once left out on the side for 2 hours maximum after making or within an hour if the temperature is over 30 degrees celsius! Keep this in mind when hosting for many – pop out quickly to refreeze the fish dish to keep you and everyone else safe!

Picking the right cooking method

When it comes back around to thawing your refrozen fish it’s important you think about the best methods for this. Maybe pan-fried fish is your usual go-to? Stick to baking, steaming or even poaching refrozen fish. This helps keep the moisture in and keep that texture you love and expect from our delicious fish.

Using this method helps retain that delicate texture and unlike pan-searing would brown the fish too quickly; drying it out and risking ruining your dish.

This may also mean being prepared to sacrifice the skin. Never fear, fish thawed once can be enjoyed with the skin, but if refrozen for a second time think about recipes that don’t include the usually scrumptious skin for these occasions.

One last thing to consider is cooking time. It will usually take that little bit longer for fish that’s been twice frozen. Consider it may need that extra 15 minutes to really bake in that moisture.

Don’t waste, refreeze and enjoy again!

Next time you’re thinking of a delicious fish dish, know that whatever life throws at you that waste doesn’t need to be an option. Staying safe and saving waste doesn’t need to be a decision, as you can do both with refreezing thawed fish. Regal fish offer a variety of delicious delivered to your door frozen fish options, so next time you thaw a batch and life makes new plans for you; consider this your guide of how to maximise your haul and enjoy tasty eats time and time again.