preserving frozen roe

[fishinguypat]

hey yall, my roe in my freezer is starting to get ice crystals on them...what should i do the jar i have is as air tight as i can make it? any help guys?

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All my roe in my freezer has crystals on it..

 

Hooked into 6 fish with it so far

 

I use Ziplok freezer bags

[fisher]

I leave mine in plastic zip lock bags and have had some frozen for 3+ years. Never had an issue when defrosted and have caught fish with them even when others around me were not having as much luck. So base don that, I don't think crystals would affect the eggs (or any "freezer burn" for that matter).

 

Think of it this way, they will hit imitation eggs and plastic worms, so the real deal (frosted with crystals or not) should not make a difference (all in my opion of course).

[packrat]

Next time you get some roe after curing it whatever way you prefer try storing it in your freezer in small baby food jars. Fill the jar almost full add a few drops of fish oil then turn upside down and put in freezer bag. The added oil is supposed to prevent freezer burn.

[solopaddler]

Not much you can do about it now.

 

The ultimate way to freeze roe is to put it in a small bag (enough for a days outing) and suck all the air out.

Put the small bag in a styrofoam cup, fill with water and freeze.

It'll last for years frozen this way as good as the day the fish was caught.

Zero freezer burn.

 

That said I rarely use this method, simply triple bagging it in ziplocks and removing the air.

I use so much roe that it's never in the freezer long enough to get burned.

[BillM]

Using a straw to suck the air out, then doubling bagging it into another Ziplock freezer bag works great.

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Using a straw to suck the air out, then doubling bagging it into another Ziplock freezer bag works great.

 

 

Until one egg comes dislodged and flies up the straw at breakneck speed leaving you no time to react as it hits the back of your throat.

lol

[solopaddler]

Until one egg comes dislodged and flies up the straw at breakneck speed leaving you no time to react as it hits the back of your throat.

lol

 

Either that or a mouthful of goo.

 

(No need to use a straw btw. Close the ziplock completely then open a tiny gap in the middle. Wrap your lips around and suck. While your still stucking use your fingers to seal the small gap.)

[craigdritchie]

Being completely insane where roe is concerned, I even go one better. Go to Shoppers and buy some Playtex baby bottle liner bags - the four ounce ones hold just the right amount. Load the bag with roe, suck the air out, and tie it closed with coarse thread just as you would tie a roe bag. Then, wrap this bag of spawn in a piece of aluminum foil, and shove it in a freezer-strength Ziplock. You can fit about a half-dozen foil balls in a large Ziplock. Suck all the air out of that too, then close it up and freeze.

 

I have kept roe frozen this way for years. In fact, I recently found some loose brown roe in the bottom or my freezer .... from 1999. Thawed it overnight in the fridge and it looked like it came straight from the fish.

 

The following weekend, about 30 rainbows thought so too

[Twocoda]

Either that or a mouthful of goo. Wrap your lips around and suck. While your still stucking use your fingers to seal the small gap.)

 

 

oh boy if i had a dime for everytime i said those words...

[Guest gbfisher]

Who would be interested in a cure you could use anytime and keep eggs in the fridge indefinitely....... Even when you come home with extra fresh roe bags left over and wanted to keep them around...

[fishinguypat]

you guys seen to know a lot about sucking and blowing lol!...i'll try this after the next time i go out

[solopaddler]

Go to Shoppers and buy some Playtex baby bottle liner bags - the four ounce ones hold just the right amount.

 

Those bags are perfect, I've used them myself.

[wallacio]

Not much you can do about it now.

 

The ultimate way to freeze roe is to put it in a small bag (enough for a days outing) and suck all the air out.

Put the small bag in a styrofoam cup, fill with water and freeze.

It'll last for years frozen this way as good as the day the fish was caught.

Zero freezer burn.

 

That said I rarely use this method, simply triple bagging it in ziplocks and removing the air.

I use so much roe that it's never in the freezer long enough to get burned.

 

I use this method for uncured loose Trout roe and I use the Playtex milk bags (as Craig suggested) and I can attest to how well it works. Freezing the roe in water eliminates any chance freezer burn and the eggs will remain perfectly fresh for years. You just have to top up with water occasionally as the ice will sublimate in the freezer over time.

[vinnimon]

a small mason jar,wax paper,tin foil and a stick match,you do the chemistry,worked great for me.A way to vaccum seal without suckin or blowin.Leave that for the strip clubs.

[Twocoda]

i use a foodsaver to keep eggs frozen ( package then freeze no curing)) ...i cant tell you how long they keep without getting freezer burnt but its never been an issue and when thawed they are as fresh as the day they went in ) ....with the model i have you can buy container that can be depressurized and i keep my thawed spawn in these for up to three months without having to freeze....fresh eggs ready to go !

 

the bags and rolls of packaging material are a bit pricey ..30$ for two rolls ( custom make your own bags)

 

heres the model i have and i highly recommend it

 

 

http://www.foodsaver.com/index.aspx?ovraw=foodsaver

 

Now i feel like the sham wow dude...

[Kingsalmon]

i use a foodsaver to keep eggs frozen ( package then freeze no curing)) ...i cant tell you how long they keep without getting freezer burnt but its never been an issue and when thawed they are as fresh as the day they went in ) ....with the model i have you can buy container that can be depressurized and i keep my thawed spawn in these for up to three months without having to freeze....fresh eggs ready to go !

 

Hey Twocoda, do you freeze your roe first and then use the Foodsaver? If not, doesn't the vacuum make the eggs explode? Also when thawing, do you release the seal prior to thawing? THe reason I ask this is because of the whole herring I buy for cut bait. All instructions tell you to break the vacuum seal prior to thawing otherwise the vacuum sucks all the juices out of the herring. Also saw a show where they flash froze the herring in a tray then vacuum sealed it. THANKS.

[Twocoda]

Hey Twocoda, do you freeze your roe first and then use the Foodsaver? If not, doesn't the vacuum make the eggs explode? Also when thawing, do you release the seal prior to thawing? THe reason I ask this is because of the whole herring I buy for cut bait. All instructions tell you to break the vacuum seal prior to thawing otherwise the vacuum sucks all the juices out of the herring. Also saw a show where they flash froze the herring in a tray then vacuum sealed it. THANKS.

 

 

nope i seal thawed fresh roe then freeze ...when i remove from the freezer i let thaw in the vacuum bags i make ....then use what i use and the rest goes into the vacuum containers and stays fresh in the fridge....

 

ive never had any explode on me yet..

 

edit to add my fresh roe is always water cured for aprx 10 minutes or so

 

what i ment by "no curing" in the first post was chemically ...borax salt procure atlas etc

 

there is a setting on the machine to not crush your product

Edited November 27, 2009 by Twocoda

[StoneFly]

I got thousands of little freezer type Zip bags that hold enough for 100 roe bags each, although I usually only put enough for fifty. make sure they are cured first, place in bag get a small straw like one of those little brown coffee straws, insert just enough to pass the zip....close the rest removing air with your fingers,...suck,... pull the straw and zip...as good as airtight,...wrap each little baggy in paper wowel and tape it,....put all your little baggies with a paper towel in a bigger baggey and repeat the straw procedure. then wrap the bigger baggy in paper towel and newspaper. then Freeze. dont forget to label it.

[Kingsalmon]

Does anybody freeze roe without curing or water hardening? I know that it usually comes out like goo, but that to me would have better milking properties than water hardened eggs that are like rubber.

[Twocoda]

ive only been preserving the eggs with the foodsaver since the spring with great results ...at the beginning of the salmon run of this fall ...me and a few other buddies have been "testing" different cures and methods of curing ....salt...borax...borax and brown sugar....shake and cure both white and coloured... and the foodsaver way ....although only one of the methods has turned more fish then foodsaver way ...its held its own pretty good and your not handling poison (procure)..

 

i dont like the eggs soft to the point they are impossible to tie bags without getting all gooey but i dont like them rubber either for steelies ( unless its salmon im targeting then i like to be able to bounce them off the wall) my personal preference)

 

Kingsalmon-you have brought to my attention a few more methods to try because of the "whole herring" issue .....something to think about ...

 

 

Stonefly- as of now the difference between pre cured (chemically) before freezing and only water cured hasnt provided a noticeable difference....maybe for sh8ts and giggles...ill cure some after the freeze and put them head to head with the uncured after the freeze...

 

ultimately i would like to find the best formula for not having to "cure" anything ...but then again ...who wants to take a foodsaver with them everywhere they go ...lol..

[ChrisK]

I like the gooy ones.Correct me if i'm wrong but I think the ice crystals are breaking the eggs membrane thus creating the heavy milking affect when using at the river. Only thing is the eggs don't last to long but long enough to catch a fish

[BillM]

I like the gooy ones.Correct me if i'm wrong but I think the ice crystals are breaking the eggs membrane thus creating the heavy milking affect when using at the river. Only thing is the eggs don't last to long but long enough to catch a fish

 

 

Leave some of that nasty scrape in their before you freeze them It's like icecream sprinkled with smarties.

[Steel28]

Hey Bill/Mike,

 

I've finally got some Brown Gold few days ago I've cured it with some pickled salt/brown sugar mix and it's now in my fridge (mason jar). Can I leave it there since it's cured or should I freeze it?

 

thanks

[BillM]

Hey Bill/Mike,

 

I've finally got some Brown Gold few days ago I've cured it with some pickled salt/brown sugar mix and it's now in my fridge (mason jar). Can I leave it there since it's cured or should I freeze it?

 

thanks

 

I scraped some brown roe lastnight, let it dry a bit then put it right in the freezer.

 

If you plan on tieing it up in the next few days then you can leave it in the fridge, if not I'd put it in the freezer.