Frozen seafood

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Q 1.
	Lately I have noticed a considerable amount of advertising urging people to eat fish sticks. This is apparently a new seafood product and I wish that you could explain just what a fish stick is and how it is made.
Q 2.
	What is the difference between fish fingers and fishsticks?
Q 3.
	What effect does the rate of freezing have upon maintaining the quality of seafoods?
Q 4.
	What is "drip" in frozen fish?
Q 5.
	Is it possible to freeze tinker mackerel? I have been told that a poisonous effect exists when the fish are defrosted.
Q 6.
	What is the best way to freeze stone crab claws?
Q 7.
	I read with interest in the September-October Sea Secrets the tips on how to recognize good-quality shrimp. Can you provide similar advice about the purchase and storage of fresh fish?


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	Q&A 1.	Lately I have noticed a considerable amount of advertising urging people to eat fish sticks. This is apparently a new seafood product and I wish that you could explain just what a fish stick is and how it is made. Atlanta, Georgia
	Fish sticks are made by freezing boneless fillets of fish together in blocks, which are then cut into small sticks. At the present time most of the sticks are made up of cod, haddock, and ocean perch although in the near future the dipped in batter and are usually cooked before packaging in consumer sized packages. The rapid rise of popularity of this product can be seen in the increase in production from 7 1/2 million pounds in 1953 to 35 million pounds in the first 9 months of 1954. This is indicative of the general trend in the seafood industry towards a product that the housewife can open and prepare with a minimum of effort.
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	Q&A 2.	What is the difference between fish fingers and fish sticks? Kennedy, Ohio
	Fish fingers are somewhat irregularly shaped pieces of whole fish prepared by cutting fillets of various species. "Fingers" are not normally sold in retail stores, but may frequently be found on restaurant menus. Fish sticks, on the other hand, are prepared by freezing skinned fillets into large rectangular blocks. These blocks are cut or sawn into regularly shaped elongated pieces of fish. These "sticks" are then breaded and frozen, either cooked or raw. They are packaged in so-called "consumer size" packages (usually 10or 12 ounces) or in "institutional" packs of five pounds. Fish stick shave had enormous popularity in recent years, the production rising from about 7,000,000 pounds in 1952 to over 50,000,000 pounds in 1954. Part of this popularity must certainly be given to the ease of preparation; a factor which is prominent in the mind of the present day housewife.
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	Q&A 3.	What effect does the rate of freezing have upon maintaining the quality of seafoods? Long Island, New York
	The effect of the rate of freezing shows up in a number of ways during the storage period. First, contrary to what has been argued for many years, the particle size of the ice crystals in the fish is probably not an important factor. The breading material on fish sticks is very susceptible to bacterial action, and the fish itself does not spoil as readily as the breading. During the storage period the changes that might take place would be largely in texture, due to fluctuations in temperatures.
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	Q&A 4.	What is "drip" in frozen fish? Miami Beach, Florida
	Drip is the term applied to the clear or sometimes slightly cloudy fluid that is not reabsorbed by the fish tissue when frozen fish thaws. The fluid consists of water with dissolved protein, other nitrogenous constituents and minerals. The quantity of drip from frozen fish depends upon many factors including the kind of fish involved and the length and temperature of storage prior to thawing. Drip maybe less than one per cent or more than 20 percent of the weight of the fish.
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	Q&A 5.	Is it possible to freeze tinker mackerel? I have been told that a poisonous effect exists when the fish are defrosted. Palmyra, New Jersey
	Tinker mackerel (Scomber scombus) can be frozen and a good product obtained. As with all frozen foods, good processing practices and care should be exercised in preparing and freezing the fish. The reports which you heard of poisonous effects upon defrosting may have been caused by the use of inferior or spoiled raw materials.
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	Q&A 6.	What is the best way to freeze stone crab claws? Brownsville, Texas
	Although some dealers freeze stone crab claws raw, the majority first cook them to prevent the meat pulling away from the shell. Some processors insist it is essential to cook the claws before freezing. For this purpose the claws should be cooked in boiling water. The time required varies with the size and, curiously, with the color of the shell. Experience is normally the best guide.
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	Q&A 7.	I read with interest in the September-October Sea Secrets the tips on how to recognize good-quality shrimp. Can you provide similar advice about the purchase and storage of fresh fish? Coos Bay, Oregon
	The following qualities are characteristic of fresh fish: a mild (not offensively strong) odor and firm, elastic flesh that, in a whole fish, is not separating from the bones and, in filets, has a fresh-cut appearance without traces of browning or drying around the edges. A whole fish should also have shiny skin with color unfaded, bright eyes that are clear, full, and often protruding, and red gills that are free from slime. The purchaser should transport the fish home as soon as possible (leaving it in the car on a hot day hastens bacterial spoilage which can make it unsafe to eat). At home, the fish should be washed under cold running water and patted dry with absorbent paper toweling. Then, it should be wrapped in moisture-proof paper or placed in an airtight, rigid container, and immediately refrigerated at 35 degrees to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Quality and flavor deteriorate rapidly, and fresh fish should be cooked within a day or two after purchase. To freeze fresh fish, one should wrap it tightly in heavy-duty plastic or aluminum foil (not waxed or parchment paper). A temperature of 0degrees Fahrenheit or lower is required to maintain quality, and some fishery specialists recommend that fish stored in a self-defrosting freezer atop a refrigerator be used within seven days. Thawing of frozen fish should take place in the original wrapper, either in the refrigerator (allow about 18hours per pound) or under cold running water (1/2 hour per pound), and the defrosted fish should be cooked immediately. Further details on this subject are provided in Marine Brief 11, Buying Quality Seafood and Marine Brief 17,Safe Handling and Storing of Seafoods, available free of charge from Marine Advisory Programs, University of California, Davis, California 95616.
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	Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu		go to the top