I"m not a fisher and the only fish I've ever purchased was from the local store. Well, last night, DH came home with fish from his mom's house. The fish had traveled from MS Labor Day weekend to Chicago, had been cleaned and cut into stinky fishy smelling filets. LOL!!!! My BIL told me that some cousins packed the fish on ice and it was in the freezer when he picked it up from the cousins. He also stated that he noticed the smell also. I always thought when fish was fresh, there was no odor. As soon as I opened the bag to look at the filets, I took a flying leap backwards. I thought I was about to vomit! (Sorry! but it smelled sooo stinky!) So.....can a fish survive a 12-14hour drive on ice and remain fresh??? If any of you go fishing, how what's the proper way to transport the fish to home or on a long distance trip?
Thanks mamas!!!! I can't help but wonder if it smells this bad frozen, what will it smell like when it thaws out. Therefore, on Monday night it will be placed in the trash for Tuesday's garbage pick up! Thanks again!
Yes fish can survive on ice that long. But most people clean it before they freeze it. Or eat it immediately when they clean it after freezing. If you think about it, it was frozen, then thawed while being cleaned and then frozen again and thawed again. It will have some smell, maybe a little fishy. But it shouldn't knock you off your feet like that. I'd be wary of it.
Fresh fish should not smell. However a slight fishy odor doesn't mean that it's bad yet, it's just not prime fresh. If it smells even slightly like ammonia toss it.
Fish always smell "fishy", but if the odor was that strong and that yucky there is no way I would cook it or eat it!!
We do a lot of fishing and I cook a lot of fish.
If the ice was being changed constantly and the fish never thawed, it should be okay. But if it smells that strongly, I'd toss it, which is so sad!
I would not eat it if the smell is THAT strong. Fresh fish does have a smell, it's fish, but what you are describing sounds too strong. What kind are they? Some fish smell more than others. We clean our fish right away. If I was going to have to travel with a fish, I would clean it (gut, filet) and then put the fillets in a baggie in a cooler - NOT just the whole fish thrown in ice.
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If it smells bad it will taste bad too. It sounds like they accidentally got it too warm on the trip. too bad!
