Freezing crays
Submitted by Paul_86 on Mon, 2014-11-24 06:29
Hey guys.
just wondering what's the best way to freeze crayfish, geting a few in the pots now and would like to save some for Christmas lunch. So is there any trick to it or just wrap them up in glad wrap and stick them in the freezer?
Cheers Paul
Ol Tom
Posts: 331
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Put them in the freezer
Put them in the freezer ahaha. could nt resist that. But I just wrap them in shopping bags and throw them straight in like that
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Haha can't blame ya mate,
Haha can't blame ya mate, left myself wide open for that one
Rob H
Posts: 5806
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Wash any cray blood off them
Wash any cray blood off them first whether cooked or green.
Someone elses idea of removing all the legs is a great one too.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Mitch88
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 23/09/14
I normally snap off all the
I normally snap off all the legs and cut off the antenas at the horns using gardening secateurs(scissors are no good),fold the tail under the body and wrap in glad wrap.
Another mate snaps all the legs and antenas off and freezers in a 1Ltrs milk containers length ways.
Either way the mrs will still whinge whens she goes into the freezer to grab out tea and gets spiked.
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Frozen in time?
haha last year I read they freeze best fully imersed in sea water , so I got some , and the only container I had was like a 5 litre giant lunchbox
thing , so I froze it whole in that , It looked like a museum specimen, when you looked in freezer, but when we had It a couple of months later , it was just like a fresh one.( took a whole day to thaw out!)
quadfisher
Ben85
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 20/11/11
I'm quite interested to know
I'm quite interested to know what other methods are out there. I have been told to freeze them either cooked or un-cooked upside down in the freezer (ie: head down tail up) so all the juices don't run through the tail.
I also noticed that by taking of the antenas & horns off most of the shit will run out of them if you let them drain upside down for a while prior to freezing.
looking forward to hearing some other suggestions, particularly if its best to freeze crays cooked or un-cooked.
fisharoo
Posts: 297
Date Joined: 02/07/11
When I have to freeze a
When I have to freeze a couple I always wrap them tight with a couple of sheets of newspaper then lacky band it. Then put them in a plastic bag. Not sure if it improves quality but it stops the spikes from destroying everything.
trymyluck
Posts: 908
Date Joined: 06/05/12
Do people freeze cooked or
Do people freeze cooked or uncooked ? I freeze uncooked as I prefer to shallow fry rather than boil or steam. But find it pointless to freeze the body and legs as they aren't any good after freezing. So just freeze the tails wrapped up heavily in plastic and steam the body and eat fresh.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Either way
Painted crays that I have been stuck with in Karratha IMO dont freeze well uncooked as the Vegatarian taste appears to go through it (more), but for normal crays either way. I agree the antenna is the best tool for the poop shute invented.
My father retired in Kalbarri and got into heaps off crays there. He froze them all cooked but have tried both ways. The reason behind him going the cooked way is that in the thawing process he believed they can go off a little. I giggle at this and have in the past done it both ways (keep it clean fellas), and cant tell by the ultimate challenge - on the plate. Cooked obviously limits on what you can do with it later, so I would prefer myself to freeze them green (love experimenting with flavours in seafood cooking).
Havent been into it since my return to Mandurah, simply because I used to dive for them and never potted. But like heaps on here the GWShark problem (plus an aging back) has stopped me from diving. Probably has something to do with the close encounter years ago with a GW whilst windsurfing off Leightons.
Time to learn how to drop some pots and I would vote to keep them raw (I was about to say Green, but will never vote Green). Remove all legs and keep a short segmant off antenna to freeze with it.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Ol Tom
Posts: 331
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Makes sense to only freeze
Makes sense to only freeze the tail if thats all you eat. It would save a lot of room in the freezer
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Cheers guys some good info
Cheers guys some good info there.
looks like I'll be removing legs and antenna (although they do come in handy for removing the poop shoot when cleaning/preparing), then placing in a tray in the fridge face down and tail up for a few hours to drain any juices and then wrapped up tightly in glad wrap and into the freezer :)
uncle
Posts: 9489
Date Joined: 10/02/07
4 uncooked tails
in an ice cream container full of water
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
tiimmbo
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 16/08/09
Going by the regs they
Going by the regs they should be stored whole. I just snap off the feelers then put them in the freezer as is - I don't wrap them in anything.
uncle
Posts: 9489
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Yep
But its so much easyier to just do the tails
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
ace rimmer
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 19/08/13
vacum pack
I have been cooking them then shelling the tails, 3 in a vacum pack bag then when you get them out they are all ready to go, mind you I love a good cray sandwich, fresh bread and mayo and sweet chili sauce, yum
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Wrap in news paper and in
Wrap in news paper and in freezer green
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
i hope this works just put 6
i hope this works just put 6 big boys in the freezer for christmas
jamey ford
Posts: 174
Date Joined: 25/05/11
Wrap in paper towel then
Wrap in paper towel then cryovac , rowel stops spines piercing the cryovac bag and also soaks up defrosting liquid , they keep beautifully this way.
Far Quirk!
S.Cotchin
Posts: 138
Date Joined: 24/11/14
I wondered about the Cryovac.
I wondered about the Cryovac. but thought the spikes would piece through the bags. I also use the antenna to clean the poo shoot prior to freezing and let the juices run for a bit. that way when you defrost your cray's the are clean and ready to cook.
Reel men smoke shimano's