Freezing crays - methods??
Submitted by ctan1968 on Sun, 2014-12-14 09:58
Hi all,
What are people's thoughts in freezing uncooked crays?
Traditionally I drown my crays then individually wrap them up in 500mm square BOPP plastic wrapping sheet. This was commonly called "Cray Wrap" which commercial use to wrap up crays. I found it kept the crays in good codition when frozen for months.
I have exhausted my supply of the plastic and cannot seem to get the same stuff anymore.
1. Can anyone give me the heads up on where I can get some more? Use to get it from Dysons Plastics in Balcatta but they have closed down.
2. Are there any other methods to freeze uncooked crays?
Pots will be permanantly coming out of the water in about 4 days time.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Chris
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Wrap them in butchers paper!
Wrap them in butchers paper! Thats what i do. I have a couple from last year that i left in the freezer to see how they went. and yep all good!
Walfootrot
Posts: 1385
Date Joined: 23/07/12
Put them on ice for 1/2 hr
Put them on ice for 1/2 hr then in plastic ziplock bags.
Dont like to drown them in fresh water as they start to obsord it.
More drum lines, kill the bloody sharks!
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/freezing-crays
Have a read of this mate, I asked the same question a few weeks ago and got lots of different methods.
I ended up putting crays in a bucket in the fridge for an hour to put them to sleep, then cutting off the feelers and legs, giving them a rinse off and then wrapping up tight in glad wrap and placing in the freezer head down.
Akers67
Posts: 29
Date Joined: 23/01/14
I have started to shell them
I have started to shell them raw and then criovac the meat, I also have the other way of leaving them in the shell warped in baking paper and in a plastic zip lock. First season for me only time will tell
Decella
Posts: 401
Date Joined: 01/02/09
Apparently
You are not allowed to have processed cray tails unless you are eating them that day.
Decella
Posts: 401
Date Joined: 01/02/09
Apparently
You are not allowed to have processed cray tails unless you are eating them that day.
Scotte
Posts: 1145
Date Joined: 07/12/06
Glad wrap then freeze
Glad wrap then freeze
dkonig82
Posts: 2091
Date Joined: 06/07/10
Was always newspaper for me
Was always newspaper for me (after obligatory chill out period in the esky) then wrap the newspaper tight with some gaffa - straight into the freezer
When asked by a non-fisherman 'how many fishing rods do you really need?' the correct answer is either:
n+1 (where n is the number of fishing rods you currently own); or
n-1 (where n is the number of fishing rods which would cause your significant other to dump you.
OLD BANGA
Posts: 267
Date Joined: 02/04/10
Milk Carton
Most crays will fit nicely into a 1litre milk carton when you cut off the feelers. Put the date of capture on the potside of the carton. Easy to store in the freezer. Always bleed the cray before freezing-cut off feelers and hang upside down for about 5 mins, you don't end up with all that black gunk in the cray. Works for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OLD BANGA
OLD BANGA
Posts: 267
Date Joined: 02/04/10
Milk Carton
Put the date on the outside of the carton, my fingers are too thick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OLD BANGA
Snapperhunter
Posts: 32
Date Joined: 25/10/12
Remove the tail from the
Remove the tail from the head, place the tail in a cryovac air sealed bag and it should stay fresh for a year
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Except it's illegal ?
Except it's illegal ?
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Perhaps a change is required
That's one rule I don't think makes any sense. Having to leave crays whole until ready for consumption makes storage problematic and guarantees they won't keep as long....and for what valid reason?
I've heard it's so Fisheries can come into your house and check if they are size, but I really don't buy that. If that were true, then why don't we have to keep our fish whole as well so they can be measured.
In my opinion, the time for Fisheries to measure anything is at the ramp.
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
uncle
Posts: 9474
Date Joined: 10/02/07
totally agree
with you belly fish
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
bussogirl
Posts: 75
Date Joined: 19/12/13
My old man used to wrap them
My old man used to wrap them in buters paper, try that like vinesh87 said to!
A REAL WOMAN WILL NOT MAKE YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN HER AND FISHING
A REAL WOMAN WILL MAKE YOU TAKE HER AND COMPETE FOR THE BIGGEST FISH
