Dry ice is one of the most popular ways to quickly and inexpensively create artificial snow for the winter sport of skiing. It is inexpensive, easy to transport, and readily available in many regions. It doesn’t hurt that dry ice is tasteless and odorless, either, so it won’t ruin your dinner preparations like some other methods of creating artificial snow could.
The process of how much dry ice to use to freeze fish is not as straightforward as it might seem, however. Different fish require different amounts of ice, and some require more than others. You need to take into consideration a number of variables to ensure that you utilize just the right amount of the substance to ensure that your fish are thoroughly and evenly frozen.
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Fish Size Matters
The first thing to consider is the size of the fish. If you’re freezing small fish, like lake trout or bullhead, you’ll need a little less dry ice than you would if you were freezing a large fish, like tigerfish or salmon. The reason is that you need more surface area to cover the same amount of fish when they’re smaller, so they’ll be thoroughly thawed by the time you’re done. Additionally, the larger the fish the more juice it contains, which you don’t want to dilute with additional fluid. This creates a situation where your fish might not actually be properly frozen because of the additional water content.
Water Content Matters
Another important factor to consider when determining how much dry ice to use is the amount of water content in the fish. Most fish are quite dense, which means they contain a lot of water. One way of thinking about it is that fish are already ice-free when they’re fresh from the water, so if you want your fish to be completely and evenly frozen, you’ll need to add more ice than if you were freezing dry, rock-hard ground. For this reason, you should add no more than one half inch of liquid to your fish before placing them on the tray. Doing this also helps reduce the possibility of your fish being clogged with ice crystals. It doesn’t hurt to add a bit more for smaller fish, however, as it will still ensure that your larger fish are completely frozen by the time you’re done.
Temperature Matters
A final factor to consider is the temperature at which you plan on freezing your fish. The general recommendation is to utilize a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit for the initial freezing process, and then ramp it up slowly as you go. This ensures that your fish are evenly frozen throughout, and also means that you don’t end up with some of them being slightly under or over-frozen.
When it comes to the art of freezing fish, there are various methods that you could utilize. You could use conventional deep-freezing, which requires extremely low temperatures and a lot of time, or you could take the easy route and use dry ice.
It’s always nice to have an extra option, especially when you’re looking at low budgets and limited time. If you choose dry ice, you’ll need to experiment a little bit to find out how much you should use for different types and sizes of fish. You can also find more information on freezing fish at https://members.gleamhouse.com/freezers-universally-appreciated-for-their-utility-in-the-freezing-process/.