Fresh caught fish provide the best flavor, but freezing allows you store an overabundance of trout for later use when necessary. Trout are fatty fish, making them prone to developing a slimy texture and overpowering fishy flavor. Preparing the trout properly before freezing and freezing soon after cleaning help maintain both the flavor and texture quality of your catch. Freezing the fish whole and cutting it into fillets after thawing further helps retain the flavor of the trout.
- Knife
- Ascorbic acid
- Bowl
- Plastic freezer wrap
- Freezer paper
Clean the fresh trout as soon after catching as possible. Slit the stomach open from the anus to the gills. Grasp the trout head in one hand and the gill cavity in the other. Pull down toward the anus, removing the guts from the trout.
Rinse the trout in cold water, removing as much blood as possible. Rinsing away the blood prevents some sliminess and an overpowering fishy taste.
Dissolve 2 tbsp. ascorbic acid in 1 quart water. Soak the trout in the acid mixture for 20 seconds. Pat the fish dry with a clean towel.
Wrap the trout tightly with plastic wrap. Wrap a layer of freezer paper around the plastic wrapped fish to further prevent freezer burn.
Place the trout in the freezer immediately after wrapping. Store in the freezer for up to six months.