10 BULLETIN 729, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



locate fish freezers at or near the fishing grounds. Fish which have 

 heen shipped long distances from the landing point by express or 

 freight packed in ice should not be selected for freezing. 



Fish should be washed clean before freezing. Whether they should 

 be frozen ''gutted" or "in the round" depends upon the variety of the 

 fish, the size of the fish, and the character of the feed. 



Small and medium sized fish are placed in pans to be frozen. Large 

 fish are frozen separately. Very small fish and fish for bait may be 

 "stacked" for the initial freezing. 



Freezing should be done at the lowest obtainable temperatures. 

 Generally the temperature of the sharp freezer is between — 5° to 

 — 15° F. The pans of fish are set on shelves made of refrigerator pipes 

 carrying brine or ammonia. Pan fish should be solidly frozen in 24 

 hours or less. The holding temperature for fish should be between 0° 

 and 10° F. 



Frozen fish should be "glazed," that is, coated with a thin layer of 

 ire formed by passing them a few times through a tank of cold water. 

 Frozen, glazed fish are preferably stored in wooden boxes containing 

 120 to 160 pounds. When fish are stacked in the holding freezer, or 

 placed in bins and covered, they are glazed by spraying with water. 

 Fish stored more than three months should be reglazed every three 

 or four months during the entire storage period. 



Fish can be held without loss of quality for at least twelve months. 

 Some species have been held in good condition for two years. 



