Can you cryovac prawns?

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 08:14
ThreadID: 55414 Views:8463 Replies:5 FollowUps:6
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sorry to bother you all again, but has anyone ever cryovaced seafood? Can you do it? I am mainly meaning prawns. There is a birthday during our trip and I would like to cook curried prawns in the camp oven. BUT the birthday is in week 2, so ....... prawns? Cryovac? I have consulted my bible "Viv Moons outdoor cookbook" but no mention of seafood cryovaced so I suspect it is not possible. Anyone?
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Reply By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 08:39

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 08:39
I have cryovaced green prawns , but had to wrap them in thick hand paper and put them in Waeco freezer.
Did them in small batches for individual meals.

If you have a freezer available just put the prawns in thick plastic bags, and freeze at home first, before transferring to travelling freezer.

Pedro
AnswerID: 292049

Follow Up By: jeepthing - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 09:03

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 09:03
I've cryovaced green prawns but I take the heads off first so that the head spikes don't penetrate the plastic. I've also found that without the heads they lay better and you can get more in the bag.
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Reply By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 08:39

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 08:39
I have cryovaced green prawns , but had to wrap them in thick hand paper and put them in Waeco freezer.
Did them in small batches for individual meals.

If you have a freezer available just put the prawns in thick plastic bags, and freeze at home first, before transferring to travelling freezer.

Pedro
AnswerID: 292050

Reply By: obee - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:08

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:08
as long as you do it humanely......but seriously cannot see a problem. The reasons cyrovac works for meat must work for fish.

On topic, I was once told by a friend he used to dip fillets in a home brew beer sterilizer before freezing. Good theory cos bacteria continues to grow in the freezer which why they recommend eat before three months is up.

Owen

AnswerID: 292067

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Yalgoo) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:25

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:25
Bacteria wont continue to grow at proper freezer temps indeed freezing does kill some of the bacterial lode.
I am unsure what the recomended freezing times refer to but I suspect it is to prevent physical damage on badly packed products (freezer burn)
well packed products (such as cryovacced) will last many years at freezer temps (-18 and below) I have eaten meat frozen for 10 years once and 3-5 years often
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Follow Up By: Vince NSW - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:28

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:28
Obee, Is your friend still alive ?
Home brew sterilizer is Meta Bisulphide & you rince it out of the bottles. I would be against placing food into the Meta Bisulphide direct.
Vince
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FollowupID: 557425

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Yalgoo) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:38

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 10:38
Unless hes alergic he would be fine SMBS is the main ingrediant of the preservatives we used to be allowed to chuck in Mince up until the mid 90s and is still in sausages.
It gives of So2 from meory which is a common food preservative
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Follow Up By: obee - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 20:01

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 20:01
Some people used to recommend that you not rinse the bottles but put the brew straight on top. Some body must have taken the advise. If the stuff was even a small problem they would let us ordinary folks use it and it would come with a big disclaimer.

I dont know and dont care really. I gave up drinking except for specila holidays.

Thought the idea was of interest is all.

Owen
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Reply By: Member - Ron O (VIC) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 18:49

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 18:49
I cryovac cooked prawns every year wrap them in one of the wife's tea towels to prevent them piercing the bag then cryovac. We put them in freezer and pull them out about two weeks later with no problem.
AnswerID: 292143

Reply By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 19:26

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 19:26
Carlin, some of those who have responded assume you have a freezer while travelling. If that is true, you have no problem, but I suspect you have asked as you don't have a freezer.

This site:Packaging of Sea Food

has much too much info to digest, but I did find that in their 'rules', any fresh seafood to be cryovaced for sale, must be packed with 5 days of catch and the use by date must be not more than 10 days after the packing date.

The site also noted that many home refrigerators run at temperatures well above the recommended level, so their recommendations take that into account.

IF you can buy prawns that are nice and fresh (couple of days old) and your camp fridge maintains a temp below 4 degrees C, I think you should be OK for a couple of weeks.

I am always suspicious of keeping seafood. We all know that it goes 'off' faster than many other foods.

We carry a lot of vacuum packed foods when we travel. We also keep some fish and vacuum pack while camped. But I always freeze seafood and have never tried to keep it fresh, even vac packed, for more than a few days. No reason for this, other than my suspicion of keeping seafood.

In your case, what I would do is cook the prawns first. Possibly shell them (or at least remove heads). Vac pack and put them in the bottom of the fridge (coldest part). I reckon this will be fine for 10 or 12 days if your fridge works well.

Have a good trip.

Norm C
AnswerID: 292154

Follow Up By: Carlin - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 20:14

Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 at 20:14
you assumed correctly We dont have the freezer just the fridge with the coldest section at the base. mmmm I asked at the butcher today and they said no problem but it will just look crap as they will get squashed, but I am still suspicious. Might go to the local seafood place and get them to cryovac, then I will freeze and use in week 2. mmm hopefully we should be fine. Thank you! I did find tinned prawns in woolies today but I am sure they just wouldnt taste the same! I will buy as fresh as I can. How good would that be - curried prawns in the vic high country next week!Can not wait!
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