Urgent

[knapers]

Howdy fellas, my yellowfin tuna that has been in the freezer for about two months is recently defrosted, how long is it ok to leave fin in the freezer for?

[mrmoshe]

Howdy Knappers, as a general rule, you should not keep fresh fish frozen for longer than 6 months.

One other thing...never defrost fish at room temperature, always defrost either in the refrigerator or under running water.

As long as the freezer has kept the fish at minus 18 degrees C or zero degrees Farenheit for the entire time, you should be OK.

Others may have different time periods, but it is probably better to be safe than sorry.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Pete

[knapers]

cheers pete, why the room temp defrosting or rather why not?

[Guest danielinbyron]

i think its because it defrosts un evenly, the opposite or the same thing is true with cooking with too hot a pan.

[mrmoshe]

cheers pete, why the room temp defrosting or rather why not?

it gives bacteria a chance to multiply at room temp, whereas in the fridge or under running water, it doesn't allow the bugs time to breed.

You should also cook the fish ASAP after defrosting.

Here's something I found googling to confirm my theory:

Thawing Frozen Fish

Thaw fish in refrigerator or under cold running water. Never thaw fish at room temperature.

Thawing times vary with the size of the fish, shape of the package, and with temperature. Typically, a pound of fish requires 6 to 8 hours to thaw in the refrigerator or 1 to 2 hours to thaw under cold water. Thaw fish only until it is pliable but still has ice crystals. Cook immediately.

Remove fish frozen in ice blocks by running cold water over them. When the fish can be freed of ice, remove it and wipe dry. Cook immediately. If your recipe or cooking method requires totally thawed fish, remove the fish from ice, cover with aluminum foil or food wrap, and finish thawing it in the refrigerator.