Tuna is perfect for health, especially for people with cardiovascular disease. They are usually sold at fish counters in stores or supermarkets. Usually, they will be sold as a steak, so even if you don’t need to use them much at once, you still have to buy and store them gradually. Therefore, freezing tuna steak is a solution for families who love this nutritious fish dish. Can you freeze tuna steaks? How do you freeze it, and what are the issues involved? In this article, we will help you answer.
Can you freeze tuna steaks?
In today’s busy society, people are interested in nutrition and want to maximize their time and effort. Therefore, many people choose to buy food and store it frozen for a long time. However, there are many controversies about preserving fresh-frozen foods and whether the deliciousness and nutrients are guaranteed.
Most species can be seen with items that need freshness, such as seafood, especially tuna steak. You find delicious tuna loin while shopping and want to preserve it for a meal. You are still wondering if you can freeze tuna steak? The answer is absolute yes.
Many stores still choose to freeze tuna steaks to make it easier to sell and preserve the tuna. Therefore, freezing is a viable option and will not harm your tuna steak. But you need to note that having to freeze it at home properly to achieve the desired results is not easy.
Freezing will be an excellent solution for your tuna steak when you are not yet scheduled to use it but still want to enjoy a delicious fresh tuna loin that is rare in the stores.
Further reading: What Are the Best Cheap Freezers for Home?
Are frozen tuna steaks good?
Tuna is a very nutritious food popularly used because it is delicious and easy to prepare. Tuna is rich in fatty acids and omega-3. You will often find tuna in fresh or canned form. Usually, frozen tuna steak will maintain its freshness; you can quickly defrost and prepare to cook without any difficulty.
Seafood is a very perishable food when kept at room temperature for a long time because bacteria quickly attack it. Therefore, if you buy tuna, you should freeze it immediately to prevent the fish from losing its freshness and palatability.
Does tuna steak easily get freezer burn?
Like other seafood, tuna should be stored in an airtight container and freezer bag before freezing to preserve its freshness. This will help keep the temperature of the tuna stable. If you’re concerned about the familiar freezer burn, you don’t need to worry because tuna steaks often have thick meat that makes freezer burn very rare. Therefore, tuna is more suitable for freezer storage than some other fish.
Further reading: Is It Safe to Eat Freezer Burned Meat or Fish?
How to freeze tuna steaks
You must have heard of the way to use saltwater before cooking to maintain the deliciousness of frozen seafood. With tuna steak, too, you can still use this method to increase the freshness of tuna steak when frozen. Don’t forget this method.
Detailed steps to freeze tuna steak:
- Use a solution of sour brine with a ratio of 1/4 by dissolving the salt in water. If you do not have this salt, you can substitute kosher salt, and it will still ensure the effectiveness and working of the solution with your tuna pieces. However, you should increase the dissolution ratio to 1:1 when using kosher salt. You should not use table salt to make a solution because table salt has additives that affect the color and texture of your tuna pieces.
- Soak the tuna steak in the brine solution for 1 minute.
- Remove the tuna steak from the solution and cover it with cling film.
- Place the tuna in a zip-lock bag or container with a lid. Remove the maximum amount of air inside the bag and the box to keep the fresh tuna longer.
- Place the box or bag containing the tuna steak in the freezer.
How long can you freeze tuna steaks?
If you freeze your tuna steak properly, it will stay fresh for a long time. However, you should still consume them as soon as possible because the taste of frozen tuna cannot be as good as that of regular fresh tuna.
Fresh tuna left at room temperature should not be more than 2 hours; if beyond this time, the fish will go rancid, you devour them to encounter digestive problems. Therefore, when you have determined not to use the fish immediately, you should put it in the refrigerator or freeze it right away to avoid letting the fish go stale.
Tuna steaks stored in the refrigerator will keep for 3-5 days.
With frozen storage, the best taste of tuna steak will last up to 2-3 months. Tuna is a fatty fish that is great for keeping cold in the fridge, so it’s still possible to keep it frozen for lingerie.
When storing frozen tuna steaks, you should pay attention to the freezer’s internal temperature. In particular, it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature of the freezer not exceeding 0 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, it will significantly affect the quality of the fish.
How to defrost and recipes for frozen tuna steaks
As with defrosting other foods, you can defrost frozen tuna by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator and leaving it overnight. If you need to cook tuna steak right away, you can soak the bag of frozen tuna in a basin of tap water for a few hours, taking care that the plastic bag is tightly closed to prevent water from overflowing.
Once defrosted, the tuna steak is ready to cook and use. You can make whatever you like such as salad, sautéed, confit, grilled, steamed…
See “How to Cook Frozen Tuna Steak”
Related question
Can you eat rare frozen tuna steak?
Yes, raw tuna can be safe to eat if it has been frozen to kill parasites, according to FDA guidelines.
Can you cook tuna steak from frozen?
Yes, you can cook frozen tuna steaks if you want. Using an air fryer to cook tuna steaks, you will not need to defrost them first. And you still have a perfectly cooked tuna steak.
How do you know if tuna steak is going bad?
The smell and the appearance are obvious signs. If you find a sour smell, dull color and slimy texture, the tuna steak is spoiled. You should discard any tuna with an off smell or appearance as it’s not good for your health.
How long can you keep cooked tuna in the refrigerator?
It depends largely on storage conditions. It’s best to leave the tuna in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
If you want to maximize the shelf life of cooked tuna for safety and quality, you need to store tuna in an airtight container or wrap tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Cooked tuna that is stored properly will stay safe for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
If you want to keep cooked tuna longer for later use, you should freeze it. It needs to be frozen in tightly covered containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, freezer wrap, or tightly wrapped with heavy duty aluminum foil.
How long does cooked tuna last in the freezer?
If stored properly, it will maintain its best quality for about 2 to 3 months but will remain safe after that time.
Keep in mind that cooked tuna kept frozen continuously at 0°F will stay safe indefinitely. The freezer times shown are for best quality only.
How long does cooked tuna last after freezing and thawing?
If your cooked tuna that has been thawed in the refrigerator, you can be kept it for an additional 3 to 4 days in the fridge before cooking.
With tuna that has been defrosted in the microwave or in cold water should, you need to eat them right away. It should not be refrigerated or frozen any more.
Conclusion
Tuna is a fish that is very suitable for freezing. Don’t forget to pay attention to the technique and a few small notes mentioned above in freezing tuna steak.
I hope the way to freeze tuna that the article provides helps you use tuna anytime you like.
Reference
How to Freeze Fresh Tuna, ehow.com, Retrieved on Jun 3, 2022
