Fish: Frozen or Deli

Pumpkin_rrr on 29/09/2024 - 15:41
Last edited 29/09/2024 - 20:43 by 1 other user

With the cost of living crisis, think it's time I start seriously shopping smart!

A century ago we like live fish, such as those swimming in the tanks in the Chinese Restaurant. When someone took you out for dinner and have a whole live fish, you feel honoured. When you buy someone dinner and have this, your ego is bloated. Or anything from the trawler at 5am in the morning.

Then the wallet got hurt, and we reduce to fish from the Deli or Supermarket, dead not live.

Fast forward today, I am looking at Frozen Fish in the Freezer Department.

Realistically, what is the difference, is Frozen Fish bad? Is the nutrition content the same since most of them are snap-frozen?

Some of our friends are biased towards/against a certain country, just like to know what OzBargain thinks.

Food & Grocery Fish

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 29/09/2024 - 15:51
    +11

    I can’t say no to freshly air fried frozen fish fingers and master foods tartar sauce

    • freefall101 on 29/09/2024 - 16:09
      +2

      This might sound sacreligious, but I prefer my fish fingers with mustard. As a kid it used to be mustard sauce, which I don't think exists anymore as I can't find it. My dad used to put it on everything, but with fish fingers it was incredible. Now I just use American mustard.

      • sam-1966 on 29/09/2024 - 16:19
        +2

        Haven't been able to eat fish fingers since going to a catholic high school - every Friday during Lent… el cheapo fish fingers, cooked in cheap oil, on a bread roll with really, really, really cheap marg (or something) and cheap tomato sauce.

        Have never forgotten that smell.

    • 87percent on 29/09/2024 - 18:08
      +1

      Used to love fish finger sandwiches with cheese, and ketchup.

    • Pumpkin_rrr on 29/09/2024 - 18:50
      -1

      How many percent of fish they have in fish fingers?
      I want 100% fish!

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 01:42

      LOL, yeah fish fingers and tartare are really nice, but it's not really 'fish' as such. If the fish is gutted and frozen rapidly after being caught then the nutritional content should not suffer much at all; but the taste/'mouth feel' certainly will. Fish that has been frozen has a totally different texture to fish that has not. In a bad way. Of course if you're making something like 'fish cakes', it doesn't really matter what you use, but I do not think that is what you are asking about.

      To save some cash, maybe you should look at trying some of the cheaper species of fish that you may never have tried before, from a market near the sea, in the morning. I'm not familiar with the Brisbane market scene, but I'm guessing there'd be something equivalent to the 'Vic Market' there?

      Lastly, if you're going to a market buy Australian-caught, and buy sustainable species.

    • morse on 30/09/2024 - 07:10
      +1

      But do you feel honoured?

  • JIMB0 on 29/09/2024 - 16:03
    +8

    A true ozbargainer would out there catching his own.

    • Pumpkin_rrr on 29/09/2024 - 18:58
      +3

      I tried to work out the cost of catching your own fish, the fishing gear, plus the time to be invested, I doubt it's really worhtwhile.
      unless when you treat it as an Outing.
      But if is a way to put food on the table, I'm afraid it's gonna be too expensive…

      • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 01:49
        +6

        Totally not cost effective unless you live within walking distance of a viable fishing spot, and you do not include 'time' as a 'cost'.

    • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 17:12

      Teach your wife to fish…

  • freefall101 on 29/09/2024 - 16:06
    +2

    I think you'll find that has less to do with cost and a lot more to do with the invention of refrigeration and convenience, along with the massive amount of fish we eat compared to a hundred years ago.

  • HamBoi69 on 29/09/2024 - 16:10

    Well, if it's snap-frozen, at least you can pretend it's just taking a really long nap before it hits the pan. Fancy trawler fish vibes—on a budget!

    • fantombloo on 29/09/2024 - 19:23
      -1

      Frozen fish, and fresh ones too, are literally frozen to death. We humans often reserve the most sadistic tortures and killings for those species that don't have vocal chords.

      • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 17:13
        +1

        Fish freeze to death in the wild sometimes. It's probably the most humane way to do it. Maybe zonk them out with some drugs first too. I know when transporting fish for study it's normal to drug them to not stress them out. And if you could get zonked out too by eating the drugged fish then that's got to be a good thing.

        • fantombloo on 30/09/2024 - 17:47
          -1

          People sometimes fall off cliffs in the wild. That doesn't justify pushing millions of people off cliffs.

          • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 17:51
            +1

            @fantombloo: What if pushing those millions of people stopped trillions of people from starving to death?

            • fantombloo on 30/09/2024 - 18:06

              @AustriaBargain: If they were starving to death and there's little other option - it's something to consider.

              Do you think anyone on this forum is starving to death?

              • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 18:08
                +1

                @fantombloo: I feel like I'm starving to death a few hours after $20 minimum spend junk food.

                • fantombloo on 30/09/2024 - 18:10

                  @AustriaBargain: That's all you have left now after trying to start a serious topic - nonsense and attempted comedy.

                  • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 18:15
                    +1

                    @fantombloo: It was never a serious topic. They are just fish. Yeah they experience pain and stress, but it's worth it for the delicious nutritious meat and besides they are just dumb fish. I would kill a million people to save a trillion other people, and I would kill a fish just to eat its meats.

                    • fantombloo on 30/09/2024 - 18:18
                      -1

                      @AustriaBargain: Just dumb fish that we can do what we want with but you think they ought to be treated humanely? Which one is it?

                      • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2024 - 18:20
                        +2

                        @fantombloo: I think we should treat them humanely where possible, all food animals should be, especially mammals. But they are just dumb fish, snap freezing them on the ship they are caught is probably quite humane than piling them into wooden barrels and keeping them there for days on end.

                        • fantombloo on 30/09/2024 - 18:34
                          -1

                          @AustriaBargain:

                          I think we should treat them humanely where possible,

                          The simplest and most humane way to treat them is just to not kill them at all. Unless maybe if you're starving. To death. Even then there are plentiful other options if you are at all serious about treating them humanely.

                          Bye.

      • cfuse on 01/10/2024 - 13:44

        When was the last time someone dropped white phosphorous on a shoal of kippers?

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 01:56
      +3

      Surely you have to gut the fish before it is 'snap' frozen? Do they do that on the trawler, or do they keep them alive in aerated water chambers below deck until they get back to land/a processing place, then gut the fish, then 'snap' freeze them? Or do they snap freeze them on the trawler, then thaw them out and gut them on land, then sell them? That last scenario seems unlikely.

      • donga100 on 30/09/2024 - 12:52

        Gutted and then frozen on the trawler. There are no water chambers except for very small commercial boats chasing species like coral trout that are sold live.

  • simplystu on 29/09/2024 - 16:30
    +1

    Kailis Bros (or Tassel if live on East Coast) … some supermarkets have section dedicated to fresh seafood/fish.
    Plenty of AU caught fish available … no need to purchase fish from overseas.

    In terms of frozen - I do enjoy Barramundi fillets compared to other frozen "fish fingers".
    Frozen does have its purposes (eg. can't be bothered going to shops, so whip something out of freezer) … nutritional info == much the same, doesn't lose much by being frozen.

    • simplystu on 29/09/2024 - 16:42

      just to add … google is your friend.

      "Generally speaking, freezing helps retain the nutrient content. However, some nutrients begin to break down when frozen produce is stored for more than a year".

    • coffeeinmyveins on 30/09/2024 - 09:22

      Plenty of AU caught fish available … no need to purchase fish from overseas.

      Not in colesworth. It's all vietnam or surrounds.

  • simplystu on 29/09/2024 - 16:35

    +++ fish good for you …
    think I remember something like, should eat fish atleast twice a week … well, that was what I was told growing up.

  • 7ekn00 on 29/09/2024 - 16:42
    -3

    Is the nutrition content the same since most of them are snap-frozen?

    The nutrients are deficient because all the fish you see at the supermarket are FARMED fish, meaning they are not live caught and it also means they have been fed a diet of crappy grain based fish pellets, instead of their natural diets (which leads to significant nutrient deficiencies - for example, farmed salmon meat is WHITE, but the farms add a dye that makes it appear more red - but wild caught salmon is a nice deep red naturally due to natural nutrients!!)

    The snap-frozen process is literally inconsequential compared to the crappy pellets the farmed fish are fed :/

    References:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYYf8cLUV5E
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLIph7Ct-rQ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdNJ0JAwT7I
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYIkkzbNmaA

  • theHMASfriendship on 29/09/2024 - 18:22
    +1

    You can get them from pet stores as well

  • sharkyoz on 29/09/2024 - 19:56

    just go back to the docks and buy from trawlers, you help the fisherman and you help yourself

    • kiitos on 30/09/2024 - 14:29

      Can an individual just walk up to a trawler and buy from them?

      • sharkyoz on 30/09/2024 - 14:54
        +1

        yes, some will sell , some wont, just ask
        when they first dock is the time to ask

  • Protractor on 29/09/2024 - 20:03
    +1

    Do our fresh water ecosystems a favour and go catch as many redfin perch,trout and carp as you can.

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 02:05

      How would you make a carp edible though? Deep fry it into oblivion? Make it swim around in your bath for 3 days first? Make a soup out of it? I've had friends who have tried all three of those methods over the years, and none were very successful. It seems that carp simply tastes like crap. End of.

      Redfin and trout though … I'd eat them all day long.

      • Protractor on 30/09/2024 - 09:16

        Whack the carp in the garden? Good fertiliser..Or sell it to people who find them a cultural delicacy.Parts of Europe & Asia eat them.End of.

  • yellowfever on 29/09/2024 - 20:38
    +2

    If you are on OZB highly unlikely you won't know the difference between frozen salmon salmon caught 6 hours ago. You don't eat it often enough to appreciate the difference.

  • donga100 on 29/09/2024 - 23:37

    All the fish in the deli is delivered frozen and then thawed out so it's likely fresher to just buy frozen and thaw it yourself.

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 02:09

      This is not true. Even in Coles and Woolies much of the salmon is never frozen. Coles is also currently selling awesome quality premium tuna 'steaks' as well, that have clearly never been frozen. $52 a kilo, sadly … but just looking at it, I can tell it would make nice sashimi, if bough on the day it was put out.

      • tonester on 30/09/2024 - 10:31

        Coles is also currently selling awesome quality premium tuna 'steaks' as well, that have clearly never been frozen. $52 a kilo, sadly … but just looking at it, I can tell it would make nice sashimi, if bough on the day it was put out.

        sashimi-grade?

      • donga100 on 30/09/2024 - 13:31

        but just looking at it, I can tell it would make nice sashimi

        No it wouldn't as it is not compliant with Food Standards Australia that says any fish intended to be eaten raw needs to be frozen to -18c or colder to control parasites.

        • GnarlyKnuckles on 30/09/2024 - 14:48
          -1

          Yo donga

          That guide you have provided a link to itself states that:

          '… it is not intended to be a prescriptive or binding document for enforcement
          agencies'

          Ask any qualified chef, and they will tell you that sashimi is only made from fish that has never been frozen. Usually Tuna, salmon, or king fish, because they are particularly suited to sashimi provided they are fresh and parasite free. You could also go into any fishmonger selling tuna labelled 'Sashimi grade', and they will assure you that it has never been frozen.

          • donga100 on 30/09/2024 - 17:20
            -1

            @GnarlyKnuckles:

            Ask any qualified chef, and they will tell you that sashimi is only made from fish that has never been frozen.

            Have you seen how whole tuna are sold for sashimi in Japan?

            • GnarlyKnuckles on 02/10/2024 - 19:15
              -1

              @donga100: Yes I have. Have you? It's not frozen, and it never has been frozen. The prospective buyers have a little tool they use to bore into it right there on the fish-market floor, and extract a little cylinder of raw flesh (which is obviously not frozen), which they eat before deciding how much they will bid for the fish.

        • tonester on 30/09/2024 - 15:37
          +1

          -1

          where does it say that?

          • Conversely, if seafood is intended to be eaten raw, for example sashimi, then the seafood business must ensure that it is safe to be eaten in that condition. (p16)

          • With any fish eaten raw, for example sashimi, sushi, carpaccio, guidelines for catching, handling and preparing fish must be followed to prevent contamination. Skills and knowledge of staff in understanding the potential for and preventing contamination of raw fish, for example preparation methods, are essential. (p38)

          https://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/Home/News-Media/News/Art…

          Sashimi-grade Tuna are line-caught, landed onto a mattress (to minimise bruising) and killed instantly by brain-spiking (a process called ike jime). This prevents the fish from struggling and releasing stress hormones, and helps to keep the body temperature low. The fish is then bled immediately, removing heat and waste products, and put into an ice slurry to drop its temperature as close to 0ºC as quickly as possible.

          • donga100 on 30/09/2024 - 17:23

            @tonester: Page 39:

            These controls are essential to
            maximise the safety of fish that may
            be eaten raw: businesses involved in selling raw
            • freeze to –18˚C or colder to control some parasites

  • morse on 30/09/2024 - 07:14

    Wild caught varieties such as hoki are fine frozen. Sealord brand have some with a high percentage of fish in their crumbed range, look for half price sales. Otherwise just get the frozen fillets.

    Farmed fish like salmon and barramundi taste fine but are questionable re environmental impacts and maybe health.

    Tinned sardines are great for health benefits.

  • barbarella on 30/09/2024 - 09:02

    Avoid Tasmanian salmon BIG TIME! It is full of crap!! (google what they are fed)

  • Archi on 30/09/2024 - 10:47

    take up fishing as a hobby…

    or befriend a bunch of people that do.

  • skillet on 01/10/2024 - 09:40

    It's sad sometimes these frozen fish chunks are filled brine to increase their weight.

    Unfortunately the fish from deli seems to arrive too late they start smelling bad when the decay begin. Same for thawed prawns. Ie. not fresh.

    I'll go to the market if I am looking for fish and it doesn't always guarantee freshness. I feel that the stock from the market is at least a day old. Even more for woolies and Coles. I used to live near a fishing village I know what's a fresh fish.

    I would choose other types of protein and not waste money on expensive expired fish.

  • snapper17 on 01/10/2024 - 16:30

    you can get hoki or barramundi from nz frozen for $21 a kilo in woolies
    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/665989/oce…

    Ive eaten the vietnam basa which I do enjoy though some say its bad for you.
    Stick to australian or nz if you can afford it

  • Pumpkin_rrr on 03/10/2024 - 06:05
    +1

    Basa from Vietnam: have met plenty of people who said they refuse to buy them. Reason was the fish came from a dirty river.
    Turn around and the same person went for a Tour to Vietnam. I'm tempted to ask about their cuisine on tour….

    Yeah the Coles/Woolies frozen fish from NZ is one of my new finds.

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