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Cleaning and Filleting Fish
This page has links and tutorials on how to handle, scale, skin, fillet and store fish in order to enjoy the freshest, highest quality seafood available.
Table of Contents
- Should You Fillet Your Fish?
- Fillet Knives
- Fish and Seafood Links - Cleaning and Filleting Fish
- Fish Scalers
- Vacuum Bags and Zipper Bags for Storing and Freezing Fish and Seafood
- Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Food Storage System
- Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum on eBay
- Books about Cleaning Fish
- YouTube Fish Cleaning Vids
- Related Information
- Seafood Articles
- Fish T-Shirts, Stickers and Gifts
- How To Scale and Clean Panfish - Bone In
- Fish Posters - Art
- Save Your Fish Scraps!
- How to Fillet a Codfish - YouTube Video
- Fish Cleaning Feedback
Should You Fillet Your Fish?
When cleaning fish it's important to decide if you will scale or skin the fish as well as choosing to fillet the fish or simply gut and remove the head, tail and fins.How to Fillet Fish
Smaller fish may not be suited for filleting but most larger fish can easily be filleted in order to provide high quality boneless meals.
Skinning Fish Fillets
Skinning the fish and trimming any dark meat can further raise the quality of your meal. To skin the fish, lie the fillet down flat, skin side down. Using a SHARP fillet knife, make a cut using a slicing motion parallel to the skin.
Care of the Fillets
Fish should always be kept cold! Store fish in an iced cooler and clean them right away after your trip. Fillets will be best if rinsed, placed in zipper bags and placed back on ice immediately after cleaning.
Using All of the Fish
Don't want to waste anything? There's even a trick for that! You can use kitchen shears and remove the gills from the head, then rinse the head, skeleton, skin and scraps of dark meat for use in making a delicious fish stock.
Any parts not used can be added to a compost pile. Fish scraps are excellent sources of minerals and other nutrients for your garden.
Fillet Knives
Find high quality fillet knives for cleaning fish here.
Fish and Seafood Links - Cleaning and Filleting Fish
- Cleaning and Filleting Flounder
- This tutorial page includes step by step instructions for cleaning flounder, fluke or halibut. The method produces high quality boneless fillets.
- Cleaning and Filleting Mahi Mahi
- This tutorial explains how to clean and fillet mahi mahi (dolphinfish).
- Fresh Seafood
- Information about every aspect of buying, cooking and enjoying fresh seafood locally or online. Included are seafood recipes and articles on buying, cooking and enjoying fish, crabs, lobsters, shrimp, clams, oysters, scallops, mussels and other seafood.
Fish Scalers
Buy Fish Scalers Online
This tool can help you find fish scalers from Amazon. Find simple scalers, electric scalers or complete fish cleaning kits.
Vacuum Bags and Zipper Bags for Storing and Freezing Fish and Seafood
Vacuum bags work by removing air from freezer storage bags. You simply place your food in the freezer bag, seal the bag, and use the vacuum tool to air from the bag. Removing excess air cuts down on freezer burn.
Several types of bags and vacuum devices exist, ranging from inexpensive hand pumps to large models for bulk freezing.
One of the most popular options is a series of an economically priced, hand-held vacuum sealers which remove air from the specially designed Reynold's food bags. To purchase a manual or electric RHV, shop online or visit major grocery stores and mass retailers.
The average cost of a vacuum sealer starter kit is very affordable and the kit includes a few quart size vacuum food bags. Refills of quart size bags or gallon size bags are available.
Several types of bags and vacuum devices exist, ranging from inexpensive hand pumps to large models for bulk freezing.
One of the most popular options is a series of an economically priced, hand-held vacuum sealers which remove air from the specially designed Reynold's food bags. To purchase a manual or electric RHV, shop online or visit major grocery stores and mass retailers.
The average cost of a vacuum sealer starter kit is very affordable and the kit includes a few quart size vacuum food bags. Refills of quart size bags or gallon size bags are available.
Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Food Storage System
Vacuum bags work by removing air from freezer storage bags. You simply place your food in the freezer bag, seal the bag, and use the vacuum tool to air from the bag. Removing excess air cuts down on freezer burn.
Reynolds Consumer Produ Handi Vac Starter Kit 00590
Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 01/04/2010)
The RHV is an economically priced, hand-held vacuum sealer that removes air from the specially designed Reynold's food bags.
Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum on eBay
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Books about Cleaning Fish
Use this tool to find books on cleaning fish and seafood.
Related Information
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Fresh Seafood
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This page has information on fresh seafood including fish, shrimp, lobsters, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, squid and other delicacies. We encourage seafood enthusiasts to share recipes, articles and other information.
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Seafood Recipes
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This page has information on seafood recipes. Send us your favorite fish, crab, lobster, shrimp, oyster, clam, scallop or other seafood recipe!
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How to Cook Fish
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This page has tips on cooking fish as well as a selection of fish and seafood cookbooks, important links and other information. For specialized cooking recipes, check the lists of related information near the bottom of this page.
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Saltwater Fishing
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This page has basic information on saltwater fishing. Recreational fishing is the most popular outdoor activity in the USA and much of that is done in saltwater. Saltwater fishing has many forms with something for nearly everyon...
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Charter Boats and Guided Trips
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This lens has tips on chartering a boat or guide for fishing. Also listed are charter boats, nature cruises, site-seeing tours, fishing charter trips, head boats and fishing guides from all over the world. We would like to hear input and any suggesti...
Seafood Articles
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byFish T-Shirts, Stickers and Gifts
Looking for a saltwater or freshwater fish t-shirt? Visit our Outdoors USA online store to find> Fish and Fishing T Shirts
Live Wahoo Women's T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Striped Bass Art Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Price: 24.99
Mako Shark White T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Mahi Mahi Women's T-Shirt
Price: 20.99
Crappie Hooded Sweatshirt
Price: 41.99
How To Scale and Clean Panfish - Bone In
This technique is best for small fish that are not suitable to be filleted.
1. Scale the fish with a fish scaler or dull knife. While holding the fish with one hand, use the tool to remove all scales. You must run the scaler or knife from tail to head in order to get the scales off. The skin should be smooth when all scales are gone.
2. Cut the fish's head off. make the cut at the back of the fish's gills. Cut through at this point.
3. Cut from the belly back to the vent, avoiding all organs. Remove all organs, saving the fish roe if any is found.
4. Cut off the tail and fins.
5. Rinse the fish and place on ice immediately.
1. Scale the fish with a fish scaler or dull knife. While holding the fish with one hand, use the tool to remove all scales. You must run the scaler or knife from tail to head in order to get the scales off. The skin should be smooth when all scales are gone.
2. Cut the fish's head off. make the cut at the back of the fish's gills. Cut through at this point.
3. Cut from the belly back to the vent, avoiding all organs. Remove all organs, saving the fish roe if any is found.
4. Cut off the tail and fins.
5. Rinse the fish and place on ice immediately.
Fish Posters - Art
Click on any fish poster to buy online or browse the entire collection of fish artwork.
Save Your Fish Scraps!
Fish scraps are an excellent contribution to your organic garden. Fish have been used to nourish crops for thousands of years as they are excellent sources of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other important minerals. Fish heads, scales, skin and bones all make great additions to a garden. Fish parts can be laid in a sunny area to dry, then added to a compost pile or buried in a fallow section of the garden. Like crustacean shells, fish scales, bones and skin release nutrients slowly, providing plants with a natural, steady dispersion. How to Fillet a Codfish - YouTube Video
Fish Cleaning Feedback
Please send your favorite comments or questions about cleaning fish.
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Reply
- NatureMaven NatureMaven Jun 20, 2009 @ 11:09 am
- Hi it's me again. You sure do know about fish and fishing! *****I am lens rolling this to my Piney Run Park lens. Happy casting!
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Reply
- daybreak daybreak Jun 13, 2009 @ 2:37 pm | in reply to Deena
- I agree it is sometimes hard to identify skinless fillets once they are stored together. Bagging each species separately is sometimes the only way to tell besides the taste of the cooked meal. Pre-labeled zipper or vacuum bags are a good thing to have ready before fish cleaning begins.
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Reply
- Deena Deena Jun 13, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
- We just came back from Louisiana with a truck full of Trout and Reds...I know the reds have the red streak through the meat...but it looks like so does all the other...how can one tell the difference in a big trout and a smaller red once it has been cleaned? Thanks.
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- grayth grayth Feb 4, 2009 @ 9:23 am
- very informative lens on cleaning fish, the pictures were very clear and the explanation great.
by daybreak
I enjoy fishing, boating and outdoor fun in Virginia. I own and maintain several sites including Fresh Seafood and Charter Boats and Guides (more)
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