If the idea of frozen fish elicits memories of dried-out frozen fish sticks, we’re here to tell you times have drastically changed. In fact, frozen fish is often better and preferred by informed consumers — those who understand that “fresh” fish is often not as fresh as it may seem.
Here we’ll break down the differences between fresh and frozen seafood and whether you’re better off buying frozen fish vs fresh fish when it comes to taste, nutrition, and quality.
Understanding the Definition of Fresh and Frozen Fish
Let’s start out with something everyone is familiar with: That moment you step into your local grocer and see “fresh” fish laid out on ice, often underneath the glass of the store’s seafood department. Looks appealing, doesn’t it? Not so fast — this fish isn’t as fresh as you’ve been led to believe.
Sorry to break it to you — you’ve been duped by savvy grocery store merchandising. This entire concept of “fresh” has been largely debunked as a marketing myth. It’s designed to trick consumers into believing the catch of the day was just plucked from the ocean, before laying it out over ice at the store.
This fish was likely frozen and thawed out several times before getting to the seafood counter, which is far from ideal in terms of freshness and texture. Once the fish is at the seafood counter, it’s also hard to determine the exact amount of time the fish has been sitting out or stored in sub-optimal refrigerated storage, reducing its taste and quality with every passing moment. Which brings us to our next topic, comparing this “fresh” store-bought fish to flash frozen fish.
Pro-buying tip: If you’re not sure how long the fish has been thawed or the day it was caught, buy a high-quality frozen fish instead of a previously frozen, then thawed piece at the store.
How Frozen Fish Retains Quality, Flavor, and Nutrition
High-quality fish is frozen with state-of-the-art, commercial-grade freezers that preserve the fish very quickly, at the peak of its freshness. Using suboptimal freezers or your home freezer won’t deliver the same high-quality results, as the fish freezes too slowly. A slower freezing process causes larger ice crystals to form between its fibers of protein, which subsequently causes the fish to dry out and impacts its flavor profile.
Rapidly freezing fish at low temperatures, on the other hand, prevents the formation of larger ice crystals and preserves its quality, flavor, and nutrition. Because the fish we offer at the Wild Alaskan Company is frozen quickly, promptly after harvest, it’s as close as you’ll get to enjoying fish right off the boat.
Nutritional Differences Between Fresh and Frozen Seafood
Many people have been led to believe that fresh seafood and fish has a higher nutrient content than frozen. This is patently false — nutrient content is essentially the same between both.
Taste and Texture: Does Fresh Really Taste Better?
Similar to nutritional differences between the two, consumers have been led to believe that fresh fish simply tastes better. The truth is, people cannot distinguish between the two during blind taste tests, when it comes to flavor and texture.
In fact, groups like the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center have performed a study — showing fish frozen quickly after being caught ranked as good or better than supposedly “fresh” fish bought at the supermarket.
If that’s the case, why would anyone buy “fresh” fish that was thawed, re-frozen, and possibly thawed out again on display? This leads us to the next section on the very tangible benefits frozen fish presents.
Shelf Life, Safety and Convenience
Frozen fish is far superior in its shelf life and convenience to fresh fish — lasting years before it starts to degrade. It’s best to consume your frozen fish within two years of stocking it in your freezer, just to ensure you get the best flavor and texture from the species you purchased. And when it comes to safety, frozen fish properly stored in the freezer is safe to consume indefinitely.
As for fresh fish? Well, it’s best consumed and cooked the day it’s caught but can be refrigerated in its thawed state and last up to two whole days for many common species. Any longer than that and you risk spoilage, which can be determined by funky smells, such as strong fishy or sour odors. Obviously, this makes it much more inconvenient than frozen fish, as you’re forced to cook it as soon as possible — even if you had no plans of making fish for lunch or dinner that day.
Storage of Fresh and Frozen Fish
When you receive a fillet of frozen fish in a vacuum-packed sealed package, do not break the sealed package until you’re ready to thaw the fish and consume it. If your sealed package breaks or ruptures from impact or friction (i.e., packing it into a tight shelf in your freezer), it’s still safe to eat indefinitely — but it runs the risk of losing moisture and developing freezer burn.
Note that sealed, packaged frozen fish often has a layer of ice surrounding it. Do not mistake this for freezer burn! This layer of ice is an intentional ice glaze and is a good thing. It helps to lock in its flavor and texture for weeks, months or years to come.
For fresh fish, we recommend storing it in your refrigerator at 32 to 38-degrees Fahrenheit for a maximum of one to two days. You can store it on a paper towel-lined plate on the lowest shelf. Do not store it on the fridge door, as this area is regularly less cold.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
One of the most tangible benefits of frozen fish from a sustainability standpoint is how it can help you reduce food waste. Having the ability to thaw seafood when you’re ready to cook can reduce the chances of you storing unfrozen seafood in your refrigerator for too long. In other words, you’ll be less likely to let it go bad if you have a bit more control over when you’re planning to cook it.
From a logistics standpoint, frozen fish makes it possible for it to be shipped via ground transportation, versus fresh fish that needs to be flown in from the source. How your food is shipped contributes to its overall environmental footprint, as there is a significant difference in environmental impact between air shipping versus ground shipping.
When Fresh Fish Might Actually Be Better
In most instances, frozen fish is simply going to beat fresh fish when it comes to taste, texture, and quality. This is due to frozen fish’s locked-in taste and texture, which was preserved at the peak of its freshness.
That being said, fish that was just plucked from the ocean prior is great. Of course, this is contingent on you living somewhere near the coast and it’s increasingly hard to verify these days. It’s imperative you know when it was caught and where your fish comes from to avoid fish fraud.
Why Wild Alaskan Company Exclusively Sells Frozen Fish
We only sell frozen fish here at the Wild Alaskan Company — for premium quality, optimal taste and texture, and sustainability in every piece of fish we sell. By ensuring our fish is sourced from wild Alaskan waters and frozen quickly at the peak of its freshness, we can provide you with the highest quality fish without compromise.
And because we ship our fish with plentiful dry ice to ensure it’s still frozen when it gets to your doorstep, you can be absolutely certain that it’s been preserved at peak quality.
Frozen Fish FAQs
Does frozen fish taste as good as fresh?
Frozen fish tastes every bit as good as fresh fish. In fact, a study by the University of Oregon has shown that consumers rated frozen fish as good or better in taste than fresh fish.
Is frozen fish as healthy as fresh?
Frozen fish is incredibly healthy, especially when it’s frozen quickly at the peak of its freshness, which locks in its nutrients.
Is frozen fish good for you?
Frozen fish is a healthy part of a balanced diet and offers no discernible difference in healthiness versus its fresh counterparts. And because fresh fish is prone to spoilage after a few days of sitting in the fridge, it’s easier to verify frozen fish is safe to consume.
Does frozen fish lose nutrients?
Frozen fish doesn’t lose significant nutrients, compared to fresh fish.
