Treatments Before Frozen Storage Affecting Thaw Drip Formation in Pacific Salmon

Abstract

Freshly caught chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, were stored in ice or refrigerated seawater for 0.3 and 10 days and were then gutted and frozen at two different rates (1 or 14.5 h through the temperature range of 0 to −5 °C). The amount of thaw drip (TD) was determined in steaks following 1.5, 4, 8, and 12 mo of storage at −28 °C. A significant increase in TD occurred with the slow freezing rate or with a delay before freezing. These effects were not suppressed by a prolonged frozen storage, which also produced an increase in TD. There was no marked difference between fish held in ice and refrigerated seawater before freezing. Similar results were obtained with coho salmon, O. kisutch, frozen without prior chill stowage. Key words: Pacific salmon, thaw drip, chill stowage, freezing rates Oncorhynchus keta, O. kisutch