[Explanation with photos] How to freeze octopus, storage period, and 5 recipes!

Did you know that octopus can be frozen?

Since they are often sold boiled in supermarkets, many people may have the impression that they have nothing to do with frozen foods.

It is not well known, but frozen storage is very compatible.

Even when frozen, the texture and flavor do not change easily, and it also has the advantage of being able to be stored for a much longer period of time than refrigerated storage.

If you are wondering how to store octopus, please read on.

Octopus nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of octopus

The calorie content of octopus is 99kcal per 100g (if boiled). It's rich in protein but low in fat, so it's low in calories.

In terms of nutritional value, it is also rich in vitamins and minerals. Other characteristic ingredients include taurine, which has the function of maintaining cell function, and acetylcholine, which has the function of resting the nerves.

The vitamins and minerals contained in octopus include the following:

【vitamin】
Vitamins A, E, B1, B2, niacin, B6, B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid, C

【mineral】
Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, chromium, molybdenum

Effect of octopus

[Diet effect]

Octopus contains high quality protein. Once protein is broken down into amino acids in the body, it becomes the building blocks of our body's blood vessels and muscles. As you gain muscle, your metabolism will naturally increase, making it difficult for your body to accumulate fat.

Vitamin B2 also has the role of supporting carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. If you consume enough vitamin B2, you can convert the food you eat into energy without wasting it. In other words, it is less likely to remain as fat.

[Hangover prevention]

Taurine has the ability to strengthen liver function. When you drink alcohol, your liver has to work harder to break down the alcohol. Taurine has the power to support liver function.

In addition, taurine has functions such as promoting the secretion of bile acids and insulin, and lowering bad cholesterol. These functions are said to have the power to normalize blood pressure and blood sugar levels and prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction.

Advantages of freezing octopus

Allows long-term storage

The first advantage is that it can be stored for a long time.

If you store octopus in the refrigerator, it will usually only last for about 1 to 2 days. In addition, when stored in the refrigerator, the food deteriorates as the surface becomes dry and drips appear.

By using frozen storage, you can prevent these foods from deteriorating and preserve them for long periods of time.

Freezing will remove the slime.

The second benefit is that it removes slime.

Octopus has a unique sliminess. Normally, to remove this slime, you have to rub salt and wash with water over and over again. Or you have to rub the rice bran and wash it with water.

However, by freezing food, you can remove the slime without any preparation. If you freeze raw octopus with slime on it, you can remove the slime by simply rinsing it with water when thawing.

Salt rubbing and water washing are labor-intensive tasks, and some families may find it difficult to prepare bran bran even if they want to rub it. Although freezing food takes time, it requires little effort or preparation, so please give it a try.

How to freeze octopus

When freezing boiled octopus

1. Wipe off moisture with kitchen paper.

2. Wrap each one in plastic wrap.

3. Place in a freezer bag and freeze.

★You can also cut it and freeze it according to your cooking needs. In that case, wrap each amount in plastic wrap according to the amount you can use.

When freezing raw

1. Place raw octopus in a freezer bag and freeze.

Source: https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/greatest29/diary/201110050000/

★No processing is done. Place the slimy octopus directly into a freezer bag (the slime will naturally disappear when frozen).

How to defrost octopus and storage period

How to defrost octopus

Basically, we recommend thawing it naturally in the refrigerator. By thawing food slowly in the refrigerator, you can reduce excess dripping (liquid leakage) and prevent the flavor of the food from escaping.

If you are in a hurry, we recommend thawing in ice water. Defrosting in ice water is a method of thawing food by filling a bowl with ice water and submerging the freezer bag in it.

We do not recommend using a microwave oven as it can cause uneven thawing and overheating. If you use it, be sure to let it thaw only halfway to keep dripping to a minimum.

Octopus storage period

The recommended storage period is 3 to 4 weeks.

However, even frozen preservation is not a panacea, and food deterioration can progress due to temperature changes in the freezing environment and inside the freezer.

Therefore, please use 3 to 4 weeks as a guideline and make your own final decision based on your own five senses.

5 easy recipes using octopus

Fried octopus

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2738521

☑材料（１人分）
・たこ　200g
●醤油　大さじ3
●酒　大さじ1
●すりおろししょうが　小さじ1/2
・片栗粉　大さじ3
・サラダ油　大さじ4
・黒こしょう　1振り
・酢　1振り

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen boiled octopus naturally in the refrigerator and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
2) Put (1) and ● seasoning into a freezer bag and mix.
3) Leave in the refrigerator for about an hour, then remove from the bag, wipe dry with kitchen paper, and sprinkle with potato starch.
4) Heat salad oil in a frying pan and add the octopus from (3).
5) Wait patiently until one side is well browned, then flip it over.
6) Finish by adding black pepper and vinegar.

★If frozen raw, boil and cut into bite-sized pieces.

octopus rice

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/923048

☑材料（3人分）
・たこ　好きな量
・米　3合
●水　400cc
●醤油　20cc
●酒　20cc
●塩　ひとつまみ
●昆布　5㎝

<How to make>
1) Cut the frozen boiled octopus into bite-sized pieces (no need to thaw).
2) Wash the rice, add the seasonings (1) and ● to the rice cooker, and turn it on.

★Since the octopus will shrink when heated, it is best to cut it into slightly larger pieces.
★If you use raw octopus, boil it in salt water to remove the odor.

garlic octopus

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2727162

☑材料（3人分）
・たこ　1パック
・きゅうり　3本
●醤油　大さじ2
●酢　大さじ2
●ごま油　大さじ1
●にんにくチューブ　適量
●だしの素　小さじ1

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen boiled octopus naturally in the refrigerator, then cut it into pieces.
2) Rub the cucumber with salt, wash it, and cut it into small pieces.
3) Add the cucumbers from (2) and the seasonings marked ● to a freezer bag and massage.
4) Add the diced octopus to (3), mix well, and chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors soak in. It's done.

Basic takoyaki

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/534843

☑材料（60個分）
・小麦粉　200g
・だし　800~900ml
・卵　3個
・山芋　5㎝程度
・醤油　大さじ1
・みりん　大さじ1
◆たこ　適量
◆青ねぎ　適量
◆キャベツ　1/5~1/4個
◆天かす　適量

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen boiled octopus naturally in the refrigerator.
2) Beat the eggs in a bowl, mix with the grated yam, and pour in the dashi little by little.
3) Mix the flour little by little, making sure there are no lumps.
4) Add soy sauce and mirin, and let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the ingredients ◆.
5) For the ingredients ◆, cut the octopus into small pieces, cut the green onion into small pieces, and chop the cabbage into small pieces.
6) Heat oil on a sufficiently hot iron plate.
7) Place the octopus, dough, green onions, cabbage, and tenkasu in each hole in that order and bake.

Oden

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4100463

☑材料
・たこ　1/2パック（180g程度）
・大根　210g
・さつまあげ　60g
・ちくわ　90g
・卵　1個
●水　200~300ml
●鰹節　6g
●酒　大さじ1
●醤油　大さじ1
●みりん　大さじ1
●塩　小さじ1/3

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen boiled octopus naturally in the refrigerator, then cut out the legs one by one.
2) Boil water in a pot and strain the bonito flakes to remove the stock.
3) Slice the radish into rounds about 1cm thick, make a 5mm incision on one side, and parboil them in a separate pot.
4) Put the dashi stock and sake from (2) into a pot and bring to a boil.
5) Add the daikon radish, fish cake, and chikuwa, and also add the seasonings marked ●.
6) Once the above is cooked, add the eggs and boil. Let it sit for about an hour so the flavors meld.

Conclusion

How do you freeze octopus?

We introduced two methods: freezing boiled food and freezing raw food. Wrap the boiled octopus in plastic wrap and freeze it in a freezer bag. You can store raw octopus by placing it in a freezer bag and freezing it.

The recommended thawing method is to thaw in the refrigerator or in ice water. If you use a microwave, use the defrost function to stop the food in a partially defrosted state.

The approximate storage period is 3 to 4 weeks. Some fishermen say that you can store it for 2 to 3 months if it's slimy, but please use your own judgment.

Please try this method when you are on sale or when you go fishing and catch a large amount of octopus.