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

Wouldn't you be happy if you could eat saury that is in season and is full of high-quality fat and still taste delicious even after the date has passed?

This is possible by making full use of cryopreservation techniques.

Normally, food can only be stored for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, but by freezing it, you can extend the storage period many times.

What's more, it not only allows you to store it for a long time, but it also has the added benefit of significantly cutting down on the hassle of cooking.

Please take a look at our detailed explanation of this method of freezing.

Sanma nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of pacific saury

Calories are approximately 310kcal per 100g.
The composition of the three major nutrients is as follows.

Protein 18.5g
Fat 24.6g
Carbohydrate 0.1g

People who have the impression that fish = healthy may be surprised by the amount of fat it contains.
However, the fat in saury is unsaturated fatty acids, which is different from the saturated fatty acids found in cows and pigs.
While saturated fatty acids make the blood thick, unsaturated fatty acids have the effect of making the blood thinner.

It also contains other nutrients such as:

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

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

【others】
unsaturated fatty acids

The efficacy of saury

Benefit #1: Prevents high blood pressure by smoothing the blood

A substance called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) contained in the fat of saury has the effect of increasing good cholesterol and reducing bad cholesterol and triglycerides.
``Reduction in bad cholesterol = reduction in fats sent from the liver to the bloodstream'', which prevents the blood from becoming mushy.

In addition, since "reduction of neutral fat = reduction of subcutaneous fat", it leads to improvement of plump stomach as typified by metabolic syndrome.

Modern diets are high in fat and sugar, increasing the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.
However, by eating fish such as saury, this situation can be improved.

Benefit #2: Improves memory and prevents blurriness

This is related to a substance called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is contained in unsaturated fatty acids.

DHA has the function of developing and maintaining the brain and nervous tissue, and in humans, it is present in large amounts in brain cells.
The phrase "development and maintenance of the brain and nerves" doesn't make a lot of sense, but to put it simply, it means "improving memory and preventing blurriness."​

For growing children, developing brain cells means improving memory, and for adults whose growth has stopped, maintaining brain cells means preventing blurred vision.

One of the charms of saury is that it is effective for a wide range of people, young and old.

Precautions when eating frozen saury: food poisoning caused by parasites

If you buy it at a supermarket and freeze it, avoid eating it raw, such as sashimi.
This is because a parasite called Anisakis lives in the internal organs of saury, which can cause food poisoning.

However, Anisakis can be killed by freezing. The website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries states that it will die at -20℃ for 24 hours or more or -18℃ for 48 hours or more.

If you follow these rules, you can eat frozen food, but if you are concerned about the freezing environment at home, be sure to heat it before eating.
Source: https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/seisaku/foodpoisoning/f_encyclopedia/anisakis.html

*Anisakis is sensitive to heat and can be eaten without any problems if cooked. Also, wasabi and vinegar won't kill them.

Benefits of freezing saury

Allows long-term storage

If you store the purchased saury in the refrigerator, it will last for 2 to 3 days.
No matter how seasonal and cheap it is, you won't be able to buy that much if you want to use it up in such a short period of time.

However, if you freeze it, it can be preserved for about three weeks, so you can stock up on large quantities when the price is low.
If you can store it for a long period of time, it has the great advantage of not only being able to eat nutritious saury with seasonal fat at any time, but also being a huge financial help.

Reduces cooking time

The second advantage is that it can significantly reduce the amount of time required for cooking.

If you buy a large amount when it's in season, you can finish pre-processing it all at once.
Arrange the saury on a cutting board and remove the head and internal organs.

You can freeze them individually, or you can cut them into three pieces and then freeze them.
In any case, if you leave it in a state where all you have to do is bake, you can significantly cut down on the effort and time it takes to cook.

How to freeze and preserve saury

When wrapping and freezing one fish at a time

1. Remove the head and internal organs (hereinafter referred to as pretreatment), wash under running water, and remove the moisture.

2. Wrap each fish tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze.

If you cut it into three pieces and freeze it

1. Prepare and cut into three pieces.

2. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze.

When salt-grilled and frozen

1. Prepare and grill with salt.

2. Once cooled, wrap each fish tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer bag.

★You can also loosen the salt-grilled food and freeze it in flakes.

How to thaw saury and storage period

How to defrost saury

No matter which method you use, the approximate shelf life is 3 weeks.
Of course, it may vary slightly depending on the freshness before freezing and the quality of freezing.
Therefore, please consider the 3 weeks as a guideline and make your own final judgment.

Sanma storage period

[When frozen raw]

If you freeze the fish individually or cut it into three pieces, thaw it naturally in the refrigerator.
If you're planning to use it for dinner, it's a good idea to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator in the morning.

The trick to defrosting food properly is to place a kitchen towel on the plate.
This way, even if there is some drip (liquid leakage), it will absorb the liquid well.

​If you want to defrost food in a hurry, we recommend defrosting it in ice water.
Defrosting in ice water is a method of thawing food by filling a bowl with ice water and submerging the food in it.
It saves water compared to thawing under running water and takes less time than thawing in the refrigerator, so it's the perfect method when you want to defrost food quickly.

[If heated and then frozen]

If you grill it with salt and freeze it, you can thaw it in the refrigerator.
As before, if you want to use it for dinner, it's a good idea to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator in the morning.

You can also use your microwave's defrost function if you need to defrost it in a hurry.
Since it has already been cooked, you can complete the entire process from defrosting to heating using just a microwave.

>> Best before date and tips for extending the best before date for frozen meat and fish

5 easy recipes using saury

Tatsuta-yaki

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4098460

☑材料（2人分）
・さんま　2尾
●醤油　大さじ1
●酒　大さじ1
・片栗粉　適量
・サラダ油　適量

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen saury in the refrigerator or in ice water, then grate it into three pieces (you can also use frozen saury cut into three pieces).
2) Cut the grated meat into thirds horizontally and mix with the seasonings.
3) Wipe out the liquid and sprinkle with potato starch.
4) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the skin until crispy.
5) When the fire goes through, drain the oil and it's done.

Salt-grilled in a frying pan

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3367880

☑材料（2人分）
・さんま　2尾
・塩　適量

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen saury in the refrigerator or in ice water.
2) Wash the saury lightly with water, sprinkle salt evenly, and leave for 10 minutes.
3) Remove moisture with kitchen paper and make diagonal slits in several places on the left and right sides of the saury.
4) Spread a parchment paper on a frying pan and bake over medium to low heat.
5) After 5 to 6 minutes, turn over, being careful not to peel off the skin.
6) After 3 to 4 minutes, turn off the heat when it is cooked through and it is done.

★ Adding grated radish, sudachi, yuzu, etc. will help with digestion.

Kabayaki bowl

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4106475

☑材料（1人分）
・さんま　1尾
・片栗粉　適量
・サラダ油　適量
・塩コショウ　適量
・いり白ごま　適量
●醤油　大さじ1
●砂糖　小さじ2
●オイスターソース　小さじ1
●コチュジャン　小さじ1
●水　大さじ3
●すりおろしにんにく　小さじ1/2
●すりおろししょうが　小さじ1/2
●塩コショウ　少々

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen saury in the refrigerator or in ice water, then grate it into three pieces (you can also use frozen saury cut into three pieces).
2) Wash lightly with water, wipe dry, cut in half horizontally, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and potato starch.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the skin side first.
4) Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5) Add the pre-mixed seasonings marked ●, and when it comes to a simmer, it's done.

★You can also cook raw saury before freezing and freeze it in the Kabayaki state.

Boiled Gochujang

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2786542

☑材料（2人分）
・さんま　2尾
・にんにく　1片
・鷹の爪　2本
●酒　1/2カップ
●みりん　1/2カップ
●味噌　大さじ1
●コチュジャン　大さじ1
●砂糖　大さじ1

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen saury in the refrigerator or in ice water, cut into appropriate sizes, and drain.
2) Add the seasonings, garlic, and hawk claws to a pot and bring to a boil.
3) Place the saury in a pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. When the whole thing is cooked, it's done.

Miso stew

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4087056

☑材料（1人分）
・さんま　1尾
●酒　大さじ1
●みりん　大さじ1
●味噌　大さじ1
●砂糖　大さじ1
●水　大さじ2
●おろししょうが　小さじ1

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen saury in the refrigerator or in ice water, grate it into three pieces, and then cut it in half horizontally (you can also use frozen saury that has been grated into three pieces).
2) Sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for 10 minutes, then drain.
3) Add the Sanma and ● seasonings to a frying pan, bring to a boil, then turn over medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn over and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Conclusion

How do you store saury in the freezer?

Sanma, which would only last for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, can be stored for about 3 weeks in the freezer.
If you freeze a whole fish, you can make salt-grilled fish, and if you grate it into three pieces and freeze it, you can make anything from Kabayaki to miso stew.

Sanma when it's in season is very good in terms of nutrition and price, so please try using this frozen preservation method.

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

>> 3 points to keep in mind when preserving vegetables